Interaction of Weak Shock Waves with Current Sheets in an Active Region to Produce Nanoflares and Chains of Type I Radio Bursts

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Interaction of weak shock waves with a current sheet is investigated by a two-dimensional numerical magnetohydrodynamic model. In accordance with solar coronal conditions, a ratio of thermal to magnetic pressures of 0.1 and a shock Alfven Mach number slightly above 1 are considered. It is found that even weak shock waves trigger magnetic field reconnection in current sheets. Based on this result, it is suggested that drifting chains of type I radio bursts are radio manifestations of the interactions of weakly super-Alfvenic shock waves with pre-existing current sheets distributed in an active region. This model of type I noise storms is then discussed in connection with the concept of nanoflares (localized reconnections) and the heating of the solar corona.