Stability and mode analysis of solar coronal loops using thermodynamic irreversible energy principles II. Modes in twisted non--isothermal magnetic field configurations

COSTA, A., GONZÁLEZ, R.

ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS

EDP Science

Año: 2008 vol. 489 p. 755 - 765

0004-6361

Aims. We study the stability and the modes of non – isothermal coronal loop models with different intensity values of the equilibriumtwisted magnetic field.Methods. We use an energy principle obtained via non – equilibrium thermodynamic arguments. The principle is expressed in terms ofHermitian operators and allows to consider together the coupled system of equations: the balance of energy equation and the equationof motion, to obtain modes and eigenmodes in a spectrum ranging from short to long–wavelength disturbances without having to useweak varying approximations of the equilibrium parameters. Long–wavelength perturbations introduce additional difficulties becausethe inhomogeneous nature of the medium determines disturbances leading to continuous intervals of eigenfrequencies which cannotbe considered as purely sinusoidal.Results. We analyze the modification of periods, modes structure and stability when the helicity, the magnetic field strength and theradius of the fluxtube are varied. The efficiency of the damping due to the resonant absorption mechanism is analyzed in a context ofmodes that can either impulsively release or storage magnetic energy.Conclusions. We find that the onset of the instability is associated to a critical value of the helicity and that the magnetic energy contenthas a determinant role on the instability of the system with respect to the stabilizing effect of the resonant absorption mechanism.