Prominence fine structures in a magnetic equilibrium

III. Lyman continuum in 2D configurations

¹ Astronomical Institute, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 25165 Ondřejov, Czech Republic e-mail: [gunar;pheinzel]@asu.cas.cz
² Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik, Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 1, 85740 Garching, Germany e-mail: ula@mpa-garching.mpg.de
³ Astronomical Institute, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

Received: 29 July 2006
Accepted: 19 October 2006

Abstract

Aims.We discuss the behavior of the Lyman continuum profiles studied on the grid of 2D vertical-thread models for prominence fine structures.

Methods.Multilevel non-LTE transfer calculations for a 12-level plus continuum hydrogen model atom are used.

Results.Since the Lyman continuum is formed in regions with different temperatures for different orientations between the magnetic field direction and the line-of-sight, our Lyman continuum modeling, together with additional information from Lyman lines, represents a very useful tool for the determination of the thread structure.

Conclusions.A comparison between our theoretical Lyman continuum models between 800 Å and 911 Å with the observed values shows that such a modeling can give interesting new constraints on the temperature structure in prominence threads.