Bibcode
Soler, R.; Terradas, J.; Luna, M.; Oliver, R.; Ballester, J. L.; Wright, A. N.
Bibliographical reference
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 820, Issue 2, article id. 125, 14 pp. (2016).
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4
2016
Journal
Citations
33
Refereed citations
32
Description
The temporal evolution of a solar prominence inserted in a
three-dimensional magnetic flux rope is investigated numerically. Using
the model of Titov & Démoulin under the regime of weak twist,
the cold and dense prominence counteracts gravity by modifying the
initially force-free magnetic configuration. In some cases a
quasi-stationary situation is achieved after the relaxation phase,
characterized by the excitation of standing vertical oscillations. These
oscillations show a strong attenuation with time produced by the
mechanism of continuum damping due to the inhomogeneous transition
between the prominence and solar corona. The characteristic period of
the vertical oscillations does not depend strongly on the twist of the
flux rope. Nonlinearity is responsible for triggering the
Kelvin-Helmholtz instability associated with the vertical
oscillations and that eventually produces horizontal structures.
Contrary to other configurations in which the longitudinal axis of the
prominence is permeated by a perpendicular magnetic field, like in
unsheared arcades, the orientation of the prominence along the flux rope
axis prevents the development of Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities and
therefore the appearance of vertical structuring along this axis.