Finite amplitude transverse oscillations of a magnetic rope

The effects of finite amplitudes on the transverse oscillations of a quiescent prominence represented by a magnetic rope are investigated in terms of the model proposed by Kolotkov et al. 2016. We consider a weakly nonlinear case governed by a quadratic nonlinearity, and also analyse the fully nonlinear equations of motion. We treat the prominence as a massive line current located above the photosphere and interacting with the magnetised dipped environment via the Lorentz force. In this concept the magnetic dip is produced by two external current sources located at the photosphere. Finite amplitude horizontal and vertical oscillations are found to be strongly coupled between each other. The coupling is more efficient for larger amplitudes and smaller attack angles between the direction of the driver and the horizontal axis. Spatial structure of oscillations is represented by Lissajous-like curves with the limit cycle of a hourglass shape, appearing in the resonant case, when the frequency of the vertical mode is twice the horizontal mode frequency. A metastable equilibrium of the prominence is revealed, which is stable for small amplitude displacements, and becomes horizontally unstable, when the amplitude exceeds a threshold value. The maximum oscillation amplitudes are also analytically derived and analysed. Typical oscillation periods are determined by the oscillation amplitude, prominence current, its mass and position above the photosphere, and the parameters of the magnetic dip. The main new effects of the finite amplitude are the coupling of the horizontally and vertically polarised transverse oscillations (i.e. the lack of a simple, elliptically polarised regime) and the presence of metastable equilibria of prominences

Coronal seismology by slow waves in non-adiabatic conditions

Slow magnetoacoustic waves represent an important tool for probing the solar coronal plasma. The majority of seismological methods with slow waves are based on a weakly non-adiabatic approach, which assumes the coronal energy transport has only weak effects on the wave dynamics. Despite it significantly simplifies the application of coronal seismology by slow waves, this assumption omits a number of important and confidently observed effects and thus puts strong limitations on the reliability of seismological estimations. We quantitatively assess the applicability of the weak thermal conduction theory to coronal seismology by slow waves. We numerically model the linear standing slow wave in a 1D coronal loop, with field-aligned thermal conduction κ‖ as a free parameter and no restrictions on its efficiency. The time variations of the perturbed plasma parameters, obtained numerically with full conductivity, are treated as potential observables and analysed with the standard data processing techniques. The slow wave oscillation period is found to increase with κ‖ by about 30%, indicating the corresponding modification in the effective wave speed, which is missing from the weak conduction theory. Phase shifts between plasma temperature and density perturbations are found to be well consistent with the approximate weakly conductive solution for all considered values of κ‖. In contrast, the comparison of the numerically obtained ratio of temperature and density perturbation amplitudes with the weak theory revealed relative errors up to 30–40%. We use these parameters to measure the effective adiabatic index of the coronal plasma directly as the ratio of the effective slow wave speed to the standard sound speed and in the polytropic assumption, which is found to be justified in a weakly conductive regime only, with relative errors up to 14% otherwise. The damping of the initial perturbation is found to be of a non-exponential form during the first cycle of oscillation, which could be considered as an indirect signature of entropy waves in the corona, also not described by weak conduction theory. The performed analysis and obtained results offer a more robust scheme of coronal seismology by slow waves, with reasonable simplifications and without the loss of accuracy

Transverse oscillations and stability of prominences in a magnetic field dip

Aims. An analytical model of the global transverse oscillations and mechanical stability of a quiescent prominence in the magnetised environment with a magnetic field dip, accounting for the mirror current effect, is developed. Methods. The model is based upon the interaction of line currents through the Lorentz force. Within this concept the prominence is treated as a straight current-carrying wire, and the magnetic dip is provided by two photospheric current sources. Results. Properties of both vertical and horizontal oscillations are determined by the value of the prominence current, its density and height above the photosphere, and the parameters of the magnetic dip. The prominence can be stable in both horizontal and vertical directions simultaneously when the prominence current dominates in the system and its height is less than the half-distance between the photospheric sources

Stability of slow magnetoacoustic and entropy waves in the solar coronal plasma with thermal misbalance

The back-reaction of the perturbed thermal equilibrium in the solar corona on compressive perturbations, also known as the effect of wave-induced thermal misbalance, is known to result in thermal instabilities chiefly responsible for the formation of fine thermal structuring of the corona. We study the role of the magnetic field and field-aligned thermal conduction in triggering instabilities of slow magnetoacoustic and entropy waves in quiescent and hot active region loops, caused by thermal misbalance. Effects of the magnetic field are accounted for by including it in the parametrisation of a guessed coronal heating function, and the finite plasma parameter $\beta$, in terms of the first-order thin flux tube approximation. Thermal conduction tends to stabilise both slow and entropy modes, broadening the interval of plausible coronal heating functions allowing for the existence of a thermodynamically stable corona. This effect is most pronounced for hot loops. In contrast to entropy waves, the stability of which is found to be insensitive to the possible dependence of the coronal heating function on the magnetic field, slow waves remain stable only for certain functional forms of this dependence, opening up perspectives for its seismological diagnostics in future.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Physics journa

