The identification of large numbers of localised transient EUV brightenings, with small spatial scales, in the quiet-Sun corona has been one of the key early results from Solar Orbiter. However, much is still unknown about these events. Here, we aim to better understand EUV brightenings by investigating their spatial distributions, specifically whether they occur co-spatial with specific line-of-sight magnetic field topologies in the photospheric network. EUV brightenings are detected using an automated algorithm applied to a high-cadence (3 s) dataset sampled over 30 min on 8 March 2022 by the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager's 17.4 nm EUV High Resolution Imager. Data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory's Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager and Atmospheric Imaging Assembly are used to provide context about the line-of-sight magnetic field and for alignment purposes. We found a total of 5064 EUV brightenings within this dataset that are directly comparable to events reported previously in the literature. These events occurred within around 0.015-0.020 given frame. We compared eight different thresholds to split the EUV brightenings into four different categories related to the line-of-sight magnetic field. Using our preferred threshold, we found that 627 EUV brightenings (12.4 and 967 EUV brightenings (19.1 field no matter what threshold was used. Of the 627 Strong Bipolar EUV Brightenings, 54 were found to occur co-spatial with cancellation whilst 57 occurred co-spatial with emergence. EUV brightenings preferentially occur co-spatial with the strong line-of-sight magnetic field in the photospheric network. They do not, though, predominantly occur co-spatial with (cancelling) bi-poles.

The ambient solar wind that fills the heliosphere originates from multiple sources in the solar corona and is highly structured. It is often described as high-speed, relatively homogeneous, plasma streams from coronal holes and slow-speed, highly variable, streams whose source regions are under debate. A key goal of ESA/NASA's Solar Orbiter mission is to identify solar wind sources and understand what drives the complexity seen in the heliosphere. By combining magnetic field modelling and spectroscopic techniques with high-resolution observations and measurements, we show that the solar wind variability detected in situ by Solar Orbiter in March 2022 is driven by spatio-temporal changes in the magnetic connectivity to multiple sources in the solar atmosphere. The magnetic field footpoints connected to the spacecraft moved from the boundaries of a coronal hole to one active region (12961) and then across to another region (12957). This is reflected in the in situ measurements, which show the transition from fast to highly Alfvénic then to slow solar wind that is disrupted by the arrival of a coronal mass ejection. Our results describe solar wind variability at 0.5 au but are applicable to near-Earth observatories.

Aufnahmen der Raumsonde Solar Orbiter der ESA und NASA bieten den bisher detailliertesten Blick auf eine Quellregion des Teilchenstroms von der Sonne. Das legt nahe, dass der Sonnenwind nicht als gleichmäßiger Teilchenstrom ausgestoßen wird.

This Letter reports the first observation of the onset of fully developed turbulence in the solar corona. Long time series of white-light coronal images, acquired by Metis aboard Solar Orbiter at 2 minutes cadence and spanning about 10 hr, were studied to gain insight into the statistical properties of fluctuations in the density of the coronal plasma in the time domain. From pixel-by-pixel spectral frequency analysis in the whole Metis field of view, the scaling exponents of plasma fluctuations were derived. The results show that, over timescales ranging from 1 to 10 hr and corresponding to the photospheric mesogranulation-driven dynamics, the density spectra become shallower moving away from the Sun, resembling a Kolmogorov-like spectrum at 3 R circle dot. According to the latest observation and interpretive work, the observed 5/3 scaling law for density fluctuations is indicative of the onset of fully developed turbulence in the corona. Metis observation-based evidence for a Kolmogorov turbulent form of the fluctuating density spectrum casts light on the evolution of 2D turbulence in the early stages of its upward transport from the low corona.

Coronal loops are the fundamental building blocks of the solar corona. Therefore, comprehending their properties is essential in unraveling the dynamics of the upper solar atmosphere. In this study, we conduct a comparative analysis of the morphology and dynamics of a coronal loop observed from two different spacecraft: the High Resolution Imager (HRIEUV) of the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager on board the Solar Orbiter, and the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These spacecraft were separated by 43° during this observation. The main findings of this study are that (1) the observed loop exhibits similar widths in both the HRIEUV and AIA data, suggesting that the cross-sectional shape of the loop is circular; (2) the loop maintains a uniform width along its entire length, supporting the notion that coronal loops do not exhibit expansion; and (3) notably, the loop undergoes unconventional dynamics, including thread separation and abrupt downward movement. Intriguingly, these dynamic features also appear similar in data from both spacecraft. Although based on observation of a single loop, these results raise questions about the validity of the coronal-veil hypothesis and underscore the intricate and diverse nature of the complexity within coronal loops.

