Energy Transfer by Nonlinear Alfven Waves in the Solar Chromosphere, and Its Effect on Spicule Dynamics, Coronal Heating, and Solar Wind Acceleration


Abstract in English

Alfven waves are responsible for the transfer of magnetic energy in the magnetized plasma. They are involved in heating solar atmosphere and driving solar wind through various nonlinear processes. Since the magnetic field configurations directly affect the nonlinearity of Alfven waves, it is important to investigate how they relate to the solar atmosphere and wind structure through the nonlinear propagation of Alfven waves. In this study, we carried out the one-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations to realize the above relation. The results show that when the nonlinearity of Alfven waves in the chromosphere exceeds a critical value, the dynamics of the solar chromosphere (e.g., spicule) and the mass loss rate of solar wind tend to be independent of the energy input from the photosphere. In a situation where the Alfven waves are highly nonlinear, the strong shear torsional flow generated in the chromosphere ``fractures the magnetic flux tube. This corresponds to the formation of chromospheric intermediate shocks, which limit the transmission of the Poynting flux into the corona by Alfven waves and also inhibits the propagation of chromospheric slow shock.

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