Basic Heating Event
Recent investigation of the dynamics of the magnetic field in the photosphere
have shown that the surface flux in the quit regions is replaces within about
two days. This means that flux emerge, moves around and interact with other
flux elements. Many of the interactions will be with flux of opposite polarity,
and the interaction will therefore potentially force magnetic reconnection to
occur. This release of free magnetic energy will go into heating the coronal
plasma. Dana Longcope (ApJ 1998) suggested a simple model describing the
simple interaction between two initially unconnected flux elements. We (Clare Parnell and Jeremy Bl??) have
investigated this process numerically. The numerical investigation show that the
process is much more complicated than the simple analytical results by
Longcope. The experiments reveal that the process of connecting the two flux
bundles occur through separator reconnection, but driven in a way like that
found in flux braiding. As a result of the reconnection
process the field lines connecting the two sources becomes very low. This
influences the following opening of the field after the near fly-by, in the way
that this process occurs on a much longer time scale then the separator
responsible for connecting the two sources in the first place.
Papers
- Elementary Heating Events - Magnetic Interactions Between Two Flux Sources, A&A, 2000, 362 p383-394
Last updated 14.06.00