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Alfvénic waves with sufficient energy to power the quiet solar corona and fast solar wind

Author

Listed:
  • Scott W. McIntosh

    (High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, PO Box 3000)

  • Bart De Pontieu

    (Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory, 3251 Hanover Street)

  • Mats Carlsson

    (Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, PO Box 1029 Blindern)

  • Viggo Hansteen

    (Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory, 3251 Hanover Street
    Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, PO Box 1029 Blindern)

  • Paul Boerner

    (Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory, 3251 Hanover Street)

  • Marcel Goossens

    (Centre for Plasma Astrophysics, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200B)

Abstract

Coronal heating is wave-powered Alfvén waves — travelling oscillations of ions and magnetic field — were first detected in the Sun's corona in 2007, but at amplitudes too small to explain the mystery of where the energy comes from to heat corona gases to millions of degrees and accelerate the solar wind to speeds of hundreds of kilometres per second. New observations of the transition region and corona reveal ubiquitous outward-propagating Alfvénic motions that have amplitudes of the order of 20 kilometres per second and periods of the order of 100–500 seconds throughout the quiescent atmosphere. The observations show that coronal waves fill the whole atmosphere and are sufficiently strong to play a major part in the energetics of the outer solar atmosphere.

Suggested Citation

  • Scott W. McIntosh & Bart De Pontieu & Mats Carlsson & Viggo Hansteen & Paul Boerner & Marcel Goossens, 2011. "Alfvénic waves with sufficient energy to power the quiet solar corona and fast solar wind," Nature, Nature, vol. 475(7357), pages 477-480, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:475:y:2011:i:7357:d:10.1038_nature10235
    DOI: 10.1038/nature10235
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