Magnetic-Field Concentration and the Twisted Solar Coronal Loops

It is shown that the existence of plasma density inhomogeneities (ducts) elongated along the magnetic field in coronal loops, and of Alfven wave dispersion, associated with the taking into account of gyrotropy U ≡ ω/ωi ≪ 1 (Leonovich et al., 1983), leads to the possibility of a quasi-longitudinal k⊥ < √U k‖ propagation (wave guiding) of Alfven waves. Here ω is the frequency of Alfven waves, ωi is the proton gyrofrequency, and k is the wave number. It is found that with the parameter ξ = ω2 R/ωi A > 1, where R is the inhomogeneity scale of a loop across the magnetic field, and A is the Alfven wave velocity, refraction of Alfven waves does not lead, as contrasted to Wentzel's inference (1976), to the waves going out of the regime of quasi-longitudinal propagation. As the result, the amplification of Alfven waves in solar coronal loops can be important. A study is made of the cyclotron instability of Alfven waves under solar coronal conditions.

Download Full-text

Concerning the Dynamics of Energetic Protons in Coronal Magnetic Loops: Dispersion Effects of Alfven Waves

Symposium - International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s0074180900076105 ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 107 ◽

pp. 559-559

Author(s):

V. A. Mazur ◽

A. V. Stepanov

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Wave Dispersion ◽

Alfven Waves ◽

Alfven Wave ◽

Wave Number ◽

Alfvén Waves ◽

Coronal Loops ◽

Coronal Magnetic Loops ◽

The Magnetic Field ◽

Solar Coronal

It is shown that the existence of plasma density inhomogeneities (ducts) elongated along the magnetic field in coronal loops, and of Alfven wave dispersion, associated with the taking into account of gyrotropy U ≡ ω/ωi ≪ 1 (Leonovich et al., 1983), leads to the possibility of a quasi-longitudinal k⊥ < √U k‖ propagation (wave guiding) of Alfven waves. Here ω is the frequency of Alfven waves, ωi is the proton gyrofrequency, and k is the wave number. It is found that with the parameter ξ = ω2 R/ωi A > 1, where R is the inhomogeneity scale of a loop across the magnetic field, and A is the Alfven wave velocity, refraction of Alfven waves does not lead, as contrasted to Wentzel's inference (1976), to the waves going out of the regime of quasi-longitudinal propagation. As the result, the amplification of Alfven waves in solar coronal loops can be important. A study is made of the cyclotron instability of Alfven waves under solar coronal conditions.

Download Full-text

Non-thermal line broadening due to braiding-induced turbulence in solar coronal loops

Astronomy and Astrophysics ◽

10.1051/0004-6361/202037582 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 639 ◽

pp. A21 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

D. I. Pontin ◽

H. Peter ◽

L. P. Chitta

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Extreme Ultraviolet ◽

Plasma Heating ◽

Heating Process ◽

Coronal Loops ◽

Line Broadening ◽

Magnetohydrodynamic Model ◽

Non Gaussian ◽

Thermal Line ◽

Solar Coronal

Aims. Emission line profiles from solar coronal loops exhibit properties that are unexplained by current models. We investigate the non-thermal broadening associated with plasma heating in coronal loops that is induced by magnetic field line braiding. Methods. We describe the coronal loop by a 3D magnetohydrodynamic model of the turbulent decay of an initially-braided magnetic field. From this, we synthesised the Fe XII line at 193 Å that forms around 1.5 MK. Results. The key features of current observations of extreme ultraviolet (UV) lines from the corona are reproduced in the synthesised spectra: (i) Typical non-thermal widths range from 15 to 20 km s−1. (ii) The widths are approximately independent of the size of the field of view. (iii) There is a correlation between the line intensity and non-thermal broadening. (iv) Spectra are found to be non-Gaussian, with enhanced power in the wings of the order of 10–20%. Conclusions. Our model provides an explanation that self-consistently connects the heating process to the observed non-thermal line broadening. The non-Gaussian nature of the spectra is a consequence of the non-Gaussian nature of the underlying velocity fluctuations, which is interpreted as a signature of intermittency in the turbulence.

Download Full-text

Braiding-induced Interchange Reconnection of the Magnetic Field and the Width of Solar Coronal Loops

The Astrophysical Journal ◽

10.1086/519455 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 662 (2) ◽

pp. L119-L122 ◽

Cited By ~ 35

Author(s):

Carolus J. Schrijver

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Coronal Loops ◽

The Magnetic Field ◽

Solar Coronal

Download Full-text

Propagation of electron beams in solar coronal loops

Kosmìčna nauka ì tehnologìâ ◽

10.15407/knit2001.02s.093 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 7 (2s) ◽

pp. 93-95

Author(s):

V.N. Melnik ◽

Keyword(s):

Electron Beams ◽

Coronal Loops ◽

Solar Coronal

Download Full-text

Energetics of magnetic transients in a solar active region plage

Astronomy and Astrophysics ◽

10.1051/0004-6361/201834548 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 623 ◽

pp. A176 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

L. P. Chitta ◽

A. R. C. Sukarmadji ◽

L. Rouppe van der Voort ◽

H. Peter

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Field ◽

Active Region ◽

Magnetic Flux ◽

Numerical Simulations ◽

Extreme Ultraviolet ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Coronal Loops ◽

The Sun ◽

Flux Emergence ◽

Transient Events

Context. Densely packed coronal loops are rooted in photospheric plages in the vicinity of active regions on the Sun. The photospheric magnetic features underlying these plage areas are patches of mostly unidirectional magnetic field extending several arcsec on the solar surface. Aims. We aim to explore the transient nature of the magnetic field, its mixed-polarity characteristics, and the associated energetics in the active region plage using high spatial resolution observations and numerical simulations. Methods. We used photospheric Fe I 6173 Å spectropolarimetric observations of a decaying active region obtained from the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope (SST). These data were inverted to retrieve the photospheric magnetic field underlying the plage as identified in the extreme-ultraviolet emission maps obtained from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). To obtain better insight into the evolution of extended unidirectional magnetic field patches on the Sun, we performed 3D radiation magnetohydrodynamic simulations of magnetoconvection using the MURaM code. Results. The observations show transient magnetic flux emergence and cancellation events within the extended predominantly unipolar patch on timescales of a few 100 s and on spatial scales comparable to granules. These transient events occur at the footpoints of active region plage loops. In one case the coronal response at the footpoints of these loops is clearly associated with the underlying transient. The numerical simulations also reveal similar magnetic flux emergence and cancellation events that extend to even smaller spatial and temporal scales. Individual simulated transient events transfer an energy flux in excess of 1 MW m−2 through the photosphere. Conclusions. We suggest that the magnetic transients could play an important role in the energetics of active region plage. Both in observations and simulations, the opposite-polarity magnetic field brought up by transient flux emergence cancels with the surrounding plage field. Magnetic reconnection associated with such transient events likely conduits magnetic energy to power the overlying chromosphere and coronal loops.

Download Full-text