A New Approach to the Coronal Heating Problem

Journal Article · Tue Nov 10 00:00:00 EST 2009 · AIP Conference Proceedings

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3266793· OSTI ID:21335655

Vranjes, J; Poedts, S ^[1]

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1. Center for Plasma Astrophysics, and Leuven Mathematical Modeling and Computational Science Centre (LMCC), Celestijnenlaan 200B, 3001 Leuven (Belgium)

The heating of the solar corona is discussed within both frameworks of kinetic and fluid drift wave theory. It is shown that the basic ingredient necessary for the heating is the presence of the background density gradients in the direction perpendicular to the magnetic field vector. These gradients are a source of free energy for the electrostatic instabilities. Strongly growing modes are found for some typical coronal plasma parameters. The instabilities a) imply the presence of electric fields that can accelerate the plasma particles in both the perpendicular and the parallel direction with respect to the magnetic field vector, and b) can stochastically heat ions. The stochastic heating i) is due to the electrostatic nature of the waves, ii) is more effective on ions than on electrons, iii) acts predominantly in the perpendicular direction, iv) heats heavier ions more efficiently than lighter ions, and v) may easily provide a drift wave heating rate that is orders of magnitude above the value that is presently believed to be sufficient for heating the solar corona.

• OSTI ID: 21335655
• Journal Information: AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1188, Issue 1; Conference: 2009 ICTP summer college on plasma physics; International symposium on cutting edge plasma physics, Trieste (Italy), 10-28 Aug 2009; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3266793; (c) 2009 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRONS
FREE ENERGY
HEATING RATE
HEAVY IONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PHOTOSPHERE
PLASMA
PLASMA DENSITY
PLASMA DRIFT
PLASMA HEATING
PLASMA INSTABILITY
PLASMA WAVES
SOLAR CORONA
STOCHASTIC PROCESSES
WAVE PROPAGATION