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Current state-of-the-art spectrographs cannot resolve the fundamental spatial (subarcseconds) and temporal (less than a few tens of seconds) scales of the coronal dynamics of solar flares and eruptive phenomena. The highest-resolution coronal data to date are based on imaging, which is blind to many of the processes that drive coronal energetics and dynamics. As shown by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph for the low solar atmosphere, we need high-resolution spectroscopic measurements with simultaneous imaging to understand the dominant processes. In this paper: (1) we introduce the Multi-slit Solar Explorer (MUSE), a spaceborne observatory to fill this observational gap by providing high-cadence (<20 s), subarcsecond-resolution spectroscopic rasters over an active region size of the solar transition region and corona; (2) using advanced numerical models, we demonstrate the unique diagnostic capabilities of MUSE for exploring solar coronal dynamics and for constraining and discriminating models of solar flares and eruptions; (3) we discuss the key contributions MUSE would make in addressing the science objectives of the Next Generation Solar Physics Mission (NGSPM), and how MUSE, the high-throughput Extreme Ultraviolet Solar Telescope, and the Daniel K Inouye Solar Telescope (and other ground-based observatories) can operate as a distributed implementation of the NGSPM. This is a companion paper to De Pontieu et al., which focuses on investigating coronal heating with MUSE.

Decayless kink oscillations of solar coronal loops (or decayless oscillations for short) have attracted great attention since their discovery. Coronal bright points (CBPs) are mini-active regions and consist of loops with a small size. However, decayless oscillations in CBPs have not been widely reported. In this study, we identified this kind of oscillations in some CBPs using 171 Å images taken by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory. After using the motion magnification algorithm to increase oscillation amplitudes, we made time–distance maps to identify the oscillatory signals. We also estimated the loop lengths and velocity amplitudes. We analyzed 23 CBPs and found 31 oscillation events in 16 of them. The oscillation periods range from 1 to 8 minutes (on average about 5 minutes), and the displacement amplitudes have an average value of 0.07 Mm. The average loop length and velocity amplitude are 23 Mm and 1.57 km s−1, respectively. Relationships between different oscillation parameters are also examined. Additionally, we performed a simple model to illustrate how these subpixel oscillation amplitudes (less than 0.4 Mm) could be detected. Results of the model confirm the reliability of our data processing methods. Our study shows for the first time that decayless oscillations are common in small-scale loops of CBPs. These oscillations allow for seismological diagnostics of the Alfvén speed and magnetic field strength in the corona.

The unprecedented remote-sensing observations obtained by the Wide Field Imager for Solar Probe (WISPR) on board the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) from distances inside Mercury’s orbit are revolutionizing our perception of the fine-scale morphology and evolution of the solar corona. For the first time, the inherent limitations of 1 au observations arising from the superposition of optically thin features along the long lines of sight are being overcome by observing from “within.” The richness of information makes the interpretation of the coronal scene highly subject to the processing performed on the images to remove the background, i.e., the bright, constant emission from interplanetary dust (F-corona). Several customized techniques to reveal the faint, solar-outflowing plasma and the large-scale K-corona structures have already been developed for WISPR. They differ on how the background is estimated. None, however, excels at revealing the faint and diffuse K-corona brightness component that permeates the scene. In this paper, we introduce a new, heuristic approach to model the evolution of the F-corona background as a function of the observer’s location. The methodology exploits WISPR data sets from PSP encounters that share the same orbital parameters. The resulting background-removed data products unveil the morphology and dynamics of the large-scale K-corona with superb clarity and demonstrate that the scientific interpretation of the coronal scene in WISPR images relies on the complementary vision provided by the existing methodologies.

