The energy of electric current sheets

This paper treats two problems on the formation of electric current sheets in the highly electrically conducting solar atmosphere. The first problem concerns a vertical current sheet formed by decreasing the distance between a pair of parallel magnetic line-dipoles lying on the photosphere. The solution to this problem was given previously by Priest and Raadu. With an interest in the flare phenomenon, they derived a formula for the energy stored through the presence of the current sheet. We show that this formula is incorrect. Firstly, there is an error of sign in the derivation of Priest and Raadu, so that, when corrected, the formula gives a negative value for the stored energy. Secondly, the formula is shown to refer to an energy quite different from the free energy associated with the current sheet. To calculate for the current free energy, it is important to account for the frozen-in condition in the highly conducting photosphere.The second problem of the paper concerns the current sheet formed by increasing the distance between the pair of line-dipoles. A different field configuration results, with a curved current sheet lying transverse to the vertical. An analysis of the energy properties is given, to compare with the properties of the Priest-Raadu model.The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.