On the location of energy release and temperature profiles along coronal loops

Several mechanisms have been suggested to contribute to the heating of the solar corona, each of which deposits energy along coronal loops in a charac teristic way. To compare the theoretical models with observations one has t o derive observable quantities from the models. One such parameter is the t emperature profile along a loop. Here numerical experiments of flux braidin g are used to provide the spatial distribution of energy deposition along a loop. It is found that braiding produces a heat distribution along the loo p which has slight peaks near the footpoints and summit and whose magnitude depends on the driving time. Using different examples of the heat depositi on, the temperature profiles along the loop are determined assuming a stead y state. Along with this, different methods for providing average temperatu re profiles from the time-series have been investigated. These give summit temperatures within approximately 10% of each other. The distribution of th e heating has a significant impact on both the summit temperature and the t emperature distribution along the loop. In each case the ratio between the heat deposited and radiation provides a scaling for the summit temperature.