Determination of Transverse Density Structuring from Propagating MHD Waves in the Solar Atmosphere

TL;DR

This paper introduces a Bayesian inversion method to determine the transverse density structure of the solar corona by analyzing propagating MHD kink waves and their damping characteristics.

Contribution

It presents a novel Bayesian seismology technique that infers plasma density variation across coronal waveguides using wave damping data and theoretical models.

Findings

Successfully constrains density contrast and inhomogeneity length scale.

Provides a new tool for solar atmospheric diagnostics.

Enhances understanding of wave damping in coronal structures.

Abstract

We present a Bayesian seismology inversion technique for propagating magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) transverse waves observed in coronal waveguides. The technique uses theoretical predictions for the spatial damping of propagating kink waves in transversely inhomogeneous coronal waveguides. It combines wave amplitude damping length scales along the waveguide with theoretical results for resonantly damped propagating kink waves to infer the plasma density variation across the oscillating structures. Provided the spatial dependence of the velocity amplitude along the propagation direction is measured and the existence of two different damping regimes is identified, the technique would enable us to fully constrain the transverse density structuring, providing estimates for the density contrast and its transverse inhomogeneity length scale.