DRIVEN WAVES AS A DIAGNOSTICS TOOL IN THE SOLAR CORONA

Journal Article · Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2009 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/703/2/1318· OSTI ID:21371897

Kaghashvili, Edisher Kh; Quinn, Richard A ^[1]

---

1. Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc., 131 Hartwell Avenue, Lexington, MA 02421 (United States)

Detecting the signature of Alfven waves in the solar atmosphere remains an observational challenge. At the same time, it could also be an important key to gaining critical understanding of the solar wind and especially of the near-Earth space weather formation. Here, we investigate the plausibility of using inhomogeneous flow-driven compressional fluctuations as a diagnostics tool for Alfven waves in the solar corona. The nature of the fluctuations driven by transverse Alfven waves in inhomogeneous flows was recently investigated by Kaghashvili et al., and analytical solutions that accurately link driven waves to the Alfvenic driver were found. The novelty of this mechanism is that the analysis of the detected compressional fluctuations can provide a clue about the Alfven waves that are otherwise difficult to detect. We review this physical process in a low-beta approximation relevant to solar coronal conditions and outline basic reasons why it can be one of the major processes that comes about as outflowing plasma emerges from divergent coronal holes. After establishing a quantitative link, we consider an example with coronal hole plasma parameters similar to the ones reported recently where evidence for Alfven waves in solar X-ray jets was discussed. We show how this diagnostics tool can be used to analyze the detected intensity fluctuations.

• OSTI ID: 21371897
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 703, Issue 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/703/2/1318; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
ALFVEN WAVES
ANALYTICAL SOLUTION
APPROXIMATIONS
FLUCTUATIONS
OSCILLATIONS
PLASMA
SOLAR CORONA
SOLAR WIND
SUN
ATMOSPHERES
CALCULATION METHODS
HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES
MAIN SEQUENCE STARS
MATHEMATICAL SOLUTIONS
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR ATMOSPHERE
STARS
STELLAR ACTIVITY
STELLAR ATMOSPHERES
STELLAR CORONAE
STELLAR WINDS
VARIATIONS