Characterizing Turbulent Flow in Quiescent Prominences

Abstract:

Understanding the motion of plasma in quiescent prominences is important in determining how the magnetic field structure can become entangled to trigger eruptions. Hinode/Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) observations have already demonstrated the existence of convective flows and Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities around the plume component inside these prominences. Our research uses the same observations to make quantitative measurements of the turbulent diffusive flows in these coronal structures. Fourier local correlation tracking (FLCT) is used to derive velocity fields from SOT observations of prominence plasma sheets. Analysis of these velocity fields in turn provides a measurement of the temporal and/or spatial length scales associated with the energy dissipation and diffusivity.