The Role of Magnetic Helicity in Structuring the Solar Corona

Abstract: Two of the most widely observed and striking features of the Suns magnetic field are coronal loops, which are smooth and laminar, and prominences or filaments, which are strongly sheared. Loops are puzzling because they show little evidence of tangling or braiding, at least on the quiet Sun, despite the chaotic nature of the solar surface convection. Prominences are mysterious because the origin of their underlying magnetic structure filament channels is poorly understood at best. These two t…