Coronal Rain Driven by Low-Frequency Impulsive Heating: Dependence of Dynamics and Morphology on Coronal Heating and Magnetic Field
We performed numerical simulations to investigate how coronal heating and magnetic field strength regulate the dynamics and morphology of coronal rain in the solar corona. Coronal rain is widely interpreted as a manifestation of thermal non-equilibrium and thermal instability. Many previous studies have investigated condensation under (quasi-)steady heating scenarios, but such heating models do not fully explain the observed properties, including multiple clumps and symmetric drainage toward both loop footpoints. Condensation driven by low-frequency impulsive heating has been much less explored and may produce distinct coronal rain morphology and drainage dynamics. The role of the coronal magnetic field also remains poorly understood. We conducted 1.5-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations along a single strand with self-consistent coronal heating, upon which a single impulsive heating event was imposed. Two key parameters were systematically explored: the duration of localized heating and the strength of the coronal background magnetic field. We find that condensation can be triggered even by a single impulsive heating event, provided that the injected energy is about an order of magnitude larger than that in the steady heating case. Condensation becomes more likely for longer heating durations and weaker magnetic fields. The dynamics of coronal rain depend strongly on the heating duration. When the heating duration is shorter than the radiative cooling timescale, condensations drain toward both loop footpoints. We also find that weaker magnetic fields enhance the nonlinearity of Alfvén waves, promoting fragmented condensations. These results demonstrate that the heating duration and coronal magnetic field strength play key roles in regulating coronal rain formation and dynamics.