In recent years, the decay-less regime of standing transverse oscillations in coronal loops has been the topic of many observational and numerical studies, focusing on their physical characteristics, as well as their importance for coronal seismology and wave heating. However, no definitive answer has yet been given on the driving mechanism behind these oscillations, with most studies focusing on the use of periodic footpoint drivers as a means to excite them. In this paper, our goal is to explore the concept of these standing waves being self-sustained oscillations, driven by a constant background flow. To that end, we use the PLUTO code, to perform $3$D magnetohydrodynamic simulations of a gravitationally stratified straight flux tube in a coronal environment, in the presence of a weak flow around the loop, perpendicular to its axis. Once this flow is firmly set up, a transverse oscillation is initiated, dominated by the fundamental kink mode of a standing wave, while the existence of a second harmonic is revealed, with a frequency ratio to the fundamental mode near the observed ones in decay-less oscillations. The presence of vortex shedding is also established in our simulations, which is connected to the "slippery" interaction between the oscillator and its surrounding plasma. We thus present a proof-of-concept of a self-oscillation in a coronal loop, and we propose it as a mechanism that could interpret the observed decay-less transverse oscillations of coronal loops.
We analyse transverse oscillations of a coronal loop excited by continuous monoperiodic motions of the loop footpoint at different frequencies in the presence of gravity. Using the MPI-AMRVAC code, we perform three-dimensional numerical magnetohydrodynamic simulations, considering the loop as a magnetic flux tube filled in with denser, hotter, and gravitationally stratified plasma. We show the resonant response of the loop to its external excitation and analyse the development of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability at different heights. We also study the spatial distribution of plasma heating due…
The mechanism behind coronal heating still elude direct observation and modelling of viable theoretical processes and the subsequent effect on coronal structures is one of the key tools available to assess possible heating mechanisms. Wave-heating via phase-mixing of Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) transverse waves has been proposed as a possible way to convert magnetic energy into thermal energy but increasingly, MHD models suggest this is not a sufficiently efficient mechanism. We model heating by phase-mixing of transverse MHD waves in various configurations, to investigate whether certain circu…
Recent numerical studies revealed that transverse motions of coronal loops can induce the Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability (KHI). This process could be important in coronal heating because it leads to dissipation of energy at small spatial-scale plasma interactions. Meanwhile, small amplitude decayless oscillations in coronal loops have been discovered recently in observations of SDO/AIA. We model such oscillations in coronal loops and study wave heating effects, considering a kink and Alfv{é}n driver separately and a mixed driver at the bottom of flux tubes. Both the transverse and Alfv{é}n oscil…
Whilst there are observational indications that transverse MHD waves carry enough energy to maintain the thermal structure of the solar corona, it is not clear whether such energy can be efficiently and effectively converted into heating. Phase-mixing of Alfvén waves is considered a candidate mechanism, as it can develop transverse gradient where magnetic energy can be converted into thermal energy. However, phase-mixing is a process that crucially depends on the amplitude and period of the transverse oscillations, and only recently have we obtained a complete measurement of the power spectrum…
We use images of high spatial and temporal resolution, obtained with the Rapid Oscillations in the Solar Atmosphere instrument at the Dunn Solar Telescope, to reveal how the generation of transverse waves in Type I spicules is a direct result of longitudinal oscillations occurring in the photosphere. Here we show how pressure oscillations, with periodicities in the range 130 - 440 s, manifest in small-scale photospheric magnetic bright points, and generate kink waves in the Sun's outer atmosphere with transverse velocities approaching the local sound speed. Through comparison of our observatio…
Observations and 3D MHD simulations of the transverse MHD waves in the solar corona have established that true wave energies hide in the nonthermal line widths of the optically thin emission lines. This displays the need for a relation between the nonthermal line widths and transverse wave amplitudes for estimating the true wave energies. In the past decade, several studies have assumed that the root mean square (rms) wave amplitudes are larger than nonthermal line widths by a factor of $\sqrt{2}$. However, a few studies have ignored this factor while estimating rms wave amplitudes. Thus there…
