The Effects of Thermal Non-Equilibrium on a Helmet Streamer

We investigate the effects of localized heating on the evolution of the plasma within helmet streamers. By implementing a sufficiently small heating scale height, the process of thermal non-equilibrium triggers the formation of coronal rain within the helmet streamer. We present the comparative formation rates of coronal rain in simulations of 3 different grid resolutions. The heating scale height itself is also varied to examine its affect on the rain that is observed. Lastly, we present the evolution of plasma along particular field lines. Our model shows that the thermal physics of the plasma and the dynamical motions of the magnetic field work together to affect the creation rate of coronal rain. This finding has wider implications and suggests that the presence of coronal rain within a helmet streamer can drive the process of magnetic reconnection above the cusp of the streamer. This work was supported in part by the NASA LWS and SR Programs.