Theory of heating of hot magnetized plasma by Alfven waves. Application for solar corona

Abstract

The heating of magnetized plasma by propagation of Alfven waves is calculated as a function of the magnetic field spectral density. The results can be applied to evaluate the heating power of the solar corona at known data from satellites' magnetometers. This heating rate can be incorporated in global models for heating of the solar corona and creation of the solar wind. The final formula for the heating power is illustrated with a model spectral density of the magnetic field obtained by analysis of the Voyager 1 mission results. The influence of high frequency dissipative modes is also taken into account and it is concluded that for evaluation of the total coronal heating it is necessary to know the spectral density of the fluctuating component of the magnetic field up to the frequency of electron-proton collisions.