Near Infrared Measurements of Coronal Polarization in Line and Continuum.

Filtergrams of the solar corona in the near infrared were obtained during the eclipse of 12 November 1966 using an airborne telescope of 8 in. aperture and a two-stage image tube. Interference filters isolated coronal radiation from two spectral regions: a 14 A band centered on the [Fe XIIIJ N10747 A emission line and a 100 A band of the continuum at N10625 A. Coronal polarization in line and continuum was measured using a stepped polaroid. Coronal images obtained are of good detail and extend to about 8' above the limb. Ana- lysis indicates that the emission line polarization varies in amount and direction through the corona but can be described as having electric vector perpendicular to the limb, as expected from resonance polarization theory. Continuum polarization is completely described as having electric vector tangent to the limb. The line polarization measurements extend and confirm the results obtained by Eddy and Malville at the previous eclipse (Astrophys. J., to be published).