Hi Loops friends,
Attached is a paper just accepted by Solar Physics entitled "The Distinction Between Thermal Nonequilibrium and Thermal Instability," a topic which has caused some confusion.
Abstract:
For some forms of steady heating, coronal loops are in a state of thermal nonequilibrium and evolve in a manner that includes accelerated cooling, often resulting in the formation of a cold condensation.
This is frequently confused with thermal instability, but the two are in fact fundamentally different. We explain the distinction and discuss situations where they may be interconnected. Large-amplitude perturbations, perhaps associated with MHD waves, likely
play a role in explaining phenomena that have been attributed to thermal nonequilibrium but also seem to require cross-field communication.
Best wishes,
Jim
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James A. Klimchuk
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Solar Physics Lab, Code 671
Bldg. 21, Rm. 158
Greenbelt, MD 20771
USA
Phone: 1-301-286-9060
Fax: 1-301-286-7194
E-mail: James.A.Klimchuk@nasa.gov
Homepage:
http://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/sed/bio/james.a.klimchuk
No endorsement by NASA is implied for any correspondence related to my official role in professional organizations.
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