A solar cellular automata model issued from reduced MHD

Abstract

A three-dimensional cellular automata (CA) model inspired by the reduced magnetohydrodynamic equations is presented to describe impulsive events generated along a coronal magnetic loop. It consists of a set of planes, distributed along the loop, between which the information propagates through Alfvén waves. Statistical properties in terms of power laws are obtained in agreement with SoHO observations of X-ray bright points of the quiet Sun. Physical meaning and limits of the model are discussed.