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A Thermal Catastrophe in a Resonantly Heated Coronal Loop

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 August 2017

P.C.H. Martens
Affiliation:
Sterrekundig Instituut Zonnenburg 2 3512 NL Utrecht The Netherlands
M. Kuperus
Affiliation:
Sterrekundig Instituut Zonnenburg 2 3512 NL Utrecht The Netherlands

Abstract

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A theory for the thermal stability of hot coronal loops is presented, which is based on the resonant electrodynamic heating theory of Ionson (1982) and the evaporation/condensation scenario of Krall and Antiochos (1980). The theory predicts that gradual changes in the length of a loop or in its magnetic field strength can trigger catastrophic changes in the X-ray visibility of the loop, without the need for a change in the magnetic field topology.

A natural explanation is thereby given for the observations of X-ray brightenings in loops and loop evacuations with coronal rain.

Type
IV. The Role of Magnetic Fields in the Structure and Energy Balance of Stellar Atmospheres
Copyright
Copyright © Reidel 1983 

References

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