Context. Coronal upflows in the quiet Sun are seen in a wide range of features, including jets and filament eruptions. The in situ measurements from Parker Solar Probe within ≈0.2 au have demonstrated that the solar wind is highly structured, showing abrupt and near-ubiquitous magnetic field reversals (i.e., switchbacks) on different timescales. The source of these structures has been associated with supergranular structures on the solar disc. This raises the question of whether there are additional small coronal features that contribute energy to the corona and produce plasma that potentially feeds into the solar wind. Aims. During the Solar Orbiter first science perihelion, high-resolution images of the solar corona were recorded using the Extreme Ultraviolet High Resolution Imager (HRIEUV) from the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI). The Hinode spacecraft was also observing at the same location providing coronal spectroscopic measurements. Combining the two datasets allows us to determine the cause of the weak upflows observed in the quiet Sun and the associated activity. Methods. We used a multi-spacecraft approach to characterise regions of upflows. The upflows were identified in the Fe XII emission line by the Hinode EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS). We then used imaging data from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO/AIA) and the High Resolution Imagers (HRI) from EUI on board the Solar Orbiter to identify coronal features and magnetic field data from the SDO Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI). Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) observations were also used to understand the photospheric and chromospheric driving mechanisms. Results. We have identified two regions of coronal upflows in the quiet Sun, with respective sizes and lifetimes of (20 Mm2, 20 min) and (180 Mm2, several hours), which are contrasting dynamic events. Both examples show weak flux cancellation, indicating that the source of the upflows and enhancements is related to the magnetic field changes. The first event, a larger upflow region, shows velocities of up to −8.6 km s−1 at the footpoint of a complex loop structure. We observe several distinct extreme ultraviolet (EUV) features including frequent loop brightenings and plasma blobs travelling along closed coronal loops. The second upflow region has velocities of up to −7.2 km s−1. Within it, a complex EUV feature that lasts for about 20 min can be seen. This main feature has several substructures. During its appearance, a clear mini-filament eruption takes place at its location, before the EUV feature disappears. Conclusions. Two features, with contrasting properties, show upflows with comparable magnitudes. The first event, a complex loop structure, shares several similarities with active region upflows. The second one, a complex small-scale feature that could not have been well resolved with previous instruments, triggered a cascade of events, including a mini-filament that lead to a measurable upflow. This is remarkable for an EUV feature that many instruments can barely resolve. The complexity of the two events, including small loop brightenings and travelling plasma blobs for the first and EUV small-scale loops and mini-filament for the second one would not have been identifiable as the sources of upflow without an instrument with the spatial resolution of HRIEUV at this distance to the Sun. These results reinforce the importance of the smallest-scale features in the Sun and their potential relevance for and impact on the solar corona and the solar wind.

Dynamic fibrils (DFs) are commonly observed chromospheric features in solar active regions. Recent observations from the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) aboard the Solar Orbiter have revealed unambiguous signatures of DFs at the coronal base, in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission. However, it remains unclear if the DFs detected in the EUV are linked to their chromospheric counterparts. Simultaneous detection of DFs from chromospheric to coronal temperatures could provide important information on their thermal structuring and evolution through the solar atmosphere. In this paper, we address this question by using coordinated EUV observations from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), and EUI to establish a one-to-one correspondence between chromospheric and transition region DFs (observed by IRIS) with their coronal counterparts (observed by EUI and AIA). Our analysis confirms a close correspondence between DFs observed at different atmospheric layers, and reveals that DFs can reach temperatures of about 1.5 million Kelvin, typical of the coronal base in active regions. Furthermore, intensity evolution of these DFs, as measured by tracking them over time, reveals a shock-driven scenario in which plasma piles up near the tips of these DFs and, subsequently, these tips appear as bright blobs in coronal images. These findings provide information on the thermal structuring of DFs and their evolution and impact through the solar atmosphere.

