Observational Appearance of Nanoflares with SXT and TRACE

Sakamoto, Yasushi, Saku Tsuneta, and Grigory Vekstein, Observational Appearance of Nanoflares with SXT and TRACE, ApJ, 689, 1421-1432 (2008) (ADS)

The cartoon

(click on the image for a larger version)

Cartoon illustrating the observable geometry of fine structure in an unresolved solar magnetic loop.

      This is one of the few cartoons in the Archive that aims to represent nanoflares, as introduced by Parker. This is not at all surprising, since there is little convincing evidence for their existence in the first place! In spite of this, there has been theoretical and modeling development on a massive scale, accompanied by wholesale speculation [1]. Note that the cartoon shows sub-pixel structure in the form of multiple strands, but that these strands are not braided. Thus in a sense the cartoon does an injustice to the classical theoretical scheme introduced by Parker. But without braiding or shear, where would the energy storage be?


[1] Twain.

Date: 2010 July 19

Update: 2019 November 27