CAOSP abstracts, Volume: 41, No.: 2, year: 2011

Author(s): Mancuso, S.; Giordano, S.
Journal: Contributions of the Astronomical Observatory Skalnaté Pleso, vol. 41, no. 2, p. 142-148.
Date: 10/2011
Title: Coronal differential rotation from UVCS/SOHO synoptic observations
Keyword(s): Sun: corona, Sun: rotation, Sun: UV radiation
Pages: 142 -- 148

Abstract: Ultraviolet synoptic observations of the O VI 1032 Å spectral line from the UltraViolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) telescope aboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) have been analyzed in order to establish the rotational characteristics of the solar corona during the minimum and maximum phases of solar cycle 23. By using both autocorrelation and spectral analysis techniques, we determined the solar-cycle dependence of the rotation rate in the middle corona. The UV corona is found to rotate more rapidly and rigidly than the underlying sunspots and photospheric plasma. A systematic and substantial acceleration of the equatorial rotation rate is observed to occur around solar maximum.