ENERGY-RELEASE IN A TURBULENT CORONA

Numerical simulations of a two-dimensional section of a coronal loop s ubject to random magnetic forcing are presented. The forcing models th e link between photospheric motions and energy injection in the corona . The results show the highly intermittent spatial distribution of cur rent concentrations generated by the coupling between internal dynamic s and external forcing. The total power dissipation is a rapidly varyi ng function of time, with sizable jumps even at low Reynolds numbers, and is caused by the superposition of magnetic dissipation in a number of localized current sheets. Both spatial and temporal intermittency increase with the Reynolds number, suggesting that the turbulent natur e of the corona can physically motivate statistical theories of solar activity.