Analysis of a redshifted plasma flow over a sunspot

The ultraviolet spectrum of a redshifted plasma flow appearing over a sunspot observed during the first flight of the High Resolution Telescope Spectrograph (HRTS I) is analysed, and interpreted as a radiatively cooling plasma. For most of the lines emitted from this plasma, the assumption of ionization equilibrium during the cooling is good. However for He II (and other ions with a single electron outside of closed shells), this is not the case. Integrating differential equations for the various ionization fractions of helium and the temperature allows an approximate determination of the abundance of helium relative to other elements whose lines appear in the spectrum of the plasma flow.