A unified picture of swirl-driven coronal heating: magnetic energy supply and dissipation

TL;DR

This study uses 3D simulations to show that small-scale swirls in the Sun's atmosphere supply about half of the magnetic energy and likely drive coronal heating through reconnection events resembling nanoflares.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive statistical analysis linking photospheric swirls to coronal heating, highlighting their significant energy contribution and role in triggering nanoflare-like events.

Findings

Swirls account for approximately 50% of magnetic energy in the quiet Sun.

Swirl-triggered reconnection events follow a power-law distribution.

Swirls are promising candidates for driving coronal nanoflares.

Abstract

The coronal heating problem is one of the most critical challenges in solar physics. Recent observations have revealed that small-scale swirls are ubiquitous in the photosphere and chromosphere, suggesting that they may play a significant role in transferring magnetic energy into the corona. However, the overall contribution of swirls to the total magnetic energy supply and subsequent coronal heating remains uncertain. To address this, we perform statistical analyses of simulated swirls using a three-dimensional radiative magnetohydrodynamic simulation extending from the convection zone to the corona in the quiet Sun. Our results reveal that swirls account for approximately half of the total magnetic energy. Furthermore, they strongly suggest that swirls can trigger coronal heating events through magnetic reconnection. The occurrence frequency of these events follows a power-law-like distribution, consistent with observations of coronal heating signatures known as "nanoflares", indicating that swirls are promising candidates as their drivers.