The Slow Solar Wind Connection Solar Orbiter Observing Plan (Slow Wind SOOP) was developed to utilise the extensive suite of remote sensing and in situ instruments on board the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter mission to answer significant outstanding questions regarding the origin and formation of the slow solar wind. The Slow Wind SOOP was designed to link remote sensing and in situ measurements of slow wind originating at open-closed field boundaries. The SOOP ran just prior to Solar Orbiter's first close perihelion passage during two remote sensing windows (RSW1 and RSW2) between 2022 March 3-6 and 2022 March 17-22, while Solar Orbiter was at a heliocentric distance of 0.55-0.51 and 0.38-0.34 au from the Sun, respectively. Coordinated observation campaigns were also conducted by Hinode and IRIS. The magnetic connectivity tool was used, along with low latency in situ data, and full-disk remote sensing observations, to guide the target pointing of Solar Orbiter. Solar Orbiter targeted an active region complex during RSW1, the boundary of a coronal hole, and the periphery of a decayed active region during RSW2. Post-observation analysis using the magnetic connectivity tool along with in situ measurements from MAG and SWA/PAS, show that slow solar wind, with velocities between 210 and 600 km/s, arrived at the spacecraft originating from two out of the three of the target regions. The Slow Wind SOOP, despite presenting many challenges, was very successful, providing a blueprint for planning future observation campaigns that rely on the magnetic connectivity of Solar Orbiter.

The solar chromosphere hosts a wide variety of transients, including dynamic fibrils (DFs) that are characterised as elongated, jet-like features seen in active regions, often through Hα diagnostics. So far, these features have been difficult to identify in coronal images primarily due to their small size and the lower spatial resolution of the current EUV imagers. Here we present the first unambiguous signatures of DFs in coronal EUV data using high-resolution images from the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) on board Solar Orbiter. Using the data acquired with the 174 Å High Resolution Imager (HRI_EUV) of EUI, we find many bright dot-like features (of size 0.3-0.5 Mm) that move up and down (often repeatedly) in the core of an active region. In a space-time map, these features produce parabolic tracks akin to the chromospheric observations of DFs. Properties such as their speeds (14 km s^-1), lifetime (332 s), deceleration (82 m s^-2) and lengths (1293 km) are also reminiscent of the chromospheric DFs. The EUI data strongly suggest that these EUV bright dots are basically the hot tips (of the cooler chromospheric DFs) that could not be identified unambiguously before because of a lack of spatial resolution.

The $\textrm{HRI}_\textrm{EUV}$ telescope was calibrated on ground at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Germany's national metrology institute, using the Metrology Light Source (MLS) synchrotron in April 2017 during the calibration campaign of the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) instrument onboard the Solar Orbiter mission. We use the pre-flight end-to-end calibration and component-level (mirror multilayer coatings, filters, detector) characterization results to establish the beginning-of-life performance of the $\textrm{HRI}_\textrm{EUV}$ telescope which shall serve as a reference for radiometric analysis and monitoring of the telescope in-flight degradation. Calibration activities at component level and end-to-end calibration of the instrument were performed at PTB/MLS synchrotron light source (Berlin, Germany) and the SOLEIL synchrotron. Each component optical property is measured and compared to its semi-empirical model. This pre-flight characterization is used to estimate the parameters of the semi-empirical models. The end-to-end response is measured and validated by comparison with calibration measurements, as well as with its main design performance requirements. The telescope spectral response semi-empirical model is validated by the pre-flight end-to-end ground calibration of the instrument. It is found that $\textrm{HRI}_\textrm{EUV}$ is a highly efficient solar EUV telescope with a peak efficiency superior to 1 e$^-$.ph$^{-1}$), low detector noise ($\approx$ 3 e- rms), low dark current at operating temperature, and a pixel saturation above 120 ke- in low-gain or combined image mode. The ground calibration also confirms a well-modeled spectral selectivity and rejection, and low stray light. The EUI instrument achieves state-of-the-art performance in terms of signal-to-noise and image spatial resolution.

