Explaining Inverted Temperature Loops in the Quiet Solar Corona with Magnetohydrodynamic Wave Mode Conversion

Coronal loops trace out bipolar, arch-like magnetic fields above the Sun's surface. Recent measurements that combine rotational tomography, extreme ultraviolet imaging, and potential-field extrapolation have shown the existence of large loops with inverted temperature profiles; i.e., loops for which the apex temperature is a local minimum, not a maximum. These "down loops" appear to exist primarily in equatorial quiet regions near solar minimum. We simulate both these and the more prevalent large-scale "up loops" by modeling coronal heating as a time-steady superposition of: (1) dissipation of incompressible Alfven-wave turbulence, and (2) dissipation of compressive waves formed by mode conversion from the initial population of Alfven waves. We found that when a large percentage (> 99%) of the Alfven waves undergo this conversion, heating is greatly concentrated at the footpoints and stable "down loops" are created. In some cases we found loops with three maxima that are also gravitationally stable. Models that agree with the tomographic temperature data exhibit higher gas pressures for "down loops" than for "up loops," which is consistent with observations. These models also show a narrow range of Alfven wave amplitudes: 3 to 6 km/s at the coronal base. This is low in comparison to typical observed amplitudes of 20 to 30 km/s in bright X-ray loops. However, the large-scale loops we model are believed to comprise a weaker diffuse background that fills much of the volume of the corona. By constraining the physics of loops that underlie quiescent streamers, we hope to better understand the formation of the slow solar wind.