Coronal Transverse Magnetohydrodynamic Waves in a Solar Prominence

Abstract

Solar prominences are cool 10(4) kelvin plasma clouds supported in the surrounding 10(6) kelvin coronal plasma by as-yet-undetermined mechanisms. Observations from Hinode show fine-scale threadlike structures oscillating in the plane of the sky with periods of several minutes. We suggest that these represent Alfvén waves propagating on coronal magnetic field lines and that these may play a role in heating the corona.