ARE THERMAL SUDDEN DISAPPEARANCES OF PROMINENCES DRIVEN BY RESONANT ABSORPTION OF ALFVEN WAVES

Citation
L. Ofman et Z. Mouradian, ARE THERMAL SUDDEN DISAPPEARANCES OF PROMINENCES DRIVEN BY RESONANT ABSORPTION OF ALFVEN WAVES, Astronomy and astrophysics, 308(2), 1996, pp. 631-636
Citations number
29
Categorie Soggetti
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Journal title
ISSN journal
00046361
Volume
308
Issue
2
Year of publication
1996
Pages
631 - 636
Database
ISI
SICI code
0004-6361(1996)308:2<631:ATSDOP>2.0.ZU;2-Z
Abstract
In the present study we propose the resonant absorption of Alfven wave s as the heating mechanism that leads to thermal sudden disappearances (DBt) of prominences. The physical parameters of prominence flux tube s are used with the low-beta, linearized, resistive magnetohydrodynami c (MHD) model to calculate the heating times of prominences for a rang e of wavenumbers. The heating time dependence on the wavenumbers is co mpared to the measured times for DBt of quiescent prominences and a qu alitative agreement is found. We find that present observational evide nce is in qualitative agreement with the predictions of the resonant a bsorption heating mechanism for DBt of prominences. However, more obse rvations of DBt are required to establish the heating mechanism with a higher degree of certainty.