Silicon Abundance from RESIK Solar Flare Observations

• Published in: Solar physics Vol. 283; no. 2; pp. 453 - 461
• Main Authors: Sylwester, B., Phillips, K. J. H., Sylwester, J., Kȩpa, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.04.2013; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Astrophysics and Astroparticles; Atmospheric Sciences; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Plasma; Solar flares; Solar physics; Space Exploration and Astronautics; Space Sciences (including Extraterrestrial Physics; Spectrum analysis; Spectral line, intensity and diagnostics; Flares, spectrum; Spectrum, X-ray
• ISSN: 0038-0938; 1573-093X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11207-013-0250-7

The RESIK instrument on the CORONAS-F spacecraft obtained solar flare and active-region X-ray spectra in four channels covering the wavelength range 3.8 – 6.1 Å in its operational period between 2001 and 2003. Several highly ionized silicon lines were observed within the range of the long-wavelength channel (5.00 – 6.05 Å). The fluxes of the Si  xiv Ly- β line (5.217 Å) and the Si  xiii 1 s 2  – 1 s 3 p line (5.688 Å) during 21 flares with optimized pulse-height analyzer settings on RESIK have been analyzed to obtain the silicon abundance relative to hydrogen in flare plasmas. As in previous work, the emitting plasma for each spectrum is assumed to be characterized by a single temperature and emission measure given by the ratio of emission in the two channels of GOES. The silicon abundance is determined to be A (Si)=7.93±.21 (Si  xiv ) and 7.89±.13 (Si  xiii ) on a logarithmic scale with H =12. These values, which vary by only very small amounts from flare to flare and times within flares, are 2.6±1.3 and 2.4±0.7 times the photospheric abundance, and are about a factor of three higher than RESIK measurements during a period of very low activity. There is a suggestion that the Si/S abundance ratio increases from active regions to flares.