Coronal heating by collision and cancellation of magnetic elements

A model is proposed for the coronal response to the interaction between ran domly moving photospheric magnetic flux elements. In this model the collisi on between two elements of opposing signs results in reconnection and the a ppearance of an X-ray bright point. A section of quiet Sun on which element s are distributed and moving randomly will contain a number of X-ray bright points. The model combines a distribution of element sizes, random velocit ies of the elements, and a model for pair-wise collisions. This results in quantitative predictions for surface density of X-ray bright points, the di stribution of their luminosities, and their contribution to the total heat flux in the quiet Sun. The predictions depend principally on the densities of flux elements of each sign (B) over bar(+) and (B) over bar(-), the aver age element size <(Phi)over bar>, and the random velocity nu(0). The predic ted heat flux, F-XBP = 0.1 (B) over bar(+) (B) over bar(-) nu(0), is in rou gh agreement with published observational studies of X-ray bright points bu t well below the flux required to supply heat to the quiet Sun corona. Othe r predictions of the model are similarly consistent with published studies.