DYNAMICS OF VERTICAL THREADS AND DESCENDING KNOTS IN A HEDGEROW PROMINENCE

Abstract

The existence and behavior of vertical fine structures of plasma—threads and knots—are a significant observational clue to understanding the magnetic structure and dynamics of quiescent prominences on the quiet Sun. Based on the equation of motion in ideal MHD, we reason that the non-hydrostatic support of plasma against gravity in general requires either the motion of plasma with a high value of downward acceleration (dynamical support) or the role of horizontal magnetic fields (magnetic support). By carefully tracking the motion of several bright threads seen in a hedgerow prominence observed by the Solar Optical Telescope aboard Hinode, we confirm that these threads are essentially static and stable, which negates the dynamic support. The application of the Kippenhahn-Schluter solution suggests that they may be supported by sagged magnetic field lines with a sag angle of about 43°. We also track several bright descending knots and find that their descending speeds range from 10 to 30 km s–1, with a mean value of 16 km s–1, and their vertical accelerations from –0.10 to 0.10 km s–2, with a mean of practically zero. This finding suggests that these knots are basically supported by horizontal magnetic fields against gravity even when they descend, and the complex variations of their descending speeds should be attributed to small imbalances between gravity and the force of magnetic tension. Furthermore, some knots are observed to impulsively get accelerated downward from time to time. We conjecture that these impulsive accelerations are a result of magnetic reconnection and the subsequent interchange of magnetic configuration between a knot and its surrounding structure. It is proposed that this process of reconnection and interchange not only initiates the descending motion of the knots, but also allows knots to keep falling long distance through the medium permeated by horizontal magnetic fields.