Filament channel structures in a Si IV line related to a 3D magnetic model

A recent 3D magnetic model of filament support (Aulanier and Démoulin, 1998) has shown that specific morphologies derived from the model, based on SOHO/MDI magnetograms, match quite well with the observations of a filament observed in Hα and Ca II lines with the German telescope VTT in Tenerife on 25 September 1996 (Aulanier et al., 1998, 1999a). Some predictions of this model concern the filament channel. To continue the comparison of model and data, we have investigated the same filament region observed in ultraviolet by the SOHO spectrometers SUMER and CDS. The elongated EUV fine structures in the filament channel observed in the Si IV 1393.76 Å line by SUMER have similar orientations and locations to features predicted by the model of Aulanier et al. (1999a). These regions are near the bases of field lines which tangentially join to the photosphere in so called 'bald patches' and are parts of large arcades above the filament channel. In addition, we consider the Si IV Doppler shifts in these structures and compare them to what might be expected from the model field structure. Our study also suggests that the filament has a very low opacity in Si IV, lower than that of the O V line observed by CDS.