Diagnostics for the solar chromosphere using neutral carbon Rydberg lines

Abstract Diagnostics for the solar chromosphere are relatively few compared to other parts of the atmosphere. Despite this, hundreds of Rydberg lines emitted by neutrals in this region have been observed at UV wavelengths. Here, we investigate their diagnostic potential by modelling the lines emitted by neutral carbon using recent atomic data. We use the radiative transfer code Lightweaver to explore how they form and how they respond to temperature, density and micro-turbulent velocity perturbations in the atmosphere. To simplify the modelling, we investigate lines emitted from levels with principal quantum number n ≥ 10, which are expected to be in Saha-Boltzmann equilibrium with the ground state of the singly-charged ion. Optical depth effects are apparent in the lines and their response to atmospheric perturbations suggest that they will be useful in reconstructions of the atmosphere using inversions. The study opens the way for using many such lines emitted by multiple elements over a range of heights, a large number of which will be observed by the forthcoming Solar-C EUVST instrument.