Heating of Solar Active Regions by Magnetic Energy Dissipation: the Steady-State Case
Abstract
It is suggested that solar active regions are heated by the relaxation of stressed magnetic-field configurations. In the present paper the active region is assumed to be in a steady state where the rate of twisting of the magnetic fields is balanced by the rate of dissipation, which in turn is balanced by energy losses due to conduction. In order for the model to be self-consistent the dissipation must occur in small volumes where the current density is large and the plasma is in a turbulent state, i.e., in current sheets. This could explain why high-resolution X-ray observations of active regions show structure which is closely correlated photospheric magnetic field. Subject headings: corona, solar - hydromagnetics - magnetic fields, solar - X-rays, solar
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- November 1973
- DOI:
- 10.1086/152498
- Bibcode:
- 1973ApJ...186..285T