Spectral line profiles of filaments/prominences to be observed by the Fast Imaging Solar Spectrograph (FISS) are studied. The main spectral lines of interests are Hα Ca II 8542, and Ca II K. FISS has a high spectral resolving power of 2 x 105, and supports simultaneous dual-band recording. This instrument will be installed at the 1.6m New Solar Telescope (NST) of Big Bear Solar Observatory, which has a high spatial resolution of 0.065" at 500nm. Adopting the cloud model of radiative transfer and using the model parameters inferred from pre-existing observations, we have simulated a set of spectral profiles of the lines that are emitted by a filament on the disk or a prominence at the limb. Taking into account the parameters of the instrument, we have estimated the photon count to be recorded by the CCD cameras, the signal-to-noise ratios, and so on. We have also found that FISS is suitable for the study of multi-velocity threads in filaments if the spectral profiles of Ca II lines are recorded together with Hα lines

Theoretical calculations of the combined radiative transfer and statistical equilibrium equation including the charge-particle conservations have been earned out for a multilevel hydrogen atom in quiescent prominences. Cool and dense models show the steep changes of population and radiation field in the vicinity of the surface, while these physical quantities remain unchanged for models with temperature of 7,300K, regardless of total densities. Ionization rate of hydrogen atom related with metallic line formation varies in considerable amounts from the surface to the center of model prominences cooler than 6,300K. However, such cool models cannot release enough hydrogen line emissions to explain observed intensities. Prominence models with a temperature higher than 8,000K can yield the centrally reversed Lyman line profiles confirmed by satellite EUV observations. We find that queiscent prominence with a density between 2 × 10 11 and 10 12 c m − 3 should be in temperature range between 6,300K and 8,300K, in order to explain consistently observed H alpha, beta line emissions and n p / n l ratio.

Fine structures of a quiescent prominence are studied by analyzing high resolution H alpha filtergrams and H alpha line spectra observed at the Hida Observatory of Kyoto University. We have found two kinds of downward motions in the prominence. One of them is a movement with a constant acceleration below the solar gravity( ≃ 1 / 4 g s ) and the other with an uniform velocity( ≃ 16 K m / s ). The average life time and the size of prominence knots are estimated to be about 7 minutes and 4000Km, respectively. Spatial and brightness distribution of knots are also presented in this paper. With the analytical solutions derived from magnetostatic equilibrium in the prominence, we have examined the filamentary structure based on the Kippenhahn-Schluter model. Sag angles of the magnetic fields supporting the prominence matter are predicted from the observed density profile.