Abstract

The apparent stability of coronal neutral sheets with respect to the resistive tearing mode has been attributed by previous authors to the influence of a weak normal component of the confining magnetic field. To check this hypothesis a normal mode analysis is performed applying rigorously singular perturbation technique. Allowance is made for a value of the normal component which is large measured in the appropriate units deduced from the dynamics of the one-dimensional tearing mode. The structure of the eigenmodes is completely changed: the singular layer decays into a broad band of filaments with antiparallel flow directions and spatial oscillations in the perturbed current density appear. Surprisingly, the growth rate is not changed. If parameters for a typical neutral sheet in the middle corona (0.5 solar radii) are inserted, the result is that no stabilization by a normal component occurs, if the value of the growth time predicted by the one-dimensional theory is far shorter than ten minutes - independent of the values assumed for the width of the neutral sheet or the resistivity.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.