No CrossRef data available.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 September 2017
We discuss a mechanism whereby a current loop embedded in plasmas such as the solar and stellar coronae can dissipate magnetic energy without resistive effects or reconnection. This mechanism arises from the motion of magnetic/current structures driven by “toroidal forces”. Using a simple model loop, we show that it can exhibit a wide range of motion with correspondingly wide range of magnetic energy dissipation rates. For example, a loop with ~20G can attain expansion velocities of ~1200km s–1 under solar coronal conditions, dissipating ~1032erg in a few tens of minutes.