THE SOLAR-FLARE PHENOMENON AND THE THEORY OF RECONNECTION AND ANNIHILATION OF MAGNETIC FIELDS
A study is presented of the observations and theory relevant to the belief that the solar-flare phenomenon is a direct consequence of the annihilation of magnetic fields on the sun. There is very little in the observations to support such views. A systematic study of the theoretical mechanisms for diffusion, reconnection, and annihilation of magnetic fields is presented. The mechanisms discussed are Joule dissipation, ambipolar diffusion, and various forms of Sweet's mechanism. It is shown that Sweet's mechanism is much more effective in a highly compressible medium if the merging magnetic fields are exactiy antiparallel. None of the known mechanisms are sufficiently rapid to account for the solar flare from the annihilation of magnetic fields. Errors and omissions in discussions of the problem are cited. Since no possible energy source other than magnetic fields is known, the question of field annihilation remains both open and pressing. The possibilities of runaway electrons and hydrodynamic instability, as means for hastening magnetic-field annihilation, are considered. It is shown that there is no reason to expect runaway electrons and no effective instability unless the fields are exactly antiparallel. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colo.; and Univ. of Chicago
- NSA Number:
- NSA-17-031247
- OSTI ID:
- 4687979
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series (U.S.), Vol. Vol: 8; Other Information: Orig. Receipt Date: 31-DEC-63
- Country of Publication:
- Country unknown/Code not available
- Language:
- English
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