Statistic requirements for observations
Eric Priest et al.
used Yohkoh data to derive the heating profile along a large x-ray loop,
using statistical fitting of the models to the observed temperature
profile. They concluded that the heating required to provide the observed
temperature profile had to be uniform along the loop. In a reanalysis of
the data, Duncan
Mackay and I found that the data did not provided a statistical
significant result. Further if we included the physical condition that
the temperature should reach transition region values at the loops
foot points with in the limits of the loop structure. The only possible
heating mechanism had to be foot point heating.The investigation also showed that present days observations are not sufficiently accurate to discriminate with any high accuracy to discriminate between different model. One significant requirement to observations is that they also become able to provide temperature profiles down to much lower temperatures. Because the low temperature regime has a significant impact on fitting the final temperature profile.
Paper
- How Accurately Can We Determine the Coronal Heating Mechanism in the Large-Scale Solar Corona ?, Solar Physics, 193, 93, 2000 (Monterey conference august 1999)
Last updated 03.03.01