Heating of solar chromosphere by electromagnetic wave absorption in a plasma slab model

TL;DR

This study models how electromagnetic wave absorption by electron-neutral collisions in a plasma slab can significantly contribute to heating the solar chromosphere, matching a substantial portion of its radiative losses.

Contribution

It introduces a plasma slab model to quantify electromagnetic wave absorption as a heating mechanism in the solar chromosphere, highlighting an optimal collision cross-section for maximum heating.

Findings

Absorption accounts for 20-45% of chromospheric radiative loss.

Optimal collision cross-section is 5 x 10^-18 m^2.

Maximum heating flux of 1990 W/m^2 achieved.

Abstract

The heating of solar chromospheric inter-network regions by means of the absorption of electromagnetic (EM) waves that originate from the photospheric blackbody radiation is studied in the framework of a plasma slab model. The absorption is provided by the electron-neutral collisions in which electrons oscillate in the EM wave field and electron-neutral collisions damp the EM wave. Given the uncertain nature of the collision cross-section due to the plasma micro-turbulence, it is shown that for plausible physical parameters, the heating flux produced by the absorption of EM waves in the chromosphere is between $20 - 45$ % of the chromospheric radiative loss flux requirement. It is also established that there is an optimal value for the collision cross-section, $5 \times 10^{-18}$ m$^{2}$, that produces the maximal heating flux of 1990 W m$^{-2}$.