Chromospheric magnetic reconnection and its possible relationship to coronal heating

Coronal heating is clearly related to the coronal magnetic field. This may be due to a passive role of the magnetic held in modifying wave propagation and dissipation or to an active role resulting from the liberation of magn etic energy by reconnection or in some other way. The purpose of this artic le is to examine the consequences of reconnection at the chromospheric leve l rather than in the corona. We note that the chromosphere is indeed a favo rable site for reconnection to occur, since the resistivity is greatest in that region-specifically at the temperature-minimum location. Chromospheric reconnection can lead to coronal heating by Joule heating, by the generati on and subsequent dissipation of high-frequency Alfven and magnetacoustic w aves, or by the response of the coronal magnetic field to a sudden change i n connectivity. The second process could also contribute to heating of the solar wind, since high-frequency Alfven waves can be absorbed by cyclotron damping. We note also that chromospheric reconnection could inject sufficie nt chromospheric gas into the corona to balance the known steady downflow o f coronal gas through the transition region. It is also possible that chrom ospheric reconnection plays a role in the first ionization potential effect .