Photospheric Vortices and Coronal Heating
Abstract
We have used the results of a realistic simulation of convection to estimate the power input to coronal loops from the twisting of photospheric magnetic field in intergranular vortices. In this simulation, the vorticity is large (a mean of 0.03 s−1) nearly everywhere in the intergranular lanes, not merely at the corners of three granules. We found the autocorrelation time of vorticity images to be 45 s, but individual vortices last as long as 144 s. Our estimate suggests that field line twisting could supply a substantial fraction, if not all, of the required power to the quiet corona.
- Publication:
-
Solar Physics
- Pub Date:
- September 1993
- DOI:
- 10.1007/BF00675486
- Bibcode:
- 1993SoPh..147...47Z
- Keywords:
-
- Coronal Loops;
- Photosphere;
- Solar Granulation;
- Solar Magnetic Field;
- Vortices;
- Magnetic Field Reconnection;
- Magnetic Flux;
- Vorticity;
- Solar Physics;
- Magnetic Field;
- Vortex;
- Convection;
- Vorticity;
- Autocorrelation