The Magnetic Field in the Solar Atmosphere

TL;DR

This paper reviews the magnetic fields in the solar atmosphere, emphasizing their role in solar activity, heating, and solar wind acceleration, with a focus on the corona and magnetic structures in active regions, quiet Sun, and coronal holes.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the magnetic field in the solar atmosphere, highlighting recent insights into its structure and role in solar phenomena.

Findings

Magnetic fields drive solar activity such as flares and coronal mass ejections.

Magnetic structures influence heating of the solar corona and chromosphere.

Magnetic fields are crucial in accelerating the solar wind.

Abstract

This publication provides an overview of magnetic fields in the solar atmosphere with the focus lying on the corona. The solar magnetic field couples the solar interior with the visible surface of the Sun and with its atmosphere. It is also responsible for all solar activity in its numerous manifestations. Thus, dynamic phenomena such as coronal mass ejections and flares are magnetically driven. In addition, the field also plays a crucial role in heating the solar chromosphere and corona as well as in accelerating the solar wind. Our main emphasis is the magnetic field in the upper solar atmosphere so that photospheric and chromospheric magnetic structures are mainly discussed where relevant for higher solar layers. Also, the discussion of the solar atmosphere and activity is limited to those topics of direct relevance to the magnetic field. After giving a brief overview about the solar magnetic field in general and its global structure, we discuss in more detail the magnetic field in active regions, the quiet Sun and coronal holes.