Published in Nature Physics, 14, 480-483 (2018) Alfvén Wave Dissipation in the Solar Chromosphere 1, 1, 2 3, 4, 5 6 Samuel D. T. Grant, ∗ David B. Jess, Teimuraz V. Zaqarashvili, Christian Beck, Hector Socas-Navarro,7, 8 Markus J. Aschwanden,9 Peter H. Keys,1 Damian J. Christian,2 Scott J. Houston,1 and Rebecca L. Hewitt1 1Astrophysics Research Centre, School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK 2Department of Physics and Astronomy, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA 91330, U.S.A. 3Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Schmiedlstrasse 6, A-8042, Graz, Austria 4Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory at Ilia State University, 0162 Tbilisi, Georgia 5Institute of Physics, IGAM, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 5, A-8010, Graz, Austria 6National Solar Observatory (NSO), Boulder, CO 80383, USA 7Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Avda vía Láctea S/N, 38200, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain 8Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna, 38205, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain 9Lockheed Martin, Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory, Org. A021S, Bldg. 252, 3251 Hanover St., Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA *Correspondence addressed to
[email protected] Magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) Alfvén waves1 have been a focus of laboratory plasma physics2 and astrophysics3 for over half a century. Their unique nature makes them ideal energy transporters, and while the solar atmosphere provides preferential conditions for their existence4, direct detection has proved difficult as a result of their evolving and dynamic observational signatures. The viability of Alfvén waves as a heating mechanism relies upon the efficient dissipation and thermalization of the wave energy, with direct evidence remaining elusive until now.