TRACE Observation of Damped Coronal Loop Oscillations: Implications for Coronal Heating

• DOI: 10.1126/science.285.5429.862
• Publication Date: 2002-07-27T09:49:42Z
• Authors: V. M. Nakariakov; L. Ofman; E. E. DeLuca; B. Roberts; J. M. Davila
• Keywords: Coronal loop; Oscillation (cell signaling); Corona (planetary geology); Nanoflares; Solar flare; Line (geometry); Flare

The imaging telescope on board the Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE) spacecraft observed decaying transversal oscillations of a long [(130 +/- 6) x 10(6) meters], thin [diameter (2.0 0.36) bright coronal loop in 171 angstrom Fe(IX) emission line. were excited by solar flare adjacent active region. decay time is 14.5 2.7 minutes for an oscillation with frequency 3.90 0.13 millihertz. dissipation coefficient estimated to be eight nine orders magnitude larger than theoretically predicted classical value. may solve existing difficulties wave heating reconnection theories.