Coronal heating on the Sun: new observations and “realistic” 3D numerical models

The heating of the solar corona is a long standing problem of solar physics, in fact dating back to the time when it was first discovered that the corona was quite hot. In short, the question is how one can find a credible physical mechanism to transport and dissipate a small fraction of the “mechanical” energy contained in the convection zone in(to) the corona. Amusingly, most answers to the question date back to the late 1940’s. However, it has proven difficult to actually show that one proposed mechanism is better or worse than any other. Now, finally, some 50 years or more after the problem of coronal heating was formulated, advances in computer technology and algorithms, as well as a wealth of observations stemming from satellites and new ground based techniques, seem to be making inroads towards possible solutions. In this talk I will discuss these advances and the solutions that seem to be most plausible in light of them. 

 

Fecha: 
02/06/2011 - 14:00
Conferenciante: 
Prof. Viggo Hansteen
Filiación: 
University of Oslo


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