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Transient Artifacts in a Flare Observed by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager on the Solar Dynamics Observatory

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Abstract

The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) provides a new tool for the systematic observation of white-light flares, including Doppler and magnetic information as well as continuum. In our initial analysis of the highly impulsive \(\mathrm{\gamma}\)-ray flare SOL2010-06-12T00:57 (Martínez Oliveros et al., Solar Phys. 269, 269, 2011), we reported the signature of a strong blueshift in the two footpoint sources. Concerned that this might be an artifact due to aliasing peculiar to the HMI instrument, we undertook a comparative analysis of Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG++) observations of the same flare, using the PArametric Smearing Correction ALgorithm (PASCAL) algorithm to correct for artifacts caused by variations in atmospheric smearing. This analysis confirms the artifactual nature of the apparent blueshift in the HMI observations, finding weak redshifts at the footpoints instead. We describe the use of PASCAL with GONG++ observations as a complement to the SDO observations and discuss constraints imposed by the use of HMI far from its design conditions. With proper precautions, these data provide rich information on flares and transients.

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Notes

  1. GONG++ is an upgrade of the GONG 256×256 to 1024×1024 pixel cameras (known as GONG+, Harvey, Tucker, and Britanik, 1998) and its corresponding data processing system.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Jesper Schou and Sebastien Couvidat for their valuable comments during the writing of this article. The Berkeley group was supported by NASA under contract NNX11AP05G, and the SDO/HMI by contract NAS5-02139 to Stanford University. These data have been used courtesy of NASA/SDO and the EVE and HMI science teams. This work utilizes data obtained by the Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) Program, managed by the National Solar Observatory, which is operated by AURA, Inc. under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA

    J. C. Martínez Oliveros & H. S. Hudson

  2. North West Research Associates, CORA Division, Boulder, CO, USA

    C. Lindsey

  3. Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK

    H. S. Hudson

  4. Observatorio Astronóminco Nacional, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia

    J. C. Buitrago Casas

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  1. J. C. Martínez Oliveros
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Correspondence to J. C. Martínez Oliveros.

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Martínez Oliveros, J.C., Lindsey, C., Hudson, H.S. et al. Transient Artifacts in a Flare Observed by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager on the Solar Dynamics Observatory . Sol Phys 289, 809–819 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-013-0358-9

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