title: On the prevalence of small-scale twist in the solar chromosphere and transition region.
abstract: The solar chromosphere and transition region (TR) form an interface between the Sun's surface and its hot outer atmosphere. There, most of the nonthermal energy that powers the solar atmosphere is transformed into heat, although the detailed mechanism remains elusive. High-resolution (0.33-arc second) observations with NASA's Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) reveal a chromosphere and TR that are replete with twist or torsional motions on sub-arc second scales, occurring in active regions, quiet Sun regions, and coronal holes alike. We coordinated observations with the Swedish 1-meter Solar Telescope (SST) to quantify these twisting motions and their association with rapid heating to at least TR temperatures. This view of the interface region provides insight into what heats the low solar atmosphere.
authors.affiliation: Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory (LMSAL), 3251 Hanover Street, Organization A021S, Building 252, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA. Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, Post Office Box 1029, Blindern, N-0315 Oslo, Norway. bdp@lmsal.com.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: De Pontieu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, Post Office Box 1029, Blindern, N-0315 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: L Rouppe
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: van der Voort
authors.affiliation: High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Post Office Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307, USA.
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: McIntosh
authors.affiliation: Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, Post Office Box 1029, Blindern, N-0315 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: T M D
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, Post Office Box 1029, Blindern, N-0315 Oslo, Norway.
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authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carlsson
authors.affiliation: Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, Post Office Box 1029, Blindern, N-0315 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hansteen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, Post Office Box 1029, Blindern, N-0315 Oslo, Norway.
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authors.lastname: Skogsrud
authors.affiliation: Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory (LMSAL), 3251 Hanover Street, Organization A021S, Building 252, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lemen
authors.affiliation: Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory (LMSAL), 3251 Hanover Street, Organization A021S, Building 252, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA.
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authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Title
authors.affiliation: Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory (LMSAL), 3251 Hanover Street, Organization A021S, Building 252, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Boerner
authors.affiliation: Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory (LMSAL), 3251 Hanover Street, Organization A021S, Building 252, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hurlburt
authors.affiliation: Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory (LMSAL), 3251 Hanover Street, Organization A021S, Building 252, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA.
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
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authors.affiliation: Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory (LMSAL), 3251 Hanover Street, Organization A021S, Building 252, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Wuelser
authors.affiliation: Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: De Luca
authors.affiliation: Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Golub
authors.affiliation: Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McKillop
authors.affiliation: Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reeves
authors.affiliation: Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saar
authors.affiliation: Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: P
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authors.lastname: Testa
authors.affiliation: Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Montana State University, Bozeman, Post Office Box 173840, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kankelborg
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Montana State University, Bozeman, Post Office Box 173840, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jaeggli
authors.affiliation: Bay Area Environmental Research Institute, 596 1st Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476, USA.
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authors.lastname: Kleint
authors.affiliation: Bay Area Environmental Research Institute, 596 1st Street West, Sonoma, CA 95476, USA.
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authors.lastname: Martinez-Sykora