High-frequency torsional Alfven waves as an energy source for coronal heating

The existence of the Sun's hot atmosphere and the solar wind acceleration continues to be an outstanding problem in solar-astrophysics. Although magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) modes and dissipation of magnetic energy contribute to heating and the mass cycle of the solar atmosphere, yet direct evidence of such processes often generates debate. Ground-based 1-m Swedish Solar Telescope (SST)/CRISP, Ha 6562.8 angstrom observations reveal, for the first time, the ubiquitous presence of high frequency (similar to 12-42 mHz) torsional motions in thin spicular-type structures in the chromosphere. We detect numerous oscillating flux tubes on 10 June 2014 between 07: 17 UT to 08: 08 UT in a quiet-Sun field-of-view of 60 '' x 60 '' (1 '' = 725 km). Stringent numerical model shows that these observations resemble torsional Alfven waves associated with high frequency drivers which contain a huge amount of energy (similar to 10(5) W m(-2)) in the chromosphere. Even after partial reflection from the transition region, a significant amount of energy (similar to 10(3) W m(-2)) is transferred onto the overlying corona. We find that oscillating tubes serve as substantial sources of Alfven wave generation that provide sufficient Poynting flux not only to heat the corona but also to originate the supersonic solar wind.