A Self-consistent Model of Alfvén Wave Phase Mixing G.KIDDIE, I. DE MOORTEL, P.CARGILL & A.HOOD

Phase Mixing  Occurs when Alfvén waves are travelling in an inhomogeneous plasma  This leads to the creation of strong gradients which enhance the visco-resistive damping  First suggested by Heyvaerts & Priest (1982)  Require weak damping and “strong phase mixing”  Heating is focused at edges of loops

Coupling of Corona and Chromosphere  We consider the effect of including the coupling of the corona and chromosphere in a phase mixing experiment  Most models don’t consider relationship between corona, chromosphere and heating  The dependence of heating on density is a direct consequence of the dynamic coupling Heating

Ofman et al. (1998)  Considered the coupling of the corona and chromosphere with a resonant absorption experiment  This interaction moves the resonance layer around, leads to spatially bursty heating

Model x y z

Scaling Laws

Introduction of Density Feedback

Damping Timescale

Lower density  The effect is small, simplest method is to enhance the effect is to decrease the density  Now enough energy in the wave to power the background atmosphere

 Density is now greatly enhanced via feedback mechanism  Resolution is lost before the wave has fully damped Lower density

Driven Case

Ideal Case  Initially test with resistivity switched off  Complex chequered pattern where reflected wave interferes with outward propagating wave

Ideal Case  Additional gradients created by reflecting wave

Current  Investigate how the current changes with this reflection  Current becomes very difficult to resolve

Conclusions  Alfvén waves deposit heat in the solar atmosphere  By considering the mass exchange between corona and chromosphere this heat can be spread  The effect is not big using coronal parameters  Situation even more complex when considering driven waves