Evidence for Impulsive Heating of Active Region Coronal Loops

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dc.contributor.advisorBradshaw, Stephen
dc.contributor.committeeMemberAlexander, David
dc.contributor.committeeMemberEcklund, Karl
dc.creatorReep, Jeffrey
dc.date.accessioned2013-07-24T19:46:12Z
dc.date.accessioned2013-07-24T19:46:17Z
dc.date.available2013-07-24T19:46:12Z
dc.date.available2013-07-24T19:46:17Z
dc.date.created2012-12
dc.date.issued2013-07-24
dc.date.submittedDecember 2012
dc.date.updated2013-07-24T19:46:18Z
dc.description.abstractWe present observational and numerical evidence supporting the theory of impulsive heating of the solar corona. We have run numerical simulations solving the hydrodynamic equations for plasma confined to a magnetic flux tube, for the two distinct cases of steady and impulsive heating. We find that steady heating cannot explain the observed amount of low-temperature plasma in active regions on the sun. The results for impulsive heating closely match those of the observations. The ratio of heating time to cooling time predominantly determines the observed temperature distribution of the plasma. We have also identified an observational bias in calculating intensities of spectral lines in previous studies, which causes an under-estimation of low-temperature plasma. We predict Doppler shifts in the observed line emission that are in agreement with observations, and which may serve as a diagnostic of the strength of heating. We conclude that impulsive heating of active region coronal loops is more likely than steady heating.
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.citationReep, Jeffrey. "Evidence for Impulsive Heating of Active Region Coronal Loops." (2013) Master’s Thesis, Rice University. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1911/71685">https://hdl.handle.net/1911/71685</a>.
dc.identifier.slug123456789/ETD-2012-12-220
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/71685
dc.language.isoeng
dc.rightsCopyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.
dc.subjectSolar physics
dc.subjectCoronal physics
dc.subjectSolar atmosphere
dc.subjectCoronal heating
dc.subjectCoronal loops
dc.subjectActive regions
dc.subjectImpulsive heating
dc.subjectEmission measure
dc.subjectDoppler shifts
dc.subjectCorona
dc.subjectRice University
dc.subjectAstrophysics
dc.titleEvidence for Impulsive Heating of Active Region Coronal Loops
dc.typeThesis
dc.type.materialText
thesis.degree.departmentPhysics and Astronomy
thesis.degree.disciplineNatural Sciences
thesis.degree.grantorRice University
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science
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