Differential rotation of the solar transition region from STEREO/EUVI 30.4 nm images

Abstract: The solar photosphere, chromosphere and corona are known to rotate differentially as a function of latitude. To date, it is unclear if the solar transition region also rotates differentially. In this paper, we investigate differential rotational profile of solar transition region as a function of latitude, using solar full disk (SFD) images at 30.4 nm wavelength recorded by Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUVI) onboard Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) space mission for the period from 2008 to 2018 (Solar Cycle 24). Our investigations show that solar transition region rotates differentially. The sidereal rotation rate obtained at +/- 5 degree equatorial band is quite high (~ 14.7 degree/day), which drops to ~ 13.6 degree/day towards both polar regions. We also obtain that the rotational differentiality is low during the period of high solar activity (rotation rate varies from 14.86 to 14.27 degree/day) while it increases during the ascending and the descending phases of the 24th solar cycle (rotation rate varies from 14.56 to 13.56 degree/day in 2008 and 14.6 to 13.1 degree/day in 2018). Average sidereal rotation rate (over SFD) follows the trend of solar activity (maximum ~ 14.97 degree/day during the peak phase of the solar activity, which slowly decreases to minimum ~ 13.9 degree/day during ascending and the descending phases of the 24th solar cycle). We also observe that solar transition region rotates less differentially than the corona.