Published July 20, 2017 | Version v1
Journal article

Coronal Heating Topology: The Interplay of Current Sheets and Magnetic Field Lines

  • 1. Department of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States)
  • 2. Bartol Research Institute, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716 (United States)
  • 3. Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400 (Thailand)
  • 4. Dipartimento di Fisica, Università della Calabria, Cosenza I-87036 (Italy)

Description

The magnetic topology and field line random walk (FLRW) properties of a nanoflare-heated and magnetically confined corona are investigated in the reduced magnetohydrodynamic regime. Field lines originating from current sheets form coherent structures, called current sheet connected (CSC) regions, which extend around them. CSC FLRW is strongly anisotropic, with preferential diffusion along the current sheets' in-plane length. CSC FLRW properties remain similar to those of the entire ensemble but exhibit enhanced mean square displacements and separations due to the stronger magnetic field intensities in CSC regions. The implications for particle acceleration and heat transport in the solar corona and wind, and for solar moss formation are discussed.

Availability note (English)

Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aa79f2

Additional details

Identifiers

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Astrophysical Journal
Journal Volume
844
Journal Issue
1
Journal Page Range
[8 p.]
ISSN
0004-637X
CODEN
ASJOAB