From Solar and Stellar Flares to Coronal Heating: Theory and Observations of How Magnetic Reconnection Regulates Coronal Conditions

TL;DR

This paper proposes a model explaining how magnetic reconnection dynamics regulate coronal temperature and density, supported by observations of stellar flares, and suggests the corona operates near a critical state influencing its conditions.

Contribution

The paper introduces a new model linking magnetic reconnection bifurcation to coronal conditions and provides observational evidence from stellar flares supporting the model.

Findings

Coronal temperature is bounded by a critical reconnection state.

Stellar coronae are observed near this critical state.

Magnetic reconnection dynamics influence coronal heating.

Abstract

There is currently no explanation of why the corona has the temperature and density it has. We present a model which explains how the dynamics of magnetic reconnection regulates the conditions in the corona. A bifurcation in magnetic reconnection at a critical state enforces an upper bound on the coronal temperature for a given density. We present observational evidence from 107 flares in 37 sun-like stars that stellar coronae are near this critical state. The model may be important to self-organized criticality models of the solar corona.