Alfven wave model of spicules and coronal heating

Magnetohydrodynamic simulations are performed for torsional Alfven waves propagating along an open magnetic flux tube in the solar atmosphere. It is shown that, if the root mean square of the perturbation is greater than similar to 1 km s(-1) in the photosphere, (1) the transition region is lifted up to more than similar to 5000 km (i.e., the spicule is produced), (2) the energy flux enough for heating the quiet corona (similar to 3.0 x 10(5) ergs s(-1) cm(-2)) is transported into the corona, and (3) nonthermal broadening of emission lines in the corona is expected to be similar to 20 km s(-1). We assumed that the Alfven waves are generated by random motions in the photosphere. As the Alfven waves propagate upward in the solar atmosphere, longitudinal motions are excited by the nonlinear couplings. The longitudinal motions propagate upward as slow or fast waves and lift up the transition region (i.e., the spicule is produced). A part of the Alfven waves are reflected in the transition region, but the remaining waves propagate upward to the corona and contribute both to the heating of the corona and the nonthermal broadening of emission lines. The result of our simulation would suggest that the quiet hot corona, nonthermal broadening of lines, and spicules are caused by Alfven waves that are generated in the photosphere.