8 research outputs found
Nonlinear effects in resonant layers in solar and space plasmas
The present paper reviews recent advances in the theory of nonlinear driven
magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves in slow and Alfven resonant layers. Simple
estimations show that in the vicinity of resonant positions the amplitude of
variables can grow over the threshold where linear descriptions are valid.
Using the method of matched asymptotic expansions, governing equations of
dynamics inside the dissipative layer and jump conditions across the
dissipative layers are derived. These relations are essential when studying the
efficiency of resonant absorption. Nonlinearity in dissipative layers can
generate new effects, such as mean flows, which can have serious implications
on the stability and efficiency of the resonance
Effects of Steady Flow on Magnetoacoustic-Gravity Surface Waves: I. The Weak Field Case
Magnetoacoustic gravity (MAG) waves have been studied for some time. In this article, we investigate the effect that a shear flow at a tangential discontinuity embedded in a gravitationally stratified and magnetised plasma has on MAG surface waves. The dispersion relation found is algebraically analogous to the relation of the non-flow cases obtained by Miles and Roberts (Solar Phys.141, 205, 1992), except for the introduction of a Doppler-shifted frequency for the eigenvalue. This feature, however, introduces rather interesting physics, including the asymmetric presence of forward- and backward-propagating surface waves. We find that increasing the equilibrium flow speed leads to a shift in the permitted regions of propagation for surface waves. For most wave number combinations this leads to the fast mode being completely removed, as well as more limited phase speed regimes for slow-mode propagation. We also find that upon increasing the flow, the phase speeds of the backward propagating waves are increased. Eventually, at high enough flow speeds, the waveâs direction of propagation is reversed and is in the positive direction. However, the phase speed of the forward-propagating wave remains mainly the same. For strong enough flows we find that the KelvinâHelmholtz instability can also occur when the forward- and backward-propagating modes couple
Damping mechanisms for oscillations in solar prominences
Small amplitude oscillations are a commonly observed feature in
prominences/filaments. These oscillations appear to be of local nature, are
associated to the fine structure of prominence plasmas, and simultaneous flows
and counterflows are also present. The existing observational evidence reveals
that small amplitude oscillations, after excited, are damped in short spatial
and temporal scales by some as yet not well determined physical mechanism(s).
Commonly, these oscillations have been interpreted in terms of linear
magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves, and this paper reviews the theoretical damping
mechanisms that have been recently put forward in order to explain the observed
attenuation scales. These mechanisms include thermal effects, through
non-adiabatic processes, mass flows, resonant damping in non-uniform media, and
partial ionization effects. The relevance of each mechanism is assessed by
comparing the spatial and time scales produced by each of them with those
obtained from observations. Also, the application of the latest theoretical
results to perform prominence seismology is discussed, aiming to determine
physical parameters in prominence plasmas that are difficult to measure by
direct means.Comment: 36 pages, 16 figures, Space Science Reviews (accepted
Prominence seismology using small amplitude oscillations
Quiescent prominences are thin slabs of cold, dense plasma embedded in the
much hotter and rarer solar corona. Although their global shape is rather
irregular, they are often characterised by an internal structure consisting of
a large number of thin, parallel threads piled together. Prominences often
display periodic disturbances mostly observed in the Doppler displacement of
spectral lines and with an amplitude typically of the order of or smaller than
2--3 km s, a value which seems to be much smaller than the
characteristic speeds of the prominence plasma (namely the Alfv\'en and sound
velocities). Two particular features of these small amplitude prominence
oscillations is that they seem to damp in a few periods and that they seem not
to affect the whole prominence structure. In addition, in high spatial
resolution observations, in which threads can be discerned, small amplitude
oscillations appear to be clearly associated to these fine structure
constituents. Prominence seismology tries to bring together the results from
these observations (e.g. periods, wavelengths, damping times) and their
theoretical modeling (by means of the magnetohydrodynamic theory) to gain
insight into physical properties of prominences that cannot be derived from
direct observation. In this paper we discuss works that have not been described
in previous reviews, namely the first seismological application to solar
prominences and theoretical advances on the attenuation of prominence
oscillations