Measuring the Electron Temperature in the Corona

We report on an experiment to demonstrate the feasibility of a new method to obtain the electron temperature and flow speed in the solar corona by observing the visible Kcoronal spectrum during the total solar eclipse on 29 March 2006 in Libya. Results show that this new method is indeed feasible, giving electron temperatures and speeds of 1.10 $\pm$ 0.05 MK, 103.0 $\pm$ 92.0 $kmsA{-l}$; 0.98 $\pm$ 0.12 MK, 0.0 + 10.0 $kmsA{-1)s; 0.70 $\pm$ 0.08 MK, 0.0 + 10.0 $kmsA{-l)$ at l.l{\it R)$ {\odot}$ in the solar north, east and west, respectively, and 0.93 $\pm$ 0.12 MK, 0.0 + 10.0 $kmsA{-l}$ at 1.2{\it R}$ {\odot}$ in the solar east. This new technique could be easily used from a space-based platform in a coronagraph to produce two dimensional maps of the electron temperature and bulk flow speed at the base of the solar wind useful for the study of heliospheric structure and space weather.