Limb-Darkening Observations between 1800 and 2900 Å

Abstract

We succeeded in several attempts at measuring the solar limb—darkening in the continuous spectrum between 1800 Å and 2900 Å. Good spectroheliograms were obtained during a rocket flight in November 1964 and during a balloon flight in October 1966 at 2190 Å, 2665 Å, 2885 Å, and 1980 Å, 2235 Å respectively. A rocket flown at the beginning of 1967 provided excellent spectra allowing the measurement of center-to-limb variation in the continuum and lines from 1800 Å to 2800 Å.

The first series of pictures yielded absolute values of the central intensity leading to a minimum temperature close to 4700 °K. The continuous opacity of the photosphere layers has been deduced from the two first experiments. It seems that a non-metallic source of continuous absorption must be taken into account between 2500 Å and 3000 Å. Moreover, as the source functions for the shortest wavelengths show a very flat variation near the minimum temperature, it seems that the transition zone between the photosphere and the chromosphere must be very gradual.

These results are discussed in the light of the latest results deduced from the new spectra obtained.