Ashbourn, J. M. A. and L. C. Woods, Heating the solar corona by plasma loops, A&A, 455, 1115-1121 (2006) (ADS)
(click on the image for a larger version)
The basic idea of coronal heating by punctuated energy release (see
Parker
or more colorefully,
Kittinaradorn),
embracing the gravitationally stratified solar atmosphere.
The magnetic loops form "conduits" that allow energy release in any domain
(photosphere, chromosphere, transition region, corona) to link into the
corona by ion-acoustic wave turbulence.
Cross-field transport is not essential, the authors argue, since the field
is space-filling in the corona.
Hmmm.
Does that actually solve the basic problem of intermittency, as reflected
in the temporal occurrence distribution (a flat power law) or in the
spatial domain?
Note that the modeling here clearly distinguishes temperatures by domain,
but not by species.
Nevertheless the success of this approach probably turns on the time scale
for ion-electron energy exchange via Coulomb collisions.
The basic idea of coronal heating by punctuated energy release (see Parker or more colorefully, Kittinaradorn), embracing the gravitationally stratified solar atmosphere. The magnetic loops form "conduits" that allow energy release in any domain (photosphere, chromosphere, transition region, corona) to link into the corona by ion-acoustic wave turbulence. Cross-field transport is not essential, the authors argue, since the field is space-filling in the corona. Hmmm. Does that actually solve the basic problem of intermittency, as reflected in the temporal occurrence distribution (a flat power law) or in the spatial domain?
Note that the modeling here clearly distinguishes temperatures by domain, but not by species. Nevertheless the success of this approach probably turns on the time scale for ion-electron energy exchange via Coulomb collisions.