Application of the principle of minimum dissipation rate to solar coronal magnetic field extrapolation

We develop an approach to deriving the 3D coronal magnetic field configuration from vector magnetograms, based on the Principle of Minimum Dissipation Rate (MDR). A solution to the system resulted from MDR is generally non‐force free and is expressed as linear superposition of three linear force‐free fields (one is potential) with distinct α parameters. The final solution is thus decomposed into three linear force‐free extrapolations from bottom boundary conditions derived from available vector magnetograms, at both photospheric and chromospheric levels. We illustrate the approach with an analytic test case, and discuss its advantages and limitations.