Abstract Recurrent chromospheric fan-shaped jets highlight the highly dynamic nature of the solar atmosphere. They have been named as “light walls” or “peacock jets” in high-resolution observations. In this study, we examined the underlying mechanisms responsible for the generation of recurrent chromospheric fan-shaped jets utilizing data from the Goode Solar Telescope at Big Bear Solar Observatory, along with data from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) and the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory. These jets appear as dark elongated structures in Hαwing images, persist for over an hour, and are located in the intergranular lanes between a pair of same-polarity sunspots. Our analysis reveals that magnetic flux cancellation at the jet base plays a crucial role in their formation. HMI line-of-sight magnetograms show a gradual decrease in opposite-polarity fluxes spanning the sequence of jets in Hα−0.8 Å images, suggesting that recurrent magnetic reconnection, likely driven by recurrent miniature flux-rope eruptions that are built up and triggered by flux cancellation, powers these jets. Additionally, magnetic field extrapolations reveal a 3D magnetic null-point topology at the jet formation site ∼1.25 Mm height. Furthermore, we observed strong brightening in the AIA 304 Å channel above the neutral line. Based on our observations and extrapolation results, we propose that these recurrent chromospheric fan-shaped jets align with the minifilament eruption model previously proposed for coronal jets. Though our study focuses on fan-shaped jets in between same-polarity sunspots, a similar mechanism might be responsible for light-bridge-associated fan-shaped jets. 
                        more » 
                        « less   
                    
                            
                            High-resolution Observation and Magnetic Modeling of a Solar Minifilament: The Formation, Eruption, and Failing Mechanisms
                        
                    
    
            Abstract Minifilaments are widespread small-scale structures in the solar atmosphere. To better understand their formation and eruption mechanisms, we investigate the entire life of a sigmoidal minifilament located below a large quiescent filament observed by Big Bear Solar Observatory/Goode Solar Telescope on 2015 August 3. The Hαstructure initially appears as a group of arched threads, then transforms into two J-shaped arcades, and finally forms a sigmoidal shape. Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly observations in 171 Å show that two coronal jets occur around the southern footpoint of the minifilament before the minifilament eruption. The minifilament eruption starts from the southern footpoint, then interacts with the overlying filament and fails. The aforementioned observational changes correspond to three episodes of flux cancellations observed by SDO/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager. Unlike previous studies, the flux cancellation occurs between the polarity where the southern footpoint of the minifilament is rooted and an external polarity. We construct two magnetic field models before the eruption using the flux rope insertion method and find a hyperbolic flux tube above the flux cancellation site. The observation and modeling results suggest that the eruption is triggered by the external magnetic reconnection between the core field of the minifilament and the external fields due to flux cancellations. This study reveals a new triggering mechanism for minifilament eruptions and a new relationship between minifilament eruptions and coronal jets. 
        more » 
        « less   
        
    
    
                            - PAR ID:
- 10535785
- Publisher / Repository:
- American Astronomical Society
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- The Astrophysical Journal
- Volume:
- 970
- Issue:
- 2
- ISSN:
- 0004-637X
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 100
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
- 
            
