Transition Region Velocity Oscillations Observed by EUNIS-06

Abstract

Spectroscopic measurements of NOAA AR 10871, obtained with the Extreme Ultraviolet Normal Incidence Spectrograph (EUNIS) sounding rocket instrument on 2006 April 12, reveal velocity oscillations in the He II 303.8 Å emission line formed at T ≈ 5 × 10⁴ K. The oscillations appear to arise in a bright active region loop arcade about 25^'' wide which crosses the EUNIS slit. The period of these transition region oscillations is 26 +/- 4 s, coupled with a velocity amplitude of ±10 km s^-1, detected over four complete cycles. Similar oscillations are observed in lines formed at temperatures up to T ≈ 4 × 10⁵ K, but we find no evidence for the coupling of these velocity oscillations with corresponding phenomena in the corona. We interpret the detected oscillations as originating from an almost purely adiabatic plasma, and infer that they are generated by the resonant transmission of MHD waves through the lower active region atmospheres. Through the use of seismological techniques, we establish that the observed velocity oscillations display wave properties most characteristic of fast body global sausage modes.