Physics Department Seminar University of Alaska Fairbanks


J O U R N A L    C L U B

 
Energy Distribution of Nanoflares in Three-Dimensional Simulations of Coronal Heating
 
by
 
Chung-Sang Ng
Physics Dept/GI UAF

 

 

ABSTRACT

In a recent computational campaign [Ng et al., ApJ 747 109, 2012] to investigate a three-dimensional model of coronal heating using reduced magnetohydrodynamics (RMHD), we have obtained scaling results of heating rate verse Lundquist number based on a series of runs in which random photospheric motions are imposed for Hundreds to Thousands of Alfvén time in order to obtain converged statistical values. Using this collection of numerical data, we have performed additional statistical analysis related to the formation of current sheets and heating events, or nanoflares [Parker ApJ 330 474, 1988]. While there have been many observations of the energy distribution of solar flares, there have not been many results based on large-scale three-dimensional direct simulations due to obvious numerical difficulties. We will present energy distributions and other statistics based on our simulations, calculated using a method employed in [Dmitruk & Gómez, ApJ 484 L83, 1997]. We will also make comparisons of our results with observations.



 

Friday, 9 March 2012

Globe Room, Elvey Building

3:45 PM