Stability and mode analysis of solar coronal loops using thermodynamic irreversible energy principles II. Modes in twisted non--isothermal magnetic field configurations

TL;DR

This paper investigates the stability and mode structures of non-isothermal, twisted magnetic field coronal loops using an energy principle framework, revealing how parameters like helicity and magnetic energy influence stability and damping mechanisms.

Contribution

It introduces a thermodynamic energy principle approach to analyze coupled energy and motion equations in twisted coronal loops without simplifying assumptions.

Findings

Instability onset linked to critical helicity values.

Magnetic energy content significantly affects system stability.

Resonant absorption influences damping and energy release.

Abstract

We study the stability and the modes of non -- isothermal coronal loop models with different intensity values of the equilibrium twisted magnetic field.We use an energy principle obtained via non -- equilibrium thermodynamic arguments. The principle is expressed in terms of Hermitian operators and allows to consider together the coupled system of equations: the balance of energy equation and the equation of motion, to obtain modes and eigenmodes in a spectrum ranging from short to long--wavelength disturbances without having to use weak varying approximations of the equilibrium parameters. Long--wavelength perturbations introduce additional difficulties because the inhomogeneous nature of the medium determines disturbances leading to continuous intervals of eigenfrequencies which cannot be considered as purely sinusoidal.We analyze the modification of periods, modes structure and stability when the helicity, the magnetic field strength and the radius of the fluxtube are varied. The efficiency of the damping due to the resonant absorption mechanism is analyzed in a context of modes that can either impulsively release or storage magnetic energy.We find that the onset of the instability is associated to a critical value of the helicity and that the magnetic energy content has a determinant role on the instability of the system with respect to the stabilizing effect of the resonant absorption mechanism.