The Sun's X-file Under The Spotlight

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UK solar astrophysicists are set to address the longstanding 'coronal heating problem' at an international workshop in St Andrews from September 6-9, 2004. This mystery involves the significant temperature difference between the Sun's surface, around 6000 degrees Celsius, and its corona, which reaches temperatures of two million degrees. Two main theories are being debated: Wave heating, proposed by Alan Hood, and magnetic twisting, suggested by Harrison. Recent images suggest that sound-like waves may be responsible for the formation of spicules in the Sun's atmosphere. This workshop aims to shed light on these theories and advance understanding of solar phenomena.
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One of the Sun's greatest mysteries is about to be unravelled by UK solar astrophysicists hosting a major international workshop at the University of St Andrews from September 6-9th 2004. For years scientists have been baffled by the 'coronal heating problem': why it is that the light surface of the Sun (and all other solar-like stars) has a temperature of about 6000 degrees Celsius, yet the corona (the crown of light we see around the moon at a total eclipse) is at a temperature of two million degrees? [continued]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/09/040906083929.htm
 
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The two competing theories trying to explain the Coronal heating problem are the Wave heating theory, proposed by Alan Hood, and the theory of magnetic twisting, proposed by Harrison. I'm going to bet for Hood's theory
 
spicules, lurking ... er ... above?

"These images also indicate, for the first time, that the ultimate cause of spicules is sound-like waves that flow over the Sun's surface but leak into the Sun's atmosphere" from APOD
 

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