Observation of fine structures in a small-medium mass ejection — evidence for magnetic reconnection in the lower solar atmosphere

We investigate the role of chromospheric fine structures, e.g. mottles (spicules), in the mass balance and heating of the solar atmosphere by studying two-dimensional high-resolution Hα observations. The temporal and spatial variations of the line-of-sight (LOS) velocity, obtained with an inversion technique based on a cloud model, provide strong indications that the mechanism responsible for the driving of the observed flows is magnetic reconnection. Apart from the LOS velocity, application of the cloud model enables the derivation of several other physical parameters, like pressure, temperature, density etc. Mean values of these parameters permit the estimation of the role of these structures in the mass balance of the solar atmosphere. They, furthermore, permit a reasonable estimate of the energy provided by magnetic reconnection which is available for the heating of the solar corona.

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ELLERMAN BOMBS—EVIDENCE FOR MAGNETIC RECONNECTION IN THE LOWER SOLAR ATMOSPHERE

The Astrophysical Journal ◽

10.1088/0004-637x/779/2/125 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 779 (2) ◽

pp. 125 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

C. J. Nelson ◽

S. Shelyag ◽

M. Mathioudakis ◽

J. G. Doyle ◽

M. S. Madjarska ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Reconnection ◽

Solar Atmosphere ◽

Lower Solar Atmosphere ◽

Ellerman Bombs

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Signatures of ubiquitous magnetic reconnection in the lower solar atmosphere

Astronomy and Astrophysics ◽

10.1051/0004-6361/202038769 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 641 ◽

pp. L5

Author(s):

Jayant Joshi ◽

Luc H. M. Rouppe van der Voort ◽

Jaime de la Cruz Rodríguez

Keyword(s):

Magnetic Reconnection ◽

Solar Atmosphere ◽

Solar Limb ◽

Small Scale ◽

Balmer Line ◽

Solar Chromosphere ◽

Quiet Sun ◽

Single Moment ◽

Order Of Magnitude ◽

Lower Solar Atmosphere

Ellerman Bomb-like brightenings of the hydrogen Balmer line wings in the quiet Sun, also known as quiet Sun Ellerman bombs (QSEBs), are a signature of the fundamental process of magnetic reconnection at the smallest observable scale in the lower solar atmosphere. We analyze high spatial resolution observations (0.″1) obtained with the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope to explore signatures of QSEBs in the Hβ line. We find that QSEBs are ubiquitous and uniformly distributed throughout the quiet Sun, predominantly occurring in intergranular lanes. We find up to 120 QSEBs in the field of view for a single moment in time; this is more than an order of magnitude higher than the number of QSEBs found in earlier Hα observations. This suggests that about half a million QSEBs could be present in the lower solar atmosphere at any given time. The QSEB brightenings found in the Hβ line wings also persist in the line core with a temporal delay and spatial offset toward the nearest solar limb. Our results suggest that QSEBs emanate through magnetic reconnection along vertically extended current sheets in the lower solar atmosphere. The apparent omnipresence of small-scale magnetic reconnection may play an important role in the energy balance of the solar chromosphere.

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