RESONANTLY DAMPED KINK MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC WAVES IN A PARTIALLY IONIZED FILAMENT THREAD
Transverse oscillations of solar filament and prominence threads have been frequently reported. These oscillations have the common features of being of short period (2-10 minutes) and being damped after a few periods. The observations are interpreted as kink magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) wave modes, whereas resonant absorption in the Alfven continuum and ion-neutral collisions are candidates to be the damping mechanisms. Here, we study both analytically and numerically the time damping of kink MHD waves in a cylindrical, partially ionized filament thread embedded in a coronal environment. The thread model is composed of a straight and thin, homogeneous filament plasma, with a transverse inhomogeneous transitional layer where the plasma physical properties vary continuously from filament to coronal conditions. The magnetic field is homogeneous and parallel to the thread axis. We find that the kink mode is efficiently damped by resonant absorption for typical wavelengths of filament oscillations, the damping times being compatible with the observations. Partial ionization does not affect the process of resonant absorption, and the filament plasma ionization degree is only important for the damping for wavelengths much shorter than those observed. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the phenomenon of resonant absorption is studied in a partially ionized plasma.
- OSTI ID:
- 21389287
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 707; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ABSORPTION
ATMOSPHERES
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MAIN SEQUENCE STARS
MECHANICS
OSCILLATIONS
PLASMA FILAMENT
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR ATMOSPHERE
SOLAR CORONA
SOLAR PROMINENCES
SORPTION
STARS
STELLAR ACTIVITY
STELLAR ATMOSPHERES
STELLAR CORONAE
SUN