Short-period intensity oscillations in the solar corona observed during the total solar eclipse of 26 February 1998

Encouraged by the detection of high-frequency, low-amplitude continuum inte nsity oscillations in the solar corona during the total solar eclipse of 19 95, we designed and fabricated a six-channel photometer incorporating low-n oise Hamamatsu R647 photomultipliers. Fast photometry at five different loc ations in the solar corona was performed at Don Bosco Mission, Venezuela du ring the total solar eclipse of 26 February 1998. Three interference filter s with passbands of about 150 Angstrom and centered around 4700, 4900, and 5000 Angstrom were used. The photometric data were recorded at a rate of 20 Hz in three channels and 50 Hz in the remaining three channels. The power spectrum analysis of one of the channels that recorded appreciable counts i ndicates the existence of intensity oscillations in the frequency range 0.0 1-0.2 Hz. A least-squares analysis yields 90.1, 25.2, and 6.9 s periods for the three prominent components which have amplitudes in the range 0.5-3.5% of the coronal brightness. These periods and their amplitudes are similar to those detected in the coronal intensity oscillations during the 1995 ecl ipse.