TRACE-derived temperature and emission measure profiles along long-lived coronal loops: the role of filamentation

Abstract

In a recent letter (ApJ 517, L155) Lenz et al. have shown the evidence of uniform temperature along steady long coronal loops observed by TRACE in two different passbands (171 A and 195 A filters). We propose that such an evidence can be explained by the sub-arcsecond structuring of the loops across the magnetic field lines. In this perspective, we present a model of a bundle of six thin parallel hydrostatic filaments with temperature stratification dictated by detailed energy balance and with temperatures at their apex ranging between 0.8 and 5 MK. If analyzed as a single loop, the bundle would appear isothermal along most of its length.