The universally growing mode in the solar atmosphere: coronal heating by drift waves

The heating of the plasma in the solar atmosphere is discussed within both frameworks of fluid and kinetic drift wave theory. We show that the basic ingredient necessary for the heating is the presence of density gradients in the direction perpendicular to the magnetic field vector. Such density gradients are a source of free energy for the excitation of drift waves. We use only well-established basic theory, verified experimentally in laboratory plasmas. Two mechanisms of the energy exchange and heating are shown to take place simultaneously: one due to the Landau effect in the direction parallel to the magnetic field, and another one, stochastic heating, in the perpendicular direction. The stochastic heating (i) is due to the electrostatic nature of the waves, (ii) is more effective on ions than on electrons, (iii) acts predominantly in the perpendicular direction, (iv) heats heavy ions more efficiently than lighter ions and (v) may easily provide a drift wave-heating rate that is orders of magnitude above the value that is presently believed to be sufficient for the coronal heating, that is ≃6 × 10-5 J m-3 s-1 for active regions and ≃8 × 10 -6 J m-3 s-1 for coronal holes. This heating acts naturally through well-known effects that are, however, beyond the current standard models and theories. © 2009 RAS.To appear in MNRASstatus: publishe