  Using spectroscopic data, we support the possibility of suprathermal
distributions of coronal ions by fitting the equivalent kappa functions to
their emission line profiles. We fit different kappa and Gaussian model
functions to line profiles of the strong Fe xv line at 284.16 Angstroms, across
two large-field spectroscopic rasters taken in a solar active region. Both
single- and double-component Gaussian models are applied, as well as two kappa
models, one with a free width parameter allowing for and the other with a
constrained width that precludes "microturbulence". We then compare the
goodness of fit of the computed best fits for each model. The kappa
distribution is a generalization, or superset, of the Maxwellian, so they are
able to fit line profiles more precisely than a Gaussian. In most of the data,
the best-fit kappa model produces much lower residuals across the profile than
any single Gaussian and sometimes double Gaussian. Most importantly, the
distribution of estimated kappa values is found to lie mostly in the low-kappa
range, implying ion populations far from Maxwellian. Even when the width is
removed as a free parameter of fit, the kappa model is still able to fit the
data credibly, again with low best-fit values of kappa. We find the shape of
the Fe xv line, in the vast majority of the data analyzed, to be indicative of
a highly suprathermal ion population.
