Three dimensional simulation studies on bright points in the solar corona

Abstract

The interaction phase of the Converging Flux Model (Priest et al., 1994) for the formation of coronal X-ray bright points is investigated self-consistently by means of magnetohydrodynamical simulations. In these simulations the three-dimensional dynamical evolution of two mutually approaching magnetic structures of opposite polarity is studied. During the ideal phase of the approach a current sheet forms in the region above the polarity inversion line and the low-β coronal plasma is compressed and heated locally. Stronger plasma heating on shorter time scales occurs due to magnetic reconnection as soon as a finite anomalous resistivity leads to a violation of the ideal Ohm's law. Both processes together might account for quasi-stationary soft X-ray emissivity of bright points, flaring of tiny filaments within X-ray bright points, and jet-like plasma flows in the vicinity of bright point features.