EDP Sciences Journals List
Advanced Search
Subscriber Authentication Point
Home All issues Volume 373/3 Article
Free access article

Issue A&A
Volume 373, Number 3, July III 2001
Page(s) 1089 - 1098
Section The Sun
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20010678



A&A 373, 1089-1098 (2001)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20010678

Numerical simulations of kink instability in line-tied coronal Loops

C. L. Gerrard1, T. D. Arber2, A. W. Hood1 and R. A. M. Van der Linden3

1  School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9SS, Scotland
2  Space and Astrophysics Group,Physics Department, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK
3  Koninklijke Sterrenwacht van Belgie, Ringlaan 3, 1180 Ukkel, Belgium

(Received 13 December 2000 / Accepted 9 May 2001)

Abstract
The results from numerical simulations carried out using a new shock-capturing, Lagrangian-remap, 3D MHD code, Lare3d are presented. We study the evolution of the m=1 kink mode instability in a photospherically line-tied coronal loop that has no net axial current. During the non-linear evolution of the kink instability, large current concentrations develop in the neighbourhood of the infinite length mode rational surface. We investigate whether this strong current saturates at a finite value or whether scaling indicates current sheet formation. In particular, we consider the effect of the shear, defined by $r \phi' / \phi$ where $\phi = L B_{\theta} / r B_{z}$ is the fieldline twist of the loop, on the current concentration. We also include a non-uniform resistivity in the simulations and observe the amount of free magnetic energy released by magnetic reconnection.


Key words: MHD -- Sun

Offprint request: C. L. Gerrard, cath@mcs.st-and.ac.uk




© ESO 2001


What is OpenURL?

The OpenURL standard is a protocol for transmission of metadata describing the resource that you wish to access. An OpenURL link contains article metadata and directs it to the OpenURL server of your choice. The OpenURL server can provide access to the resource and also offer complementary services (specific search engine, export of references...). The OpenURL link can be generated by different means.
  • If your librarian has set up your subscription with an OpenURL resolver, OpenURL links appear automatically on the abstract pages.
  • You can define your own OpenURL resolver with your EDPS Account. In this case your choice will be given priority over that of your library.
  • You can use an add-on for your browser (Firefox or I.E.) to display OpenURL links on a page (see http://www.openly.com/openurlref/). You should disable this module if you wish to use the OpenURL server that you or your library have defined.