Magnetohydrodynamic study of shock waves in the current sheet of a solar coronal magnetic loop

A Lagrangian Remap (LareXd) Code is employed to investigate the shock wave formation in the current sheet of a solar coronal magnetic loop and its effect on the magnetic reconnection. We constructed the slow shock structure in the presence of viscosity and heat conduction parallel and perpendicular to the magnetic field and pairs of slow shocks propagate away from the central current sheet, the so-called diffusion region. Significant jumps in plasma density, pressure, velocity and magnetic field occur across the main shock while the temperature appears in the foreshock. In the presence of dissipative effects, the distinct jumps disappear and the shock profiles show smooth transition between the downstream and the upstream regions while the plasma density and the pressure show very narrow and a sharp decrease with time. These results can be applied to the heating of the solar corona, the structure of the magnetic reconnection and the solar wind.

► The shock wave formation in the current sheet is investigated by using LareXd Code.
► We determined the slow shocks in the presence of viscosity and heat conduction terms.
► In the presence of dissipative effects, the distinct jumps disappear.
► The shock profiles show smooth transition across the main shock and in the foreshock.
► The plasma density and the pressure show very narrow and a sharp decrease with time.