The origin of the slow solar wind is still an open issue. One possibility that has been suggested is that upflows at the edge of an active region can contribute to the slow solar wind. We aim to explain how the plasma upflows are generated, which mechanisms are responsible for them, and what the upflow region topology looks like. We investigated an upflow region using imaging data with the unprecedented temporal (3s) and spatial (2 pixels = 236km) resolution that were obtained on 30 March 2022 with the 174Å of the Extreme-Ultraviolet Imager (EUI)/High Resolution Imager (HRI) on board Solar Orbiter. During this time, the EUI and Earth-orbiting satellites (Solar Dynamics Observatory, Hinode, and the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, IRIS) were located in quadrature (92 degrees), which provides a stereoscopic view with high resolution. We used the Hinode/EIS (Fe XII) spectroscopic data to find coronal upflow regions in the active region. The IRIS slit-jaw imager provides a high-resolution view of the transition region and chromosphere. For the first time, we have data that provide a quadrature view of a coronal upflow region with high spatial resolution. We found extended loops rooted in a coronal upflow region. Plasma upflows at the footpoints of extended loops determined spectroscopically through the Doppler shift are similar to the apparent upward motions seen through imaging in quadrature. The dynamics of small-scale structures in the upflow region can be used to identify two mechanisms of the plasma upflow: Mechanism I is reconnection of the hot coronal loops with open magnetic field lines in the solar corona, and mechanism II is reconnection of the small chromospheric loops with open magnetic field lines in the chromosphere or transition region. We identified the locations in which mechanisms I and II work.

This Letter reports the first observational estimate of the heating rate in the slowly expanding solar corona. The analysis exploits the simultaneous remote and local observations of the same coronal plasma volume with the Solar Orbiter/Metis and the Parker Solar Probe instruments, respectively, and relies on the basic solar wind magnetohydrodynamic equations. As expected, energy losses are a minor fraction of the solar wind energy flux, since most of the energy dissipation that feeds the heating and acceleration of the coronal flow occurs much closer to the Sun than the heights probed in the present study, which range from 6.3 to 13.3 solar radii. The energy deposited to the supersonic wind is then used to explain the observed slight residual wind acceleration and to maintain the plasma in a non-adiabatic state. As derived in the Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin limit, the present energy transfer rate estimates provide a lower limit, which can be very useful in refining the turbulence-based modeling of coronal heating and subsequent solar wind acceleration.

Coronal rain is the most dramatic cooling phenomenon of the solar corona and an essential diagnostic tool for the coronal heating properties. A puzzling feature of the solar corona, besides the heating, is its EUV filamentary structure and variability. We aim to identify observable features of the TNE-TI scenario underlying coronal rain at small and large spatial scales, to understand the role it plays in the solar corona. We use EUV datasets at unprecedented spatial resolution of ~240 km from EUI/HRIEUV and SPICE of Solar Orbiter from the spring 2022 perihelion. EUV absorption features produced by coronal rain are detected at scales as small as 260 km. As the rain falls, heating and compression is produced immediately downstream, leading to a small EUV brightening accompanying the fall and producing a "fireball" phenomenon. Just prior to impact, a flash-like EUV brightening downstream of the rain, lasting a few minutes is observed for the fastest events. For the first time, we detect the atmospheric response to the rain's impact on the chromosphere and consists of upward propagating rebound shocks and flows partly reheating the loop. The observed widths of the rain clumps are 500 +- 200 km. They exhibit a broad velocity distribution of 10 - 150 km s^-1, peaking below 50 km s^-1. Coronal strands of similar widths are observed along the same loops co-spatial with cool filamentary structure, which we interpret as the CCTR. Matching with the expected cooling, prior to the rain appearance sequential loop brightenings are detected in gradually cooler lines from corona to chromospheric temperatures. Despite the large rain showers, most cannot be detected in AIA 171 in quadrature, indicating that LOS effects play a major role in coronal rain visibility. Still, AIA 304 and SPICE observations reveal that only a small fraction of the rain can be captured by HRIEUV.

The High Resolution Telescope (HRT) of the Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager (SO/PHI) on-board the Solar Orbiter mission (SO) provides near diffraction limited observations of the solar surface. The HRT Refocus Mechanism (HRM) allows for acquiring calibration data in flight which are used in post processing on ground to estimate the image quality of SO/PHI-HRT data products and its dependence on the SO-Sun distance. Our aim is to characterise the wavefront aberrations in the optical path of SO/PHI-HRT and consequently the image quality in the focal plane of the telescope. We use calibration data taken during the Near Earth Commissionning Phase (NECP) and the second Remote Sensing Check-out Window (RSCW2) of Solar Orbiter’s Cruise Phase (CP). In particular, we apply a Phase Diversity (PD) analysis to estimate the low-order wavefront aberrations. The restoration with the retrieved Point Spread Function (PSF) from the PD analysis increases the RMS contrast of the solar granulation in the visible continuum from 4 % to 10−11%.

