  An analytical MHD model of coronal loops with compressible flows and
including heating is compared to observational data. The model is constructed
via a systematic nonlinear separation of the variables method used to calculate
several classes of exact MHD equilibria in Cartesian geometry and uniform
gravity. By choosing a particularly versatile solution class with a large
parameter space we are able to calculate models whose loop length, shape,
plasma density, temperature and velocity profiles are fitted to loops observed
with TRACE, SoHO/CDS and SoHO/SUMER. Synthetic emission profiles are also
calculated and fitted to the observed emission patterns. An analytical
discussion is given of the two-dimenional balance of the Lorentz force and the
gas pressure gradient, gravity and inertial forces acting along and across the
loop. These models are the first to include a fully consistent description of
the magnetic field, 2D geometry, plasma density and temperature, flow velocity
and thermodynamics of loops. The consistently calculated heating profiles which
are largely dominated by radiative losses are influenced by the flow and are
asymmetrical being concentrated at the upflow footpoint.

Astrophysics