Heating of the Solar Chromosphere and Corona by Alfvén Wave Turbulence
Van Ballegooijen, A. A., M. Asgari-Targhi, S. R. Cranmer, and E. E. DeLuca, Heating of the Solar Chromosphere and Corona by Alfvén Wave Turbulence, ApJ, 736, 3 (2011) (ADS)
(click on the image for a larger version)
Here we see a magnetic flux element in the footpoint region of a coronal
loop that needs to be heated up to active-region temperatures.
Convective flows (blue) buffet the flux element, launching waves up along
the loop.
Note that these appear to be torsional and multi-celled.
This is happening in an uncoordinated way from both footpoints, and the
result could be turbulent cascade and thence heating.
The Archivist is a little bit sad to see this happening without
electrodynamics, in the
sense that a two-fluid description could be a
more natural way to handle inertial or kinetic Alfvén waves.
Here we see a magnetic flux element in the footpoint region of a coronal loop that needs to be heated up to active-region temperatures. Convective flows (blue) buffet the flux element, launching waves up along the loop. Note that these appear to be torsional and multi-celled. This is happening in an uncoordinated way from both footpoints, and the result could be turbulent cascade and thence heating. The Archivist is a little bit sad to see this happening without electrodynamics, in the sense that a two-fluid description could be a more natural way to handle inertial or kinetic Alfvén waves.