Bayesian Magnetohydrodynamic Seismology of Coronal Loops

Abstract

We perform a Bayesian parameter inference in the context of resonantly damped transverse coronal loop oscillations. The forward problem is solved in terms of parametric results for kink waves in one-dimensional flux tubes in the thin tube and thin boundary approximations. For the inverse problem, we adopt a Bayesian approach to infer the most probable values of the relevant parameters, for given observed periods and damping times, and to extract their confidence levels. The posterior probability distribution functions are obtained by means of Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulations, incorporating observed uncertainties in a consistent manner. We find well localized solutions in the posterior probability distribution functions for two of the three parameters of interest, namely the Alfven travel time and the transverse inhomogeneity length-scale. The obtained estimates for the Alfven travel time are consistent with previous inversion results, but the method enables us to additionally constrain the transverse inhomogeneity length-scale and to estimate real error bars for each parameter. When observational estimates for the density contrast are used, the method enables us to fully constrain the three parameters of interest. These results can serve to improve our current estimates of unknown physical parameters in coronal loops and to test the assumed theoretical model.

24 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables

References in corpus (6)

• Bayes in the sky: Bayesian inference and model selection in cosmology
• Analytic approximate seismology of transversely oscillating coronal loops
• Seismology of Standing Kink Oscillations of Solar Prominence Fine Structures
• Bayesian inference of solar and stellar magnetic fields in the weak-field approximation
• Bayesian Analysis of Solar Oscillations
• Automated Detection of Oscillating Regions in the Solar Atmosphere

Cited by in corpus (17)

• Wave Heating of the Solar Atmosphere
• Stellar magnetic field parameters from a Bayesian analysis of high-resolution spectropolarimetric observations
• The behavior of transverse waves in nonuniform solar flux tubes. II. Implications for coronal loop seismology
• Bayesian Coronal Seismology
• Determination of Transverse Density Structuring from Propagating MHD Waves in the Solar Atmosphere
• Weak damping of propagating MHD kink waves in the quiescent corona
• Model comparison for the density structure across solar coronal waveguides
• Radio seismology of the outer solar corona
• Novel data analysis techniques in coronal seismology
• No unique solution to the seismological problem of standing kink MHD waves
• Analytic approximate seismology of propagating MHD waves in the solar corona
• Determination of the cross-field density structuring in coronal waveguides using the damping of transverse waves
• Bayesian Analysis of Multiple Harmonic Oscillations in the Solar Corona
• Coronal loop physical parameters from the analysis of multiple observed transverse oscillations
• Comparison of damping mechanisms for transverse waves in solar coronal loops
• On the nature of transverse coronal waves revealed by wavefront dislocations
• Global Coronal Magnetic Field Estimation Using Bayesian Inference