Theory of radio pulsations in coronal loops

• DOI: 10.1007/bf00145445
• Publication Date: 2004-11-04T05:55:14Z
• Authors: M. J. Aschwanden
• Keywords: Modulation (music); Flux tube

‘Pulsations’ include a wide range of phenomena from strictly sinusoidal oscillations up to quasiperiodic fine structures, observed in the radio, microwave and X-ray frequency range. The various versions of pulsation models are reviewed and classified in three groups according to their driver mechanisms: (1) Magnetic flux tube oscillations (the emissivity of trapped particles is modulated by a standing or propagating MHD wave), (2) cyclic self-organizing systems of plasma instabilities (wave-particle, wave-wave interactions), and (3) modulation of acceleration (acceleration/injection of particles into the source). Observational references illustrate the applicability of the models. In conclusion, discrimination criteria of models are discussed, in order to give a key for interpretation of observations.