

Secondly, we obtained a significant decrease of convective blueshift toward the solar limb. Firstly, the center-to-limb variation of Doppler velocities measured with LARS reveals a significant discrepancy (up to 200 m s −1) to the full-disk Dopplergrams of the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI). The analysis of the time- and bisector-averaged line shifts yields three distinct results. When approaching the solar limb, the bisector transforms into a “\”-shape. Being a signature for convective motions, the bisector curve of Fe I 6173.3 Å describes a “C”-shape at disk center.

We applied a bisector analysis on the spectral lines to reveal the changes of convective blueshift and line asymmetry at different heliocentric positions. The solar spectrum around 6173 Å was calibrated with a laser frequency comb on an absolute wavelength scale with an accuracy of a few meters per second. The solar disk was scanned along the meridian and the equator, from the disk center toward the limb. We performed systematic observations of the quiet Sun with the Laser Absolute Reference Spectrograph (LARS) at the German Vacuum Tower Telescope. Spectroscopic high-accuracy measurements provide us with a refined determination of the absolute convective blueshift and its atmospheric distribution from disk center to the solar limb. This Doppler shift to shorter wavelengths is commonly known as convective blueshift.Īims. Granular convective motions reach into the lower solar atmosphere, typically causing photospheric spectral lines to exhibit a differential line shift. Menlo Systems GmbH, Am Klopferspitz 19, 82152 Martinsried, GermanyĬontext. 6, 79104 Freiburg, GermanyĮ-mail: für Quantenoptik, Hans-Kopfermann-Strasse 1, 85748 Garching, Germany Kiepenheuer-Institut für Sonnenphysik, Schöneckstr.

Carolyn Collins Petersen How Do Astronomers Determine Blueshift?īlueshift is a direct result of a property of an object's motion called the Doppler effect, though there are other phenomena that can also result in light becoming blueshifted. This shows up in spectra of stellar light as a shift in the black lines (called absorption lines) as shown here). If the object is moving away, it shows a redshift. The frequency is shorter as it moves toward you, and the object shows a blueshift. Astronomers use the Doppler effect to measure the frequency of light waves as an object is moving with respect to the observer.
