Speaker
Description
First Name: Bhinva
Last Name: Ram
Affiliation: Max Planck institute for Solar System Research
All Authors: Bhinva Ram, Lakshmi Pradeep Chitta, Hardi Peter, Ferdinand Plaschke
Abstract: Understanding how the corona is heated remains a central challenge in solar physics. We investigate the role of impulsive heating processes (nanoflares) in powering the multi-million Kelvin plasma loops in active regions (AR) by combining observations from the Solar Orbiter spacecraft and the Solar Dynamics Observatory. Our analysis reveals two distinct types of thermal behaviour in AR loops. While some loops exhibit a sequential cooling of plasma, others show nearly simultaneous intensity variations across multiple channels. Both types evolve on characteristic time-scales of roughly thirty minutes, far shorter than the multi-hour delays as previously been inferred from the time-lag technique. In addition, we identify loops that brighten in multiple channels, with their cross-sections expanding over time. During this expansion, Solar Orbiter observations show new strands forming near the center of the loop cross-section and their subsequent outward displacement. This is consistent with expectations from magnetic fieldline braiding and provides direct observational evidence for small-scale magnetic restructuring within AR loops following an impulsive heating event.