Acceleration of Plasma Flows in the Solar Atmosphere Due to Magnetofluid Coupling - Simulation and Analysis

Abstract

Within the framework of a two-fluid description possible pathways for the generation of fast flows (dynamical as well as steady) in the lower solar atmosphere is established. It is shown that a primary plasma flow (locally sub-Alfvénic) is accelerated when interacting with emerging/ambient arcade--like closed field structures. The acceleration implies a conversion of thermal and field energies to kinetic energy of the flow. The time-scale for creating reasonably fast flows ($\gtrsim 100$ km/s) is dictated by the initial ion skin depth while the amplification of the flow depends on local $β$. It is shown, for the first time, that distances over which the flows become "fast" are $\sim 0.01 R_s$ from the interaction surface; later the fast flow localizes (with dimensions $\lesssim 0.05 R_S$) in the upper central region of the original arcade. For fixed initial temperature the final speed ($\gtrsim 500 km/s$) of the accelerated flow, and the modification of the field structure are independent of the time-duration (life-time) of the initial flow. In the presence of dissipation, these flows are likely to play a fundamental role in the heating of the finely structured Solar atmosphere.