Search for Optimal Three-dimensional Mapping of the Solar Corona From K-coronameter Data

To obtain improved maps of the coronal electron density distribution we have devised an iterative technique in which an approximation of the unknown distribution is successively modified to reduce discrepancies with the original data. With this technique we can now map the corona to a much finer resolution than shown in our previous papers, without greatly increasing the computational cost. The series representation of density may now contain more than 23,000 terms compared with the previous limit of 128. This results in a fourfold increase in linear resolution, so that features about a tenth of a solar radius in width are now separate. The iteration algorithm can be adjusted to apply a mathematically "optimal" correction to a given approximation of the density. Although this correction minimizes noise levels, a cheaper version of the algorithm yields a better result.