Heating and Jet Formation by Hydrodynamic Cumulation in the Solar Atmosphere

Abstract

The solar transition region is the site of supersonic plasma jets and sporadic radiative events, whose origin and physical nature have not been understood. Here we show that ubiquitous small-scale magnetic flux tubes, constantly emerging from subsurface layers, may cause the formation of plasma jets and a sporadic excess of temperature near the solar surface. These flux tubes collide and reconnect, creating a sling-shot effect that generates complex three-dimensional shock waves with the curved surface. Self-focusing of these shocks occurs as they propagate upward in the rarefied atmosphere. Depending on the geometry of the shock collision, highly concentrated energy may be converted entirely into either heat or strong jets, or distributed between the two.