We present a reworked version of the SUMER spectral atlas (Curdt et al., 2001 ). New identifications are given for more than 100 emission lines; entries were corrected or added to the list. The solar emission curve – spectral radiance versus wavelength – in the SUMER spectral range is now available in digital format as electronic supplementary material. To reveal the true solar emission, second-order photons from the Lyman continuum have been discarded near the long wavelength section in the first order of diffraction.

A key goal of the Solar Orbiter mission is to connect elemental abundance measurements of the solar wind enveloping the spacecraft with extreme-UV (EUV) spectroscopic observations of their solar sources, but this is not an easy exercise. Observations from previous missions have revealed a highly complex picture of spatial and temporal variations of elemental abundances in the solar corona. We have used coordinated observations from Hinode and Solar Orbiter to attempt new abundance measurements with the Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment (SPICE) instrument, and benchmark them against standard analyses from the EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS). We use observations of several solar features in active region (AR) 12781 taken from an Earth-facing view by EIS on 2020 November 10, and SPICE data obtained one week later on 2020 November 17, when the AR had rotated into the Solar Orbiter field of view. We identify a range of spectral lines that are useful for determining the transition region and low-coronal-temperature structure with SPICE, and demonstrate that SPICE measurements are able to differentiate between photospheric and coronal magnesium/neon abundances. The combination of SPICE and EIS is able to establish the atmospheric composition structure of a fan loop/outflow area at the AR edge. We also discuss the problem of resolving the degree of elemental fractionation with SPICE, which is more challenging without further constraints on the temperature structure, and comment on what that can tell us about the sources of the solar wind and solar energetic particles.

Switchbacks are sudden, large radial deflections of the solar wind magnetic field, widely revealed in interplanetary space by the Parker Solar Probe. The switchbacks' formation mechanism and sources are still unresolved, although candidate mechanisms include Alfvenic turbulence, shear-driven Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities, interchange reconnection, and geometrical effects related to the Parker spiral. This Letter presents observations from the Metis coronagraph on board a Solar Orbiter of a single large propagating S-shaped vortex, interpreted as the first evidence of a switchback in the solar corona. It originated above an active region with the related loop system bounded by open-field regions to the east and west. Observations, modeling, and theory provide strong arguments in favor of the interchange reconnection origin of switchbacks. Metis measurements suggest that the initiation of the switchback may also be an indicator of the origin of slow solar wind.

The ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter space mission has been successfully launched in February 2020. Onboard is the Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager (SO/PHI), which has two telescopes, a High Resolution Telescope (HRT) and the Full Disc Telescope (FDT). The instrument is designed to infer the photospheric magnetic field and line-of-sight velocity through differential imaging of the polarised light emitted by the Sun. It calculates the full Stokes vector at 6 wavelength positions at the Fe I 617.3nm absorption line. Due to telemetry constraints, the instrument nominally processes these Stokes profiles onboard, however when telemetry is available, the raw images are downlinked and reduced on ground. Here the architecture of the on-ground pipeline for HRT is presented, which also offers additional corrections not currently available on board the instrument. The pipeline can reduce raw images to the full Stokes vector with a polarimetric sensitivity of 10−3 · Ic or better.

The solar wind measured in situ by Parker Solar Probe in the very inner heliosphere is studied in combination with the remote-sensing observation of the coronal source region provided by the METIS coronagraph aboard Solar Orbiter. The coronal outflows observed near the ecliptic by Metis on 2021 January 17 at 16:30 UT, between 3.5 and 6.3 R ⊙ above the eastern solar limb, can be associated with the streams sampled by PSP at 0.11 and 0.26 au from the Sun, in two time intervals almost 5 days apart. The two plasma flows come from two distinct source regions, characterized by different magnetic field polarity and intensity at the coronal base. It follows that both the global and local properties of the two streams are different. Specifically, the solar wind emanating from the stronger magnetic field region has a lower bulk flux density, as expected, and is in a state of well-developed Alfvénic turbulence, with low intermittency. This is interpreted in terms of slab turbulence in the context of nearly incompressible magnetohydrodynamics. Conversely, the highly intermittent and poorly developed turbulent behavior of the solar wind from the weaker magnetic field region is presumably due to large magnetic deflections most likely attributed to the presence of switchbacks of interchange reconnection origin.