High-frequency wave phenomena present a great deal of interest as one of the possible candidates to contribute to the energy input required to heat the corona as a part of the alternating current heating theory. However, the resolution of imaging instruments up until the Solar Orbiter has made it impossible to resolve the necessary time and spatial scales. The present paper reports on high-frequency transverse motions in a small loop located in a quiet-Sun region of the corona. The oscillations were observed with the High Resolution Imager in the Extreme Ultraviolet telescope (17.4 nm) of the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager instrument on board the Solar Orbiter. We detect two transverse oscillations in short loops with lengths of 4.5 and 11 Mm. The shorter loop displays an oscillation with a 14 s period and the longer a 30 s period. Despite the high resolution, no definitive identification as propagating or standing waves is possible. The velocity amplitudes are found to be equal to 72 and 125 km s−1, respectively, for the shorter and longer loops. Based on that, we also estimated the values of the energy flux contained in the loops—the energy flux of the 14 s oscillation is 1.9 kW m−2 and that of the 30 s oscillation is 6.5 kW m−2. While these oscillations have been observed in the quiet Sun, their energy fluxes are of the same order as the energy input required to heat the active solar corona. Numerical simulations were performed in order to reproduce the observed oscillations. The correspondence of the numerical results to the observations provides support to the estimates of energy content for the observations. Such high energy densities have not yet been observed in decayless coronal waves, and this is promising for coronal heating models based on wave damping.

Alfvénic wave turbulence is a leading mechanism for explaining the heating of the solar corona and the acceleration of the solar wind. Alfvénic waves are observed to be prevalent throughout the inner corona. An intriguing aspect of the observed waves is that active-region loops show decayless standing Alfvénic oscillations, while quiet-Sun loops show only propagating Alfvénic waves. Given the weaker rates of resonant damping found in the quiet Sun (compared to those estimated from decaying oscillations of active-region loops), the reason for the lack of observed standing oscillations is unclear. We suggest that this may be due to the presence of efficient (or strong) Alfvénic wave turbulence in the quiet Sun, which limits the ability of waves to form resonant oscillations in the coronal cavity. To test this idea, we model the coronal velocity fluctuations using a previously developed 3D reduced magnetohydrodynamic model. In this model, we implement a semi-realistic profile for atmospheric plasma conditions along the magnetic field and a homogeneous plasma perpendicular to the magnetic field. Results are presented for different models of the background atmosphere that effectively have different levels of coronal turbulence. For the Alfvénic waves in the simulation, we see that resonant modes are present when the coronal turbulence is in a weak regime. However, decreasing the nonlinear timescale leads to a faster development of turbulence. This can suppress the presence of standing modes when the nonlinear timescale is comparable to or shorter than the Alfvén travel time.

The solar corona produces coronal rain, hundreds of times colder and denser material than the surroundings. Coronal rain is known to be deeply linked to coronal heating, but its origin, dynamics, and morphology are still not well understood. The leading theory for its origin is thermal instability (TI) occurring in coronal loops in a state of thermal nonequilibrium (TNE), the TNE-TI scenario. Under steady heating conditions, TNE-TI repeats in cycles, leading to long-period EUV intensity pulsations and periodic coronal rain. In this study, we investigate coronal rain on the large spatial scales of an active region (AR) and over the long temporal scales of EUV intensity pulsations to elucidate its distribution at such scales. We conduct a statistical study of coronal rain observed over an AR off limb with Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph and Solar Dynamics Observatory imaging data, spanning chromospheric to transition region (TR) temperatures. The rain is widespread across the AR, irrespective of the loop inclination, and with minimal variation over the 5.45 hr duration of the observation. Most rain has a downward (87.5%) trajectory; however, upward motions (12.5%) are also ubiquitous. The rain dynamics are similar over the observed temperature range, suggesting that the TR emission and chromospheric emission are colocated on average. The average clump widths and lengths are similar in the SJI channels and wider in the AIA 304 Å channel. We find ubiquitous long-period EUV intensity pulsations in the AR. Short-term periodicity is found (16 minutes) linked to the rain appearance, which constitutes a challenge to explain under the TNE-TI scenario.

