On the coronal heating mechanism by the resonant absorption of Alfven waves

In this paper, we will investigate the heating of the solar corona by the resonant absorption of Alfven waves in a viscous and isothermal atmosphere permeated by a horizontal magnetic field. It is shown that if the viscosity dominates the motion in a high (low)- β plasma, it creates an absorbing and...

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Main Author: H. Y. Alkahby
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 1993-01-01
Series:International Journal of Mathematics and Mathematical Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/S0161171293001012
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author H. Y. Alkahby
author_facet H. Y. Alkahby
author_sort H. Y. Alkahby
collection DOAJ
description In this paper, we will investigate the heating of the solar corona by the resonant absorption of Alfven waves in a viscous and isothermal atmosphere permeated by a horizontal magnetic field. It is shown that if the viscosity dominates the motion in a high (low)- β plasma, it creates an absorbing and reflecting layer and the heating process is acoustic (magnetoacoustic). When the magnetic field dominates the oscillatory process it creates a non-absorbing reflecting layer. Consequently, the heating process is magnetohydrodynamic. An equation for resonance is derived. It shows that resonances may occur for many values of the frequency and of the magnetic field if the wavelength is matched with the strength of the magnetic field. At the resonance frequencies, magnetic and kinetic energies will increase to very large values which may account for the heating process. When the motion is dominated by the combined effects of the viscosity and the magnetic field, the nature of the reflecting layer and the magnitude of the reflection coefficient depend on the relative strengths of the magnetic field and the viscosity.
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spelling doaj-art-eaa22fa4748946828c9c007718cba4702025-08-20T03:20:39ZengWileyInternational Journal of Mathematics and Mathematical Sciences0161-17121687-04251993-01-0116481181610.1155/S0161171293001012On the coronal heating mechanism by the resonant absorption of Alfven wavesH. Y. Alkahby0Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Adelphi University, Garden City 11530, NY, USAIn this paper, we will investigate the heating of the solar corona by the resonant absorption of Alfven waves in a viscous and isothermal atmosphere permeated by a horizontal magnetic field. It is shown that if the viscosity dominates the motion in a high (low)- β plasma, it creates an absorbing and reflecting layer and the heating process is acoustic (magnetoacoustic). When the magnetic field dominates the oscillatory process it creates a non-absorbing reflecting layer. Consequently, the heating process is magnetohydrodynamic. An equation for resonance is derived. It shows that resonances may occur for many values of the frequency and of the magnetic field if the wavelength is matched with the strength of the magnetic field. At the resonance frequencies, magnetic and kinetic energies will increase to very large values which may account for the heating process. When the motion is dominated by the combined effects of the viscosity and the magnetic field, the nature of the reflecting layer and the magnitude of the reflection coefficient depend on the relative strengths of the magnetic field and the viscosity.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/S0161171293001012Alfven wavesmagnetohydrodynamicresonanceacoustic.
spellingShingle H. Y. Alkahby
On the coronal heating mechanism by the resonant absorption of Alfven waves
International Journal of Mathematics and Mathematical Sciences
Alfven waves
magnetohydrodynamic
resonance
acoustic.
title On the coronal heating mechanism by the resonant absorption of Alfven waves
title_full On the coronal heating mechanism by the resonant absorption of Alfven waves
title_fullStr On the coronal heating mechanism by the resonant absorption of Alfven waves
title_full_unstemmed On the coronal heating mechanism by the resonant absorption of Alfven waves
title_short On the coronal heating mechanism by the resonant absorption of Alfven waves
title_sort on the coronal heating mechanism by the resonant absorption of alfven waves
topic Alfven waves
magnetohydrodynamic
resonance
acoustic.
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/S0161171293001012
work_keys_str_mv AT hyalkahby onthecoronalheatingmechanismbytheresonantabsorptionofalfvenwaves