Bibcode
Cally, P. S.; Khomenko, E.
Bibliographical reference
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 856, Issue 1, article id. 20, 11 pp. (2018).
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3
2018
Journal
Citations
18
Refereed citations
17
Description
It is known that fast magnetohydrodynamic waves partially convert to
upward and/or downward propagating Alfvén waves in a stratified
atmosphere where Alfvén speed increases with height. This happens
around the fast wave reflection height, where the fast wave’s
horizontal phase speed equals the Alfvén speed (in a low-β
plasma). Typically, this takes place in the mid to upper solar
chromosphere for low-frequency waves in the few-millihertz band.
However, this region is weakly ionized and thus susceptible to nonideal
MHD processes. In this article, we explore how ambipolar diffusion in a
zero-β plasma affects fast waves injected from below. Classical
ambipolar diffusion is far too weak to have any significant influence at
these low frequencies, but if enhanced by turbulence (in the quiet-Sun
chromosphere but not in sunspot umbrae) or the production of
sufficiently small-scale structure, can substantially absorb waves for
turbulent ambipolar Reynolds numbers of around 20 or less. In that case,
it is found that the mode conversion process is not qualitatively
altered from the ideal case, though conversion to Alfvén waves is
reduced because the fast wave flux reaching the conversion region is
degraded. It is also found that any upward propagating Alfvén
waves generated in this process are almost immune to further ambipolar
attenuation, thereby reducing local ambipolar heating compared to cases
without mode conversion. In that sense, mode conversion provides a form
of “Alfvén cooling.”
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