Variable EUV emission in the quiet sun and coronal heating

We review the characteristics of the variable emission from the small scale structure in the quiet sun, in view of the recent theoretical proposals that microflares are responsible for the heating of the corona and the solar wind. We consider the observational properties of the variable emission in quiet regions and coronal holes. Our results are based primarily on simultaneous multiwavelength EUV observations, supplemented by combinations of simultaneous cm radio, He I 10830 A, X-ray and line of sight photospheric magnetic field measurements. We show that the variable emission from the small-scale structure has surprisingly well-defined properties. Yet, within the limit of the temporal and spatial resolution of data currently available, the radiative losses, from this component of the emission, are a factor of ten smaller than that in the quiet sun. Hence, the theory of microflare heating cannot rely on these observations for support.