2004/01/01 by D. Müller, D. A. N. Mueller, H. Peter +2 · 5 citations
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysics #Condensation #Constant (computer programming) #Coronal loop #Coronal mass ejection #Coronal plane #Ionosphere and magnetosphere dynamics #Loop (graph theory) #Mathematics #Mechanics #Meteorology #Nanoflares #Nuclear physics #Physics #Plasma #Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics #Solar flare #Solar wind #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #Thermodynamics #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20040403
published as Astron.Astrophys. 424 (2004) 289-300 · 13 pages, 15 figures
openalex publication_date 2004/01/01 · arxiv created 2004/05/27 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23
This work addresses the problem of plasma condensation and in solar coronal loops. We have carried out numerical calculations of coronal loops and find several classes of time-dependent solutions (static, periodic, irregular), depending on the spatial distribution of a temporally constant energy deposition in the loop. Dynamic loops exhibit recurrent plasma condensations, accompanied by high-speed downflows and transient brightenings of transition region lines, in good agreement with features observed with TRACE. Furthermore, these results also offer an explanation for the recent EIT observations of De Groof et al. (2004) of moving bright blobs in large coronal loops. In contrast to earlier models, we suggest that the process of catastrophic cooling is not initiated by a drastic decrease of the total loop heating but rather results from a loss of equilibrium at the loop apex as a natural consequence of heating concentrated at the footpoints of the loop, but constant in time.