The Flare-Energy Distributions Generated by Kink-Unstable Ensembles of Zero-Net-Current Coronal Loops
The Flare-Energy Distributions Generated by Kink-Unstable Ensembles of Zero-Net-Current Coronal Loops
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DOI：
10.1007/s11207-011-9832-4
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发表时间：
2011-10-01
期刊：
影响因子：
2.8
通讯作者：
Van der Linden, R. A. M.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Bareford, M. R.;Browning, P. K.;Van der Linden, R. A. M.
有人提出，日冕的百万度温度是由于在整个太阳大气中几乎无法检测到的能量释放（称为纳米耀斑）的综合效应。不幸的是，这一假设所暗示的纳米耀斑密度和亮度意味着结论性的验证超出了目前的观测能力。然而，我们调查的nanoflare假说的可解释性，通过构建一个磁流体动力学（MHD）模型，可以得到一个nanoflare的能量从一个理想的扭结不稳定性的性质。一组能量释放不稳定性被捕获的线性扭结模式的不稳定性阈值。阈值上的每个点都与一个独特的能量释放相关联;因此我们可以预测纳米耀斑能量的分布。当线性不稳定阈值被越过时，不稳定性进入非线性阶段，因为它是由电流片重联驱动的。随着随后的耀斑爆发和下降，场过渡到较低的能量状态，这是由弛豫理论模拟的;即，螺旋度是守恒的，并且电流与场的比率在环内变得不变。我们应用该模型，使所有的循环内的合奏实现不稳定，然后释放能量放松。其结果是一个纳米耀斑能量分布。此外，我们产生不同的分布，通过改变环路的纵横比，每个环路所采取的不稳定的路径的性质，也可能伴随着环路松弛的径向膨胀的水平。所得到的加热速率刚好足够日冕加热。此外，我们还表明，扭结不稳定性不能与一个临界磁扭曲值为每一个点沿着不稳定性阈值。
It has been proposed that the million-degree temperature of the corona is due to the combined effect of barely detectable energy releases, called nanoflares, that occur throughout the solar atmosphere. Unfortunately, the nanoflare density and brightness implied by this hypothesis means that conclusive verification is beyond present observational abilities. Nevertheless, we investigate the plausibility of the nanoflare hypothesis by constructing a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model that can derive the energy of a nanoflare from the nature of an ideal kink instability. The set of energy-releasing instabilities is captured by an instability threshold for linear kink modes. Each point on the threshold is associated with a unique energy release; thus we can predict a distribution of nanoflare energies. When the linear instability threshold is crossed, the instability enters a nonlinear phase as it is driven by current sheet reconnection. As the ensuing flare erupts and declines, the field transitions to a lower energy state, which is modelled by relaxation theory; i.e., helicity is conserved and the ratio of current to field becomes invariant within the loop. We apply the model so that all the loops within an ensemble achieve instability followed by energy-releasing relaxation. The result is a nanoflare energy distribution. Furthermore, we produce different distributions by varying the loop aspect ratio, the nature of the path to instability taken by each loop and also the level of radial expansion that may accompany loop relaxation. The heating rate obtained is just sufficient for coronal heating. In addition, we also show that kink instability cannot be associated with a critical magnetic twist value for every point along the instability threshold.