{
  "abstract": "Context. The couplings between the photosphere, chromosphere, and corona in the quiet Sun (QS) are governed by a complex interplay between magnetic structuring, heating, mass-loading, and radiative cooling. The current constraints on how this balance responds to variations in small-scale magnetic flux are limited. Aims. We investigate how chromospheric heating and the thermodynamic response of higher atmospheric layers vary as a function of small-scale magnetic flux emergence under QS conditions. Methods. We performed a parametric set of 3D radiative-MHD simulations with the Bifrost code, starting from a weakly magnetised quiet-Sun reference model and injecting horizontal magnetic flux of increasing amplitude into the sub-surface convection zone. We analysed the resulting chromospheric dynamics, heating, mass-loading, and coronal response in quasi-static regimes. Results. Chromospheric temperatures and mechanical heating rise monotonically with increasing magnetic-field strength. Although the fractional contribution of shocks decreases from 23 to 5%, reconnecting current sheets (CSs) continue to remain steady at about 50%. In contrast, the temperature at the base of the corona exhibits a non-monotonic response, reaching a maximum at intermediate magnetic amplitudes and decreasing for the strongest-field case. We show that stronger magnetic-field strength increases chromospheric heating, thereby increasing the coronal-base density through efficient mass-loading, and amplifies radiative losses. These density-driven radiative losses dominate the coronal energy balance and, thus, lead to reduced coronal-base temperatures despite increased heating. Conclusions. Our results demonstrate the sensitivity of chromospheric structure and dynamics to small-scale flux emergence and its key role in regulating coronal thermodynamics. In particular, this study has revealed a non-monotonic thermodynamic response in the upper atmosphere: stronger heating in the chromosphere can paradoxically lead to lower coronal temperatures as increased mass-loading enhances radiative losses. This result illustrates the chromosphere’s role as a thermodynamic gatekeeper, warranting further investigations of realistic flux-emergence models, as well as surface-to-corona parametrisation across various magnetic configurations, relevant to global solar wind models and space weather forecasts.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": "2605.03019",
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Q. Noraz"
    },
    {
      "name": "M. Carlsson"
    },
    {
      "name": "Guillaume Aulanier"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1xx3n2qzhrzcm.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1051/0004-6361/202660067",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "1xx3n2qzhrzcm",
  "issns": [
    "0004-6361",
    "1432-0746"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://hal.science/hal-05742292v1",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "hal",
      "0.sdu"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3103|Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7160442558",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-06-16",
  "publisher": "EDP Sciences",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1xx3n2qzhrzcm.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:31Z",
      "native_id": "hal-05742292",
      "source": "hal",
      "url": "https://hal.science/hal-05742292v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "astronomy",
      "origin": "openalex:3103|Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics",
      "subfield": "stellar"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Chromosphere of the quiet Sun: II. Atmospheric response to small-scale magnetic flux emergence",
  "title_text": "Chromosphere of the quiet Sun: II. Atmospheric response to small-scale magnetic flux emergence",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:31Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1xx3n2qzhrzcm",
  "venue": "Astronomy & Astrophysics - A&A",
  "versions": []
}