Spectral Line Non-thermal Broadening and MHD Waves in the Solar Corona

Abstract

The rapid temperature rise from the solar surface (6 000 K) up to the corona (1 MK) and acceleration of solar wind particles still are unresolved problems in solar physics. The energy source for the coronal heating and the wind acceleration probably lies in the solar photosphere. MHD waves are believed to carry the photospheric energy into the corona. Recent observations from space based telescopes made significant progress in understanding the process of MHD wave propagation from the solar surface towards the corona. Some of MHD wave modes have been observed through intensity variations and Doppler shift oscillations in spectral lines. Another powerful mechanism is to detect the waves through the non-thermal broadening of spectral lines. The lecture gives the basic points of wave induced efi'ects in solar coronal spectral lines and recent progress in wave observations through spectral line non-thermal broadening.