Modeling of two-ribbon flares by the fast reconnection mechanism
Ugai, M., Modeling of two-ribbon flares by the fast reconnection mechanism, Physics of Plasmas, 14, 102904-102904 (2007) (ADS)
(click on the image for a larger version)
Technically, this is an unfortunate cartoon, but it is representative
of basically important ideas as presented in the papers of this
author.
It really should be abstracted, cleaned up, and generally
made more attractive.
But, at least, it is in color. Here I0
is a coronal current in a pre-flare current sheet, and I1
is the current induced in the process. This connnects through the
chromosphere at the base of the "wedge."
The idea represented here is that fast reconnection, as determined
by anomalous resistivity in MHD models, can explan flare energy
release in a manner qualitatively similar to the auroral "current
wedge" concept.
Here an MHD generator results from spontaneous
reconnection in the corona, driving Joule heating in the chromospheric
return path for the impulsively driven current.
This creates ribbons, evaporation, and the whole flare paraphernalia.
This is in the spirit of taking the convective electric field of the
reconnection flow to be a parallel field.
Maybe this is OK at some point? But why should it be?
Technically, this is an unfortunate cartoon, but it is representative of basically important ideas as presented in the papers of this author. It really should be abstracted, cleaned up, and generally made more attractive. But, at least, it is in color. Here I0 is a coronal current in a pre-flare current sheet, and I1 is the current induced in the process. This connnects through the chromosphere at the base of the "wedge."
The idea represented here is that fast reconnection, as determined by anomalous resistivity in MHD models, can explan flare energy release in a manner qualitatively similar to the auroral "current wedge" concept. Here an MHD generator results from spontaneous reconnection in the corona, driving Joule heating in the chromospheric return path for the impulsively driven current. This creates ribbons, evaporation, and the whole flare paraphernalia. This is in the spirit of taking the convective electric field of the reconnection flow to be a parallel field. Maybe this is OK at some point? But why should it be?