Sources of Coronal Heating and Formation of Solar Wind Switchbacks as Revealed by 3D Radiative MHD Simulations

Understanding the evolution of magnetic activity and plasma dynamics from the photosphere to the corona is of great interest. Tracking the plasma’s thermodynamic properties and structuring is essential to understand how to relate in-situ observations from the Parker Solar Probe to observations of the low corona and solar surface. Realistic high-resolution radiative MHD simulations reveal complex multiscale structuring and dynamics above the photosphere. We present a detailed study of how photospheric magnetic fields affect properties of the transition zone and corona, based on an analysis of 3D radiative MHD simulations made with StellarBox. In this presentation, we discuss a heating mechanism of the chromosphere and low corona originating in the transition zone. We also discuss the formation of funnel-like structures and eruptive dynamics in the low corona and how these processes might initiate the observed solar wind switchbacks.