Effect of pressure gradients and line-tying on the magnetic stability of coronal loops

In this paper we study the stability of an idealised magnetostatic coronal loop, incorporating both the effect of line-tying, due to the dense photosphere, and of pressure gradients. The stability equations may be solved analytically for our particular equilibrium. From the marginally stable case, the critical conditions separating instability from stability are derived. It is found that stretching or twisting a loop eventually makes it kink unstable.