Heating of solar chromosphere by electromagnetic wave absorption in a plasma slab model

The heating of solar chromospheric internetwork regions by means of the absorption of electromagnetic (EM) waves that originate from the photospheric blackbody radiation is studied in the framework of a plasma slab model. The absorption is provided by the electron-neutral collisions in which electrons oscillate in the EM wave field and electron-neutral collisions damp the EM wave. Given the uncertain nature of the collision cross-section due to the plasma microturbulence, it is shown that for plausible physical parameters, the heating flux produced by the absorption of EM waves in the chromosphere is between 20% and 45% of the chromospheric radiative loss flux requirement. It is also established that there is an optimal value for the collision cross-section, 5x10-18 m2, which produces the maximal heating flux of 1990 W m-2.