X-ray line coincidence photopumping in a solar flare

F. P. Keenan, K. Poppenhaeger, M. Mathioudakis, S. J. Rose, J. Flowerdew, D. Hynes, D. J. Christian, J. Nilsen, W. R. Johnson

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Abstract

Line coincidence photopumping is a process where the electrons of an atomic or molecular species are radiatively excited through the absorption of line emission from another species at a coincident wavelength. There are many instances of line coincidence photopumping in astrophysical sources at optical and ultraviolet wavelengths, with the most famous example being Bowen fluorescence (pumping of O III 303.80 A by He II), but none to our knowledge in X-rays. However, here we report on a scheme where a He-like line of Ne IX at 11.000 A is photopumped by He-like Na X at 11.003 A, which predicts significant intensity enhancement in the Ne IX 82.76 A transition under physical conditions found in solar flare plasmas. A comparison of our theoretical models with published X-ray observations of a solar flare obtained during a rocket flight provides evidence for line enhancement, with the measured degree of enhancement being consistent with that expected from theory, a truly surprising result. Observations of this enhancement during flares on stars other than the Sun would provide a powerful new diagnostic tool for determining the sizes of flare loops in these distant, spatially-unresolved, astronomical sources.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3782-3786
Number of pages5
JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume474
Issue number3
Early online date23 Nov 2017
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01 Mar 2018

Bibliographical note

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Keywords

  • Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics

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