Characteristic Scales of Chromospheric Oscillation Wave Packets

Abstract

We use wavelet transforms to study the characteristic time scales of chromospheric oscillation ``wave packets'' that are observed in Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE) ultraviolet continuum image time series. Using several data sets, we investigate the statistical, spatial, and temporal intermittence of the number, duration, mean frequency, and delay (``wait time'') between wave packets in the time series data. Further, we demonstrate that these characteristic values are consistent with newly developed pictures of the wave-mode suppression and conversion by the chromospheric magnetic ``canopy.'' We propose that wavelet analysis may be fruitfully used in diagnosing the structure of the chromosphere and in identifying chromospheric oscillation wave packets temporally and spatially with their photospheric sources.