A numerical hydrodynamic model of a heated coronal loop

Abstract

The fluid equations describing a fully ionized single temperature (i.e., electron and proton temperatures assumed identical) hydrogen plasma in a coronal loop subject to a transient heating pulse (2 × 10⁹ ergs cm⁻² s⁻¹) centred about the loop apex have been solved numerically. An adaptive regriding scheme was used to ensure adequate spatial resolution throughout the transition region, and due regard paid to the numerical time constants. Because of the fine gridding made possible by this scheme these results represent the first reliable simulation of the impact of a downward propagating conduction front on the transition region, and the early stages of the development of the downward moving compression and upward ablation. Intensities in the O v (1371 Å) transition region line were calculated from the model results. Finally estimates have been made of the importance of the downward-streaming collisionless high-energy tail of the distribution in the transition region resulting from the very steep temperature gradients. It is shown that the mass and energy densities are not substantially altered by the non-Maxwellian tail except in so far as they are coupled to higher moments of the distribution function such as the heat flux through the fluid equations.