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Observational evidence favors a resistive wave heating mechanism for coronal loops over a viscous phenomenon

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Van Doorsselaere, Tom, Andries, J. and Poedts, Stefaan, 1962-. (2007) Observational evidence favors a resistive wave heating mechanism for coronal loops over a viscous phenomenon. Astronomy & Astrophysics, Vol.471 (No.1). pp. 311-314. ISSN 0004-6361

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20066658

Abstract

Context. How coronal loops are heated to their observed temperatures is the subject of a long standing debate. Aims. Observational evidence exists that the heating in coronal loops mainly occurs near the loop footpoints. In this article, analytically and numerically obtained heating profiles produced by resonantly damped waves are compared to the observationally estimated profiles. Methods. To do that, the predicted heating profiles are fitted with an exponential heating function, which was also used to fit the observations. The results of both fits, the estimated heating scale heights, are compared to determine the viability of resonant absorption as a heating mechanism for coronal loops. Results. Two results are obtained. It is shown that any wave heating mechanism (i.e. not just resonant absorption) should be dominated by a resistive (and not a viscous) phenomenon in order to accomodate the constraint of footpoint heating. Additionally it is demonstrated that the analytically and numerically estimated heating scale heights for the resonant absorption damping mechanism fit the observations very well.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	Q Science > QB Astronomy
Divisions:	Faculty of Science > Physics
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Sun -- Loop prominences, Solar oscillations, Sun -- Temperature
Journal or Publication Title:	Astronomy & Astrophysics
Publisher:	EDP Sciences
ISSN:	0004-6361
Date:	August 2007
Volume:	Vol.471
Number:	No.1
Page Range:	pp. 311-314
Identification Number:	10.1051/0004-6361:20066658
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Access rights to Published version:	Open Access
Funder:	Universiteit Gent. Bijzonder Onderzoeksfonds, Katholieke Universiteit te Leuven (1970- ), Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (Great Britain) (PPARC)
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URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/3462