Determining the relationship between nanoflare energies and their delays is the key for understanding the physical mechanism of the events and the plasma response. Nanoflares analyzed in this study were generated self-consistently via prescribed photospheric motions in a 3D multistrand simulation of a subset of active region magnetic flux. Energies and durations were quantified using three distinct methods. In this study, we investigated the correlation between nanoflare energies (E) and delays (τD) using two nonparametric, rank-based statistical tests. Across all methods, results consistently show little to no correlation. This is further supported by the distribution of the exponent α in the assumed relation E∝τDα , which peaks near zero, and by broad delay distributions within fixed energy bins. These findings are irrespective of whether delays are correlated with the energy of the preceding or subsequent event. They also hold for a subset of high-energy nanoflares. The absence of correlation suggests that nanoflare onset is not solely determined by a critical value of magnetic stress and may involve triggering by other events, perhaps related to a locally complex topology.

Coronal pseudostreamer flux systems have a specific magnetic configuration that influences the morphology and evolution of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from these regions. Here we continue the analysis of the Wyper et al. magnetohydrodynamic simulation of a CME eruption from an idealized pseudostreamer configuration through the construction of synthetic remote-sensing and in situ observational signatures. We examine the pre-eruption and eruption signatures in extreme ultraviolet and white light from the low corona through the extended solar atmosphere. We calculate synthetic observations corresponding to several Parker Solar Probe–like trajectories at ∼10R⊙ to highlight the fine-scale structure of the CME eruption in synthetic WISPR imagery and the differences between the in situ plasma and field signatures of flank and central CME-encounter trajectories. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of several aspects of our simulation results in the context of interpretation and analysis of current and future Parker Solar Probe data.

The Miniature X-ray Solar Spectrometer (MinXSS-1) CubeSat observed solar X-rays between 0.5 and 10 keV. A two-temperature, two-emission-measure model is fit to each daily averaged spectrum. These daily average temperatures and emission measures are plotted against the corresponding daily solar 10.7 cm radio flux (F10.7) value and a linear correlation is found between each that we call the Schwab Woods Mason (SWM) model. The linear trends show that one can estimate the solar spectrum between 0.5 and 10 keV based on the F10.7 measurement alone. The cooler temperature component of this model represents the quiescent Sun contribution to the spectra and is essentially independent of solar activity, meaning the daily average quiescent Sun is accurately described by a single temperature (1.70 MK) regardless of solar intensity and only the emission measure corresponding to this temperature needs to be adjusted for higher or lower solar intensity. The warmer temperature component is shown to represent active region contributions to the spectra and varies between 5 and 6 MK. The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) XRS-B data between 1 and 8 Å is used to validate this model and it is found that the ratio between the SWM model irradiance and the GOES XRS-B irradiance is close to unity on average. MinXSS-1 spectra during quiescent solar conditions have very low counts beyond around 3 keV. The SWM model can generate MinXSS-1 or Dual Aperture X-ray Solar Spectrometer spectra at very high spectral resolution and with extended energy ranges to fill in gaps between measurements and extend predictions back to 1947.

Fast-mode magnetohydrodynamic waves in the solar corona are often known to be produced by solar flares and eruptive prominences. Here, we simulate the effect of the interaction of an external perturbation on a magnetic null in the solar corona, which results in the formation of a current sheet (CS). Once the CS undergoes a sufficient extension in its length and squeezing of its width, it may become unstable to the formation of multiple impulsive plasmoids. Eventually, the plasmoids merge with one another to form larger plasmoids and/or are expelled from the sheet. The formation, motion, and coalescence of plasmoids with each other and with magnetic Y-points at the outer periphery of the extended CS are found to generate wavelike perturbations. An analysis of the resultant quasiperiodic variations of pressure, density, velocity, and magnetic field at certain locations in the model corona indicates that these waves are predominantly fast-mode magnetoacoustic waves. For typical coronal parameters, the resultant propagating waves carry an energy flux of 105 erg cm−2 s−1 to a large distance of at least 60 Mm away from the CS. In general, we suggest that both waves and reconnection play a role in heating the solar atmosphere and driving the solar wind and may interact with one another in a manner that we refer to as a “symbiosis of waves and reconnection.”