The excitation of Alfvenic waves in the solar spicules due to the localized Alfvenic pulse is investigated. A set of incompressible MHD equations in two dimensional $x-z$ plane with steady flows and sheared magnetic fields is solved. Stratification due to gravity and transition region between chromosphere and corona are taken into account. An initially localized Alfvenic pulse launched below the transition region can penetrate from transition region into the corona. We show that the period of transversal oscillations is in agreement with those observed in spicules. Moreover, it is found that t…
We simulate transverse oscillations in radiatively cooling coronal loops and forward-model their spectroscopic and imaging signatures, paying attention to the influence of background emission. The transverse oscillations are driven at one footpoint by a periodic velocity driver. A standing kink wave is subsequently formed and the loop cross-section is deformed due to the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, resulting in energy dissipation and heating at small scales. Besides the transverse motions, a long-period longitudinal flow is also generated due to the ponderomotive force induced slow wave. We …
Solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are the most powerful explosions in the Sun. They are major sources of potentially destructive space weather conditions. However, the possible causes of their initiation remain controversial. By using high resolution data observed by NST of BBSO, supplemented by Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) observations, we present unusual observations of a small-scale emerging flux rope near a large sunspot, whose eruption produced an M-class flare and a coronal mass ejection. The presence of the small-scale flux rope was indicated by static nonlinear force f…
The recent discovery of nanojets by Antolin et al. (2021) represents magnetic reconnection in a braided field, thus clearly identifying the reconnection-driven nanoflares. Due to their small scale (500 km in widths, 1500 km in lengths) and short timescales ($<$ 15 s), it is unclear how pervasive nanojets are in the solar corona. In this paper, we present IRIS and SDO observations of nanojets found in multiple coronal structures, namely in a coronal loop powered by a blowout jet, and in two other coronal loops with coronal rain. In agreement with previous findings, we observe that nanojets are …
We report our multiwavelength observations of two homologous circular-ribbon flares (CRFs) in active region 11991 on 2014 March 5, focusing on the transverse oscillations of an extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) loop excited by the flares. The transverse oscillations are of fast standing kink-mode. The first-stage oscillation triggered by the C2.8 flare is decayless with lower amplitudes (310$-$510 km). The periods (115$-$118 s) in different wavelengths are nearly the same, indicating coherent oscillations. The magnetic field of the loop is estimated to be 65$-$78 G. The second-stage oscillation trigge…
The effects of finite amplitudes on the transverse oscillations of a quiescent prominence represented by a magnetic rope are investigated in terms of the model proposed by Kolotkov et al. 2016. We consider a weakly nonlinear case governed by a quadratic nonlinearity, and also analyse the fully nonlinear equations of motion. We treat the prominence as a massive line current located above the photosphere and interacting with the magnetised dipped environment via the Lorentz force. In this concept the magnetic dip is produced by two external current sources located at the photosphere. Finite ampl…
We analyze the time series of CaII H-line obtained from Hinode/SOT on the solar limb. The time-distance analysis shows that the axis of spicule undergos quasi-periodic transverse displacement at different heights from the photosphere. The mean period of transverse displacement is ~180 s and the mean amplitude is 1 arcsec. Then, we solve the dispersion relation of magnetic tube waves and plot the dispersion curves with upward steady flows. The theoretical analysis shows that the observed oscillation may correspond to the fundamental harmonic of standing kink waves.
Recent observations with the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) instrument on the SDO spacecraft have revealed the existence of decayless coronal kink oscillations. These transverse oscillations are not connected to any external phenomena like flares or coronal mass ejections, and show significantly lower amplitudes than the externally excited decaying oscillations. Numerical studies have managed to reproduce such decayless oscillations in the form of footpoint driven standing waves in coronal loops, and to treat them as a possible mechanism for wave heating of the solar corona. Our aim is to …
Aims. We investigate the formation of small scales and the dissipation of MHD wave energy through non-linear interactions of counter-propagating, phase-mixed Alfvenic waves in a complex magnetic field. Methods. We conducted fully 3-D, non-ideal MHD simulations of transverse waves in complex magnetic fields. Continuous wave drivers were imposed on the foot points of magnetic field lines and the system was evolved for several Alfven travel times. Phase-mixed waves were allowed to reflect off the upper boundary and the interactions between the resultant counter-streaming wave packets were analyse…
