The hydrodynamic thermal continuum, with applications to stratified atmospheres and 1D coronal loop models

TL;DR

This paper develops a comprehensive analytical and numerical framework to analyze the thermal continuum in stratified atmospheres and coronal loop models, clarifying its role in thermal instability and multithermal phenomena.

Contribution

It introduces a general method to compute the thermal continuum and its impact on eigenmodes, clarifying its significance in solar and astrophysical thermal processes.

Findings

Thermal continuum can be precomputed from heat-loss functions.

Thermal imbalance influences instability growth rates.

Clarifies the role of thermal continuum in multithermal phenomena.

Abstract

Using both analytical and numerical means, we demonstrate that linear stability analysis of a hydrodynamic stratified atmosphere or a 1D coronal loop model in non-adiabatic settings features a thermal continuum corresponding to highly localized eigenfunctions. This thermal continuum can be precomputed, involving the net heat-loss function and its partial derivatives, and is the generalization of the thermal instability introduced by~\citet{Parker1953}. We account for a thermal imbalance, directly affecting thermal instability growthrates. We present completely general equations that govern all eigenmodes, including non-adiabatically affected p- and g-modes of the stratified settings. We intend to clarify how linear thermal instability is relevant for solar loops that show spontaneous in-situ condensations, and eliminate recent confusion on specific isochoric routes to linear instability alongside other thermal instability channels. The thermal continuum, previously identified as a crucial ingredient in magnetohydrodynamic eigenmode spectra for coronal loops and atmospheres, drives multithermal aspects across our universe, such as forming solar coronal rain and prominences, or cold cloud creation in intracluster to interstellar medium environments.