We will use polarization brightness data from the UVCS visible channel and also from the LASCO C1 and C2 coronagraphs to derive the three- dimensional electron density distribution in the corona. The modeling requires large scale two dimensional scans of the white light corona which will not be possible with the UVCS channel alone because of its limited field-of-view, hence, the need for the coordinated data from LASCO.
In order to reconstruct the three dimensional geometry of coronal structures, it is necessary to map the two-dimensional polarization brightness over the entire 2D spatial extension of the coronal feature of interest. These maps must be made at regular intervals over the entire synodic rotation period of the corona. In some cases, i.e. for short-lived features, a set of maps made during a half rotation period will suffice.
We will investigate various methods to construct the 3D electron density distribution based on Van de Hulst's (1950) method for large scale features such as coronal holes and quiet regions. This method will not work for streamers and other non-symmetrical features. For these structures we will consider using the reconstruction techniques of Wilson (1977), Altschuler and Perry (1971), or other techniques.
Modeling the Three-Dimensional Solar Corona from White Light Data
