Solar Magnetic Carpet II: Coronal Interactions of Small-Scale Magnetic Fields

TL;DR

This study models small-scale magnetic interactions on the solar surface to understand energy buildup and dissipation, revealing that such processes can account for phenomena like nanoflares and contribute to coronal heating.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed simulation of magnetic element interactions with overlying fields, advancing understanding of energy storage and release in the solar magnetic carpet.

Findings

Energy stored ranges from 0.2 to 2.1 x 10^{26} ergs.

Energy dissipation ranges from 1.3 to 6.3 x 10^{26} ergs.

Interactions can explain small-scale solar phenomena and contribute to coronal heating.

Abstract

This paper is the second in a series of studies working towards constructing a realistic, evolving, non-potential coronal model for the solar magnetic carpet. In the present study, the interaction of two magnetic elements is considered. Our objectives are to study magnetic energy build up, storage and dissipation as a result of emergence, cancellation, and flyby of these magnetic elements. In the future these interactions will be the basic building blocks of more complicated simulations involving hundreds of elements. Each interaction is simulated in the presence of an overlying uniform magnetic field, which lies at various orientations with respect to the evolving magnetic elements. For these three small-scale interactions, the free energy stored in the field at the end of the simulation ranges from $0.2-2.1\times 10^{26}$ ergs, while the total energy dissipated ranges from $1.3-6.3\times 10^{26}$ ergs. For all cases, a stronger overlying field results in higher energy storage and dissipation. For the cancellation and emergence simulations, motion perpendicular to the overlying field results in the highest values. For the flyby simulations, motion parallel to the overlying field gives the highest values. In all cases, the free energy built up is sufficient to explain small-scale phenomena such as X-ray bright points or nanoflares. In addition, if scaled for the correct number of magnetic elements for the volume considered, the energy continually dissipated provides a significant fraction of the quiet Sun coronal heating budget.