Chromospheric and coronal heating due to the dissipation of fast magnetoacoustic waves

The dissipation of ducted, fast, magnetoacoustic waves by ion viscosity and electron heat conduction in a radiating, optically thin atmosphere has been re-examined and the results compared with two previously published, conflicting sets of results. In general, the dissipation length of the waves increases with magnetic field strength and decreases with increase in density, and is a few wavelengths for waves of periods of several seconds in the active corona. Oscillations with such periods have been observed in the corona, so waves could, given the right conditions, be dissipated there, the energy so released being a contributory factor to coronal heating.