Coronal Loops Above a Sunspot Region

By analysing the data of Yohkoh soft X-ray images, vector magnetograms and 2D spectral observations, coronal loops above a large sunspot on 16–19 May 1994 have been studied. It is shown that the loops follow generally the alignment of concentrated magnetic flux. The results indicate that the soft X-ray emission is low just above the sunspot, while some loops connecting regions with opposite magnetic polarities show strong soft X-ray emission. Especially, the part of the loops near the weaker magnetic field region tends to be brighter than the one near the stronger magnetic field. The temperature around the top of the loops is typically ∼3 × 106 K, which is higher than that at the legs of the loops by a factor of 1.5–2.0. The density near the top of the loops is about 5 x 109 cm-3, which is higher than that of the leg parts of the loops. These loops represent probably the sites where strong magnetic flux and/or current are concentrated.