Mass and Energy Supply of Fine Structure to the Solar Corona

Abstract

We investigate the role of chromospheric fine structures, e.g. mottles (spicules), in the mass balance and heating of the solar atmosphere by studying two-dimensional high-resolution Hα observations. The temporal and spatial variations of the line-of-sight (LOS) velocity, obtained with an inversion technique based on a cloud model, provide strong indications that the mechanism responsible for the driving of the observed flows is magnetic reconnection. Apart from the LOS velocity, application of the cloud model enables the derivation of several other physical parameters, like pressure, temperature, density etc. Mean values of these parameters permit the estimation of the role of these structures in the mass balance of the solar atmosphere. They, furthermore, permit a reasonable estimate of the energy provided by magnetic reconnection which is available for the heating of the solar corona.