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Issue A&A Volume 385, Number 3, April III 2002 Page(s) 1073 - 1077 Section The Sun DOI 10.1051/0004-6361:20020151

A&A 385, 1073-1077 (2002)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20020151

Intermittent behavior in the transition region and the low corona of the quiet Sun

S. Patsourakos^{1, 2} and J.-C. Vial<sup>3

1</sup>  US Naval Research Laboratory, Space Science Division, Washington, DC 20375, USA
²  Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, Surrey, RH5 6NT, UK
³  Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, Université Paris XI - CNRS, Bât. 121, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France

(Received 12 June 2001 / Accepted 24 January 2002)

Abstract
We present an analysis of light-curves obtained in the O IV and Ne VIII transition region and low corona lines, that were simultaneously recorded in a quiet Sun region by SUMER/SOHO. By using the flatness spectrum of the observed light-curves we searched for intermittency signatures. It was found that a significant proportion of points in the observed area exhibit clear indications of intermittency, irrespectively of their intrinsic intensity. Our findings give favor to an impulsively heated transition region and corona via intermittent-type MHD turbulence.

Key words: Sun: corona -- Sun: transition region -- Sun: UV radiation

Offprint request: S. Patsourakos, spatsourakos@buttercup1.nrl.navy.mil

© ESO 2002

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