Comparison of 87 GHz solar polar structures with EUV and soft X-ray emission

Polar radio brightenings at 87 GHz (3.5 mm) are compared for the first time with features seen in EUV and soft X-rays. The data consist of nearly simultaneous full disk images and maps from Metsahovi Radio Observatory, SOHO/EIT, and Yohkoh/SXT on 9 selected days near thr solar minimum (1996-1997). The observed radio brightenings corresponded to various features seen in EUV, such as diffuse or localized intensity enhancements (e.g., bright points and bases of polar plumes), and intensity depressions of varying sizes (e.g., coronal holes). Some of these features were also visible in soft X-rays. The visibility of radio bright coronal holes seemed to depend on how much of the polar area was exposed, due to the variation of the B-o-angle. The observed radio depressions near the solar Doles were very well correlated with coronal holes and other EUV and/or soft X-ray intensity drops. More than half of the coronal holes, or coronal hole-like intensity drops in EUV and soft X-rays, had radio brightenings inside them. Therefore coronal holes do not have uniform radio brightness at 87 GHz. Many of the bright points seen at lower latitudes in the EIT and SXT images had no, or just faint, counterparts in the millimeter radio maps. It appears that for an EUV bright point to show up at 87 GHz it has tu be bright and/or spatially large also in soft X-rays.