Two Fundamental MHD Problems in Solar Physics

Sakurai, T., Two Fundamental MHD Problems in Solar Physics, 369, 587 (2007) (ADS)

The cartoon

(click on the image for a larger version)

A nicely colored view of the Parker view of footpoint twisting, in a study of the nature of the assumed boundary motion. The paper deals with the very interesting problem of whether or not specific flows can lead to "super-Aly" energy storage, ie ones in which purely closed fields can exceed the non-potential energy content of the maximal open field* state allowed by the Aly-Sturrock theorem. The paper does not comment on the related implosion concept, unfortunately.

      The other fundamental problem discussed in the paper is that of the power-law distribution function of flare events, a subject that has launched discussions of "Self-Organized Criticality" and cartoons illustrating stochastic reconnecting current sheets, for example.

Date: 2019 December 08