On a mechanism of intensification of field-aligned currents at the solar chromosphere-quiescent prominence boundaries

Citation
P. Nenovski et al., On a mechanism of intensification of field-aligned currents at the solar chromosphere-quiescent prominence boundaries, ASTRON ASTR, 375(3), 2001, pp. 1065-1074
Citations number
48
Categorie Soggetti
Space Sciences
Journal title
ASTRONOMY & ASTROPHYSICS
ISSN journal
14320746 → ACNP
Volume
375
Issue
3
Year of publication
2001
Pages
1065 - 1074
Database
ISI
SICI code
1432-0746(200109)375:3<1065:OAMOIO>2.0.ZU;2-B
Abstract
Field-aligned electric currents (FAC) are assumed to support various promin ence configurations and it is usually supposed that the quiescent prominenc e (QP) destabilisation can be initiated by some plasma instability. In this work we study another possibility of QP destabilisation connected with FAC changes. Such a destabilisation may occur when FAC owing along a loop-shap ed QP structure are intensified by bouncing surface MHD modes, presumably g enerated by motions in the photosphere under, or adjacent to, the QP. The M HD disturbances at the prominence "feet" propagate upwards as Alfven waves and surface modes. We study the possibility that the generated MHD modes, w hich carry FAC, bounce in the loop-shaped QP structure, provided that they undergo multiple reflection at the prominence feet. This is an interesting physical situation leading to intensification of FAC and promising to be an other source of QP destabilisation.