Dear All,
In a basic model of steady, isothermal hydrodynamic flow (http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2006ApJ...649.1078P), steady flows can only affect hydrostatic scale heights under exceptional conditions. These states have fast flows approaching the sound speed and form a small part of the solution space right next to unphysical regimes with density inversions. If significantly many loops really are of this kind, it would be an interesting problem explaining why. On the other hand, it's clear from rho*V*A why steady flows decrease densities.
Best regards,
Gordon
On Mon, 07 Dec 2009 09:11:07 -0500 Leon Golub golub@head.cfa.harvard.edu wrote:
Jim,
We were indeed modelling the long, relatively faint loops seen in the plage regions surrounding sunspots, which are exactly where EIS is seeing the flows. It's been known for a long time (the Palermo people did such modelling 20 years ago) that flows in coronal loops drop the density ("When you start a flow going, the loop disappears.") or alternatively, if you see the loop it means the density is enhanced. I'm not sure why your modelling failed, but we were able to reproduce the scale height quite well. Having the flow (in either direction) extends the emission scale height quite a bit beyond the hydrostatic value.
As you know, the AIA on SDO will have far more extensive temperature coverage than TRACE does. There is a puzzle right now in that EIS sees the flows at higher temperatures than we saw in TRACE. I think that this topic is going to be a major one in the coming years.
Leon
Klimchuk, James A. (GSFC-6710) wrote:
Wow, I'm surprised, and pleased, at the interest this paper has generated! Let me first respond to Leon's comment. As Harry said (thanks!), in order to get the extreme excess densities that are observed in most warm loops, the footpoint heating needs to be so concentrated that no equilibrium exists (which strictly speaking is different from an instability). Hence, thermal nonequilibrium. A few years back, Spiros P. and I addressed your suggestion with Amy that asymmetric heating and steady flows might explain the observations. Our modeling showed that the density enhancement was adequate to explain some loops, but the scale height is too small and the filter-ratio temperature profile is far too structured (paper attached). We thus rejected this explanation. Sorry!
Thanks for your comment, Jim
-----Original Message----- From: loops-bounces@solar.physics.montana.edu [mailto:loops- bounces@solar.physics.montana.edu] On Behalf Of Harry Warren Sent: Sunday, December 06, 2009 6:19 PM To: A mailing list for scientists involved in the observation and modeling of solar loop structures Subject: Re: [Loops] loops and thermal nonequilibrium
Leon,
As I recall, your paper with Amy relied on footpoint heating, which does lead to higher apex densities and flatter temperature ratios. The observed densities near 1 MK are so high, however, that the loops become thermodynamically unstable. Also, the high speed EIS flows are typically seen in faint regions and are not associated with the types of loops that Jim is attempting to model.
Harry
On 12/5/09 3:16 PM, "Leon Golub" golub@cfa.harvard.edu wrote:
Jim,
Amy and I addressed the issues of excess density, flat temperature profiles and large scale height about 10 years ago. Having flows of 30-40 km/sec, as is observed in TRACE and now verified by EIS, solves these problems quite nicely. So there is a viable mechanism other than nanoflares.
Leon
Klimchuk, James A. (GSFC-6710) wrote:
Dear Loops Friends,
If you are interested, the attached paper shows that
coronal loops cannot be explained by thermal nonequilibrium. The results appear to rule out the widespread existence of coronal heating that is both highly concentrated low in the corona and steady or quasi-steady (slowly varying or impulsive with a rapid cadence). Comments are welcomed.
Best wishes,
Jim
James A. Klimchuk
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
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