Probing the Physics of the Solar Corona with High-Resolution Observations using SKA-Mid

We examine the capability of the SKA-Mid telescope for probing solar coronal structure and evolution. Using radiative magnetohydrodynamics simulations of a solar flare, we synthesise radio emission in bands available to SKA-Mid. SKA-Mid observations would provide important constraints on plasma processes that are important to diverse astrophysical environments, including flares/eruptions, magnetic reconnection, particle acceleration, and gyro-emission processes. Observations with the AA4 configuration would reveal fine-scale structures in the solar atmosphere, making SKA-Mid a complementary telescope to other high resolution solar observatories operating at optical, infrared, and XUV wavelengths. Estimates of coronal scattering suggest that angular broadening rather than instrumental resolution (0.1'' at 10 GHz) will limit the detection of the finest structure under typical conditions. The extent of angular broadening depends on the nature of turbulence in the corona, and the longer baselines of SKA-Mid will serve to provide new observational constraints on coronal structure.