Empirical mode decomposition analysis of random processes in the solar atmosphere

Context. Coloured noisy components with a power law spectral energy distribution are often shown to appear in solar signals of various types. Such a frequency-dependent noise may indicate the operation of various randomly distributed dynamical processes in the solar atmosphere. Aims. We develop a recipe for the correct usage of the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) technique in the presence of coloured noise, allowing for clear distinguishing between quasi-periodic oscillatory phenomena in the solar atmosphere and superimposed random background processes. For illustration, we statistically investigate extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission intensity variations observed with SDO/AIA in the coronal (171 Å), chromospheric (304 Å), and upper photospheric (1600 Å) layers of the solar atmosphere, from a quiet sun and a sunspot umbrae region. Methods. EMD has been used for analysis because of its adaptive nature and essential applicability to the processing non-stationary and amplitude-modulated time series. For the comparison of the results obtained with EMD, we use the Fourier transform technique as an etalon. Results. We empirically revealed statistical properties of synthetic coloured noises in EMD, and suggested a scheme that allows for the detection of noisy components among the intrinsic modes obtained with EMD in real signals. Application of the method to the solar EUV signals showed that they indeed behave randomly and could be represented as a combination of different coloured noises characterised by a specific value of the power law indices in their spectral energy distributions. On the other hand, 3-min oscillations in the analysed sunspot were detected to have energies significantly above the corresponding noise level. Conclusions. The correct accounting for the background frequency-dependent random processes is essential when using EMD for analysis of oscillations in the solar atmosphere. For the quiet sun region the power law index was found to increase with height above the photosphere, indicating that the higher frequency processes are trapped deeper in the quiet sun atmosphere. In contrast, lower levels of the sunspot umbrae were found to be characterised by higher values of the power law index, meaning the domination of lower frequencies deep inside the sunspot atmosphere. Comparison of the EMD results with those obtained with the Fourier transform showed good consistency, justifying the applicability of EMD

Seismological constraints on the solar coronal heating function

Aims. The hot solar corona exists because of the balance between radiative and conductive cooling and some counteracting heating mechanism that remains one of the major puzzles in solar physics. Methods. The coronal thermal equilibrium is perturbed by magnetoacoustic waves, which are abundantly present in the corona, causing a misbalance between the heating and cooling rates. As a consequence of this misbalance, the wave experiences a back-reaction, either losing or gaining energy from the energy supply that heats the plasma, at timescales comparable to the wave period. Results. In particular, the plasma can be subject to wave-induced instability or over-stability, depending on the specific choice of the coronal heating function. In the unstable case, the coronal thermal equilibrium would be violently destroyed, which does not allow for the existence of long-lived plasma structures typical for the corona. Based on this, we constrained the coronal heating function using observations of slow magnetoacoustic waves in various coronal plasma structures

The origin of the modulation of the radio emission from the solar corona by a fast magnetoacoustic wave

Observational detection of quasi-periodic drifting fine structures in a type III radio burst associated with a solar flare SOL2015-04-16T11:22, with the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR), is presented. Although similar modulations of the type III emission have been observed before and were associated with the plasma density fluctuations, the origin of those fluctuations was unknown. Analysis of the striae of the intensity variation in the dynamic spectrum allowed us to reveal two quasi-oscillatory components. The shorter component has an apparent wavelength of ~2 Mm, phase speed of ~657 km s−1, which gives an oscillation period of ~3 s, and a relative amplitude of ~0.35%. The longer component has a wavelength of ~12 Mm and relative amplitude of ~5.1%. The short frequency range of the detection does not allow us to estimate its phase speed. However, the properties of the shorter oscillatory component allowed us to interpret it as a fast magnetoacoustic wave guided by a plasma nonuniformity along the magnetic field outwards from the Sun. The assumption that the intensity of the radio emission is proportional to the amount of plasma in the emitting volume allowed us to show that the superposition of the plasma density modulation by a fast wave and a longer-wavelength oscillation of an unspecified nature could readily reproduce the fine structure of the observed dynamic spectrum. The observed parameters of the fast wave give an absolute value for the magnetic field in the emitting plasma of ~1.1 G, which is consistent with the radial magnetic field model

Nonlinear oscillations of coalescing magnetic flux ropes

An analytical model of highly nonlinear oscillations occurring during a coalescence of two magnetic flux ropes, based upon two-fluid hydrodynamics, is developed. The model accounts for the effect of electric charge separation, and describes perpendicular oscillations of the current sheet formed by the coalescence. The oscillation period is determined by the current sheet thickness, the plasma parameter β, and the oscillation amplitude. The oscillation periods are typically greater or about the ion plasma oscillation period. In the nonlinear regime, the oscillations of the ion and electron concentrations have a shape of a narrow symmetric spikes