Takashi Sakurai National Astronomical Observatory of Japan Summary-2 (?) Takashi Sakurai National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Two Summaries: Two Basic Problems in Solar MHD Parker’s Hypothesis coronal heating (nanoflare theory) Aly&Sturrock’s Hypothesis CME
Parker Problem and Parker’s Hypothesis uniform initial field regular boundary motion (but not preserving winding pattern) creates discontinuity leads to dissipation (by reconnection)
Parker: ApJ 174, 499, 1972
Parker: ApJ 264, 635, 1983
Parker: Solar Phys. 121, 271, 1989
Ideal MHD magnetic field boundary motion create discontinuity? uniform singular yes discontinuity regular with nulls dipping field lines no
Parker: ApJ 407, 342, 1993 discontinuous field regular motion
magnetic null and singular mapping dipping field lines and singular mapping
Mikic, Schnack, and van Hoven: ApJ 338, 1148, 1989
Discontinuity is not created. See also Galsgaard and Nordlund, JGR 1996 Craig and Sneid, Solar Phys., in press
real life (with finite resistivity) uniform field, regular boundary motion nulls created by diffusion singular mapping of field lines shear layer is created dissipation by reconnection
Dennis: Solar Phys. 100, 465, 1985
Shimizu, PASJ 47, 251-263, 1995
N(E) E limited by micro physics small scale events slope< −2 ? new physics “flare” population slope ~ −1.5 limited by finite size of the sun E 1026 erg 1032 erg
Aschwanden: Solar Phys. 190, 223, 1999 Arbitrarily small flare loops cannot exist.
What is “new physics?” purely coronal events? no conduction loss new regime of reconnection? new component of magnetic field? new component of driving motion? ???? forget this and go to waves?
Aly&Sturrock’s Hypothesis closed field lines (loops)+footpoint motion energy increases and asymptotically approaches an upper limit the upper limit is attained by the open field the energy of the closed field can never exceed the open field energy hence eruption to the open field is impossible
Exceptions two interacting flux tubes (Choe and Cheng 2002) configuration with a detached flux tube (a filament) (Li and Hu 2003)
Choe and Cheng: ApJ, 574, L179, 2002
I wonder if the existence of a field-free volume separating the two flux tubes is essential. Can more general conditions be formulated to obtain E>Eopen?
Li and Hu: Chinese J. Astron. Astrophys. 3, 555, 2003 Field with floating flux rope has energy exceeding the open field energy. In this case the excess is 1.5% of open field, 2.4% of closed dipole field energy.
Y.Q.Hu: ApJ 607, 1032, 2004 octapole field central arcade opens, asymptotically approaching partially open field
Y.Z.Zhang et al.: ApJ 626, 1096, 2005 With floating flux rope, the open field energy is exceeded
Three Major Problems in Solar Physics flares and CMEs Solar-B launch in activity minimum,,, high resolution, trigger mechanism heating of the atmosphere (and solar-wind acceleration) waves or superposition of small explosions? the main target of Solar-B carefully-designed observing plans (not trivial) magnetic field generation (dynamo) important hints (diffusion, surface dynamo,,,)