Current Sheet Energetics, Flare Emissions, and Energy Partition in a Simulated Solar Eruption
Abstract
We investigate coronal energy flow during a simulated coronal mass ejection (CME). We model the CME using a 2.5D numerical MHD code that includes coronal heating, thermal conduction and radiative cooling in the energy equation. We apply energy diagnostics to this numerical simulation and find that the energy is conserved to within 1% during the stages leading up to the eruption, and to within 5% during the eruption, when the current sheet is formed. These errors are most likely due to the additional numerical dissipation associated with numerical diffusion. We also examine the energy release in the current sheet as the eruption takes place. We find that Poynting flux is the dominant carrier of energy into the current sheet region, although its effect is mitigated by losses due to conductive flux and viscosity. Additionally, we examine the simulated emissions due to the flare associated with the CME and find that the simulation reproduces observed flare loop morphologies and provides an explanation for coronal dimming during eruptions.
- Publication:
-
Solar Heliospheric and INterplanetary Environment (SHINE 2009
- Pub Date:
- August 2009
- Bibcode:
- 2009shin.confE.171R