Abstract

We review the use of polarimetric techniques in measurements of the magnetic field in the sun’s atmosphere. The basic principles of the inverse Zeeman effect and the radiative transfer of polarized light are presented to demonstrate how the vector magnetic field on the sun can be determined in magnitude and direction from measurements of the Stokes parameters describing the state of the emergent polarized light. A brief overview is given on the different instrumental techniques used to measure this polarized light, and a comprehensive description is given of the Marshall Space Flight Center’s vector magnetograph. The major problems associated with the polarimetric technique used in this instrument are described; these include instrumental polarization, the higher sensitivity to circular polarization (which is intrinsic to the inverse Zeeman effect), crosstalk of the circular polarization into the linear component, and Faraday rotation.

© 1988 Optical Society of America