title: Helium shells and faint emission lines from slitless flash spectra.
abstract: At the time of the two last solar total eclipses of August 1st, 2008 in Siberia and July 11th, 2010 in French Polynesia, high frame rate CCD flash spectra were obtained. These eclipses occurred in quiet Sun period and after. The slitless flash spectra show two helium shells, in the weak Paschen α 4686 Å line of the ionized helium HeII and in the neutral helium HeI line at 4713 Å. The extensions of these helium shells are typically 3 Mm. In prominences, the extension of the interface with the corona is much more extended. The observations and analysis of these lines can properly be done only in eclipse conditions, when the intensity threshold reaches the coronal level, and the parasitic scattered light is virtually zero. Under the layers of 1 Mm above the limb, many faint low FIP lines were also seen in emission. These emission lines are superposed on the continuum containing absorption lines. The solar limb can be defined using the weak continuum appearing between the emission lines at the time of the second and third contact. The variations of the singly ionized iron line, the HeI and HeII lines and the continuum intensity are analyzed. The intensity ratio of ionized to neutral helium is studied for evaluating the ionization rate in low layers up to 2 Mm and also around a prominence.
authors: Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, UMR 7095, CNRS & UPMC, 98 bis Bd. Arago, 75014 Paris, France ; Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, CNRS UMR 6110, 38, rue Frédéric Joliot-Curie, 13388 Marseille, France.
authors: Cyril
authors: C
authors: Bazin
authors: Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris, UMR 7095, CNRS & UPMC, 98 bis Bd. Arago, 75014 Paris, France.
authors: Serge
authors: S
authors: Koutchmy
keywords: Chromosphere; Flash spectra; Helium shell; Low FIP emission lines; Solar transition region; Total solar eclipse