Viscous Heating and Instabilities in the Partially Ionized Solar Atmosphere

TL;DR

This paper investigates how various forms of viscosity, especially from neutrals, influence wave damping, heating, and instabilities in the partially ionized solar atmosphere, revealing complex plasma behaviors across different magnetic field strengths.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of viscous effects, including gyroviscosity and anisotropic viscosities, on wave stability and heating in the solar chromosphere and transition region, highlighting new instability mechanisms.

Findings

Viscosities can dominate over magnetic diffusivities in certain regions.

Viscous effects can both dampen waves and induce instabilities.

Gyroviscosity and anisotropic viscosities contribute to wave destabilization.

Abstract

In weak magnetic fields ($\lesssim 50 \,\mbox{G}$), parallel and perpendicular viscosities, mainly from neutrals, may exceed magnetic diffusivities (Ohm, Hall, ambipolar) in the middle and upper chromosphere. Ion-driven gyroviscosity may dominate in the upper chromosphere and transition region. In strong fields ($\gtrsim 100\, \mbox{G}$), viscosities primarily exceed diffusivities in the upper chromosphere and transition region. Parallel and perpendicular viscosities, being similar in magnitude, dampen waves and potentially compete with ambipolar diffusion in plasma heating, potentially inhibiting Hall and ambipolar instabilities when equal. The perpendicular viscosity tensor has two components, $\nu_1$ and $\nu_2$, which differ slightly and show weak dependence on ion magnetization. Their differences, combined with shear, may destabilize waves, though magnetic diffusion introduces a cutoff for this instability. In configurations with a magnetic field $\bf{B}$ having vertical ($b_z=B_z/|\bf{B}|$) and azimuthal ($b_y=B_y/|\bf{B}|$) components, and a wavevector $\bf{k}$ with radial ($\kx=k_x/|\bf{k}|$) and vertical ($\kz=k_z/|\bf{k}|$) components, parallel viscosity and Hall diffusion can generate the viscous-Hall instability. Gyroviscosity further destabilizes waves in the upper regions. These findings indicate that the solar atmosphere may experience various viscous instabilities, revealing complex interactions between viscosity, magnetic fields, and plasma dynamics across different atmospheric regions.