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Coronal Polarization Measurements and Associated Observations from the June, 2001, Solar Eclipse. Roban H. Kramer (roban@sccs.swarthmore.edu) Swarthmore College 2003 Dr. Jay M. Pasachoff, Williams College. The right place at the right time. Path of Totality.
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Coronal Polarization Measurements and Associated Observations from the June, 2001, Solar Eclipse Roban H. Kramer (roban@sccs.swarthmore.edu) Swarthmore College 2003 Dr. Jay M. Pasachoff, Williams College
The right place at the right time Path of Totality
Williams College Expedition eclipse image: Kathleen Gibbons, Daniel Seaton, Stephan Martin, and Jay Pasachoff; TXI Rocket image: Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory / Leon Golub
Components of the Corona The three components K-Corona E-Corona F-Corona From Goulub, Leon and Pasachoff, Jay M. 1997, The Solar Corona. Cambridge University Press, New York
Images taken through three polarizing filters oriented at 45 degree intervals can be used to determine the degree of polarization and the polarization angle. The angle of polarization: The fraction of polarization:
Reduction of the 3-second exposures will improve measurements of polarization angle and degree at greater than 2.5 solar radii. Radiometric calibration will allow the comparison of photometric results with other observations as well as improving the precision of our polarization measurements and the separation of the K- and F- coronas. Further Research
Acknowledgments I would like to thank professor Jay Pasachoff for choosing me to share the incredible experience he organized, R. Lee Hawkins for supervision the experiment, Shoshana Clark for her joyful collaboration, Mike Gioiello for his preparatory work, and the whole 2001 Williams College eclipse team for an extremely enjoyable and productive environment. I'd also like to thank Gabe Brammer, Kate Gibbons, Mike Gioiello, Dan Seaton and Roger Cohen for helping with my work and play all summer. Swarthmore professors Eric Jensen and David Cohen deserve much of the credit for getting me into this project in the first place. The Keck Northeast Astronomy Consortium provided funding for my participation in this project, for which I am very grateful. Support for the expedition also came from the Atmospheric Sciences Division of the National Science Foundation and the Committee for Research and Exploration of the National Geographic Society.