A conjecture concerning thermodynamic limits to solar atmospheric heating

Considering the solar atmosphere in its entirety, that large-scale nonadiabatic processes (MHD waves, and so on) effectively tend to yield an 'equalization of temperature', such that the atmospheric temperature is limited to the base temperature associated with its heat source. This conjecture suggests that (1) the chromospheric temperature is limited by the granulation base temperature (10,000 K), (2) the spicule temperatures are limited by the base temperature (100,000 K) where the supergranular cells form, and (3) the quiet coronal temperature is less than or equal to the convection zone base temperature (2,000,000 K). Thermodynamical arguments are provided which may serve to augment the detailed heating models wherein large-scale mechanical energy is transported into the solar atmosphere involving MHD waves, current dissipation, and other nonthermal processes.