- 
            Abstract Minifilament eruptions producing small jets and microflares have mostly been studied based on coronal observations at extreme-ultraviolet and X-ray wavelengths. This study presents chromospheric plasma diagnostics of a quiet-Sun minifilament of size ∼ 2″ × 5″ with a sigmoidal shape and an associated microflare observed on 2021 August 7 17:00 UT using high temporal and spatial resolution spectroscopy from the Fast Imaging Solar Spectrograph (FISS) and high-resolution magnetograms from the Near InfraRed Imaging Spectropolarimeter (NIRIS) installed on the 1.6 m Goode Solar Telescope at Big Bear Solar Observatory. Using FISS Hαand Caii8542 Å line spectra at the time of the minifilament activation we determined a temperature of 8600 K and a nonthermal speed of 7.9 km s−1. During the eruption, the minifilament was no longer visible in the Caii8542 Å line, and only the Hαline spectra were used to find the temperature of the minifilament, which reached 1.2 × 104K and decreased afterward. We estimated thermal energy of 3.6 × 1024erg from the maximum temperature and kinetic energy of 2.6 × 1024erg from the rising speed (18 km s−1) of the minifilament. From the NIRIS magnetograms we found small-scale flux emergence and cancellation coincident with the minifilament eruption, and the magnetic energy change across the conjugate footpoints reaches 7.2 × 1025erg. Such spectroscopic diagnostics of the chromospheric minifilament complement earlier studies of minifilament eruptions made using coronal images.more » « less
- 
            We analyzed Interface-Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) and Solar Dynamics Observatory/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (SDO/AIA) observations of a small coronal jet that occurred at the solar west limb on 29 August 2014. The jet source region, a small bright point, was located at an active-region periphery and contained a fan-spine topology with a mini-filament. Our analysis has identified key features and timings that motivated the following interpretation of this event. As the stressed core flux rises, a current sheet forms beneath it; the ensuing reconnection forms a flux rope above a flare arcade. When the rising filament-carrying flux rope reaches the stressed null, it triggers a jet via explosive interchange (breakout) reconnection. During the flux-rope interaction with the external magnetic field, we observed brightening above the filament and within the dome, along with a growing flare arcade. EUV images reveal quasi-periodic ejections throughout the jet duration with a dominant period of 4 minutes, similar to coronal jetlets and larger jets. We conclude that these observations are consistent with the magnetic breakout model for coronal jets.more » « less
- 
            Abstract We present both the observation and the magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulation of the M2.4 flare (SOL2017-07-14T02:09) of NOAA active region (AR) 12665 with a goal to identify its initiation mechanism. The observation by the Atmospheric Image Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) shows that the major topology of the AR is a sigmoidal configuration associated with a filament/flux rope. A persistent emerging magnetic flux and the rotation of the sunspot in the core region were observed with Magnetic Imager (HMI) on board the SDO on the timescale of hours before and during the flare, which may provide free magnetic energy needed for the flare/coronal mass ejection (CME). A high-lying coronal loop is seen moving outward in AIA EUV passbands, which is immediately followed by the impulsive phase of the flare. We perform an MHD simulation using the potential magnetic field extrapolated from the measured pre-flare photospheric magnetic field as initial conditions and adopting the observed sunspot rotation and flux emergence as the driving boundary conditions. In our simulation, a sigmoidal magnetic structure and an overlying magnetic flux rope (MFR) form as a response to the imposed sunspot rotation, and the MFR rises to erupt like a CME. These simulation results in good agreement with the observation suggest that the formation of the MFR due to the sunspot rotation and the resulting torus and kink instabilities were essential to the initiation of this flare and the associated coronal mass ejection.more » « less
- 
            Abstract In this paper, we report three interesting phenomena that occurred during the precursor phase of the X1.6 class flare on 2014 September 10. (1) The magnetic reconnection initiating the flare occurs between one of the two J-shaped magnetic flux ropes that constitute a sigmoidal structure and the overlying sheared magnetic arcade that runs across the sigmoid over its middle part. The reconnection formed an erupting structure that ultimately leads to flare onset. Another J-shaped magnetic flux rope remains unaffected during the whole eruption. The phenomenon is revealed by the observation made by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO) at 94 and 131 Å. (2) Being simultaneously with starting time of the precursor, photospheric vertical electric current (VEC) around the footpoint region of the overlying magnetic arcade underwent an obvious increase, as observed by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) on board SDO. By only taking into account the VEC with current density over 3 σ value (1 σ : 10 mA m −2 ), we are able to pick out precursor-associated VEC increase starting from nearly the level of zero. We regard it as a kind of powering process for the magnetic reconnection between the two magnetic loops. (3) With high-resolution narrow-band Helium 10830 Å images taken by Goode Solar Telescope at Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO), we observe a narrow absorption (dark) front that runs along the erupting magnetic structure (or the erupting hot channel) and moves in the direction of the eruption during the precursor phase. Assuming the excitation mechanism of Helium atoms along the absorption front by non-thermal electrons, the phenomenon shows that the interaction between the erupted hot channel and the overlying (or surrounding) magnetic field has yielded electron acceleration.more » « less
 An official website of the United States government
An official website of the United States government 
				
			 
					 
					
 
                                    