Thomas Williams

The ubiquity of magnetic twists and plasma flows, as well as their importance in generating the dynamic behaviour of the Sun has become apparent only recently due to improvements in spectral, temporal and spatial resolution of instrumentation. We demonstrate how energy is transferred from plasma flows into magnetic twists and vice-versa. The dynamic and energetic consequences of coupling between plasma l ows and magnetic twists in the solar atmosphere will be addressed using time-dependent modelling in 1.5 dimensions. These consequences include the excitation of large amplitude propagating Alfven waves, the subsequent generation of slow and fast shocks due to nonlinear coupling, the formation of globally twisted structures that may become unstable. The implications of the coupling process and the twist amplification will be discussed in the contexts of Evershed flows, intergranular downdrafts, and chromospheric evaporation in coronal loops.