Chromospheric Jet Research Articles

Synthesis of infrared Stokes spectra in an evolving solar chromospheric jet

ABSTRACT Chromospheric jets are plausible agents of energy and mass transport in the solar chromosphere, although their driving mechanisms have not yet been elucidated. Magnetic field measurements are key for distinguishing the driving mechanisms of chromospheric jets. We performed a full Stokes synthesis in the infrared range with a realistic radiative magnetohydrodynamics simulation that generated a chromospheric jet to predict spectropolarimetric observations from the Sunrise Chromospheric Infrared spectro-Polarimeter (SCIP) onboard the SUNRISE III balloon telescope. The jet was launched by the collision between the transition region and an upflow driven by the ascending motion of the twisted magnetic field at the envelope of the flux tube. This motion is consistent with upwardly propagating non-linear Alfvénic waves. The upflow could be detected as continuous Doppler signals in the Ca ii 849.8 nm line at the envelope where the dark line core intensity and strong linear polarization coexist. The axis of the flux tube was bright in both Fe i 846.8 nm and Ca ii 849.8 nm lines with downflowing plasma inside it. The structure, time evolution, and Stokes signals predicted in our study will improve the physical interpretation of future spectropolarimetric observations with SUNRISE III/SCIP.

Magnetohydrodynamic Simulations of Spicular Jet Propagation Applied to Lower Solar Atmosphere Model

Abstract We report a series of numerical experiments for the propagation of a momentum pulse representing a chromospheric jet, simulated using an idealized magnetohydrodynamic model. The jet in a stratified lower solar atmosphere is subjected to a varied initial driver (amplitude, period) and magnetic field conditions to examine the parameter influence over jet morphology and kinematics. The simulated jet captured key observed spicule characteristics including maximum heights, field-aligned mass motions/trajectories, and cross-sectional width deformations. Next, the jet features also show a prominent bright, bulb-like apex, similar to reported observed chromospheric jets, formed due to the higher density of plasma and/or waves. Furthermore, the simulations highlight the presence of not yet observed internal crisscross/knots substructures generated by shock waves reflected within the jet structure. Therefore we suggest verifying these predicted fine-scale structures in highly localized lower solar atmospheric jets, e.g., in spicules or fibrils by high-resolution observations, offered by the Daniel K. Inoyue Solar Telescope or otherwise.

Chromospheric and coronal heating and jet acceleration due to reconnection driven by flux cancellation

Context. Recent observations have shown that magnetic flux cancellation occurs at the photosphere more frequently than previously thought. Aims. In order to understand the energy release by reconnection driven by flux cancellation, we previously studied a simple model of two cancelling polarities of equal flux. Here, we further develop our analysis to achieve a more general setup where the two cancelling polarities have unequal magnetic fluxes and where many new features are revealed. Methods. We carried out an analytical study of the cancellation of two magnetic fragments of unequal and opposite flux that approach one another and are located in an overlying horizontal magnetic field. Results. The energy release as microflares and nanoflares occurs in two main phases. During phase 1a, a separator is formed and reconnection is driven at it as it rises to a maximum height and then moves back down to the photosphere, heating the plasma and accelerating plasma jets in the process. During phase 1b, once the separator moves back to the photosphere, it bifurcates into two null points. Reconnection is no longer driven at the separator and an isolated magnetic domain connecting the two polarities is formed. During phase 2, the polarities cancel out at the photosphere as magnetic flux submerges below the photosphere and as reconnection occurs at and above the photosphere and plasma jets and a mini-filament eruption can be produced.

High-resolution He I 10830 Å Narrowband Imaging for a Small-scale Chromospheric Jet

Abstract Solar jets are ubiquitous phenomena in the solar atmosphere. They are important in mass and energy transport to the upper atmosphere and interplanetary space. Here, we report a detailed analysis of a small-scale chromospheric jet with high-resolution He i 10830 Å and TiO 7057 Å images observed by the 1.6 m aperture Goode Solar Telescope at the Big Bear Solar Observatory. The observation reveals the finest dark threads inside the jet are rooted in the intergranular lanes. Their width is equal to the telescope’s diffraction limit at 10830 Å (∼100 km). The jet is recurrent and its association with the emergence and convergence of magnetic flux is observed. Together with other important features like photospheric flow toward the magnetic polarity inversion line, a bald-patch magnetic configuration, and earlier excitation of helium atoms, we propose that the jet might be initiated by magnetic reconnection in a U-shaped loop configuration. The plasmoid configuration results from the possible buoyancy of the magnetic reconnection, which reoccurs in a second step with an overlying magnetic field line. Notably, the second-step magnetic reconnection produces not only bidirectional cool or hot flows but also a new U-shaped loop configuration. The feature may be used to explain the recurrent behavior of the jet, since the new U-shaped loop can be driven to reconnect again.

Chromospheric and coronal heating and jet acceleration due to reconnection driven by flux cancellation

Context.The recent discovery of much greater magnetic flux cancellation taking place at the photosphere than previously realised has led us in our previous works to suggest magnetic reconnection driven by flux cancellation as the cause of a wide range of dynamic phenomena, including jets of various kinds and solar atmospheric heating.Aims.Previously, the theory considered energy release at a two-dimensional current sheet. Here we develop the theory further by extending it to an axisymmetric current sheet in three dimensions without resorting to complex variable theory.Methods.We analytically study reconnection and treat the current sheet as a three-dimensional structure. We apply the theory to the cancellation of two fragments of equal but opposite flux that approach each another and are located in an overlying horizontal magnetic field.Results.The energy release occurs in two phases. During Phase 1, a separator is formed and reconnection is driven at it as it rises to a maximum height and then moves back down to the photosphere, heating the plasma and accelerating a plasma jet as it does so. During Phase 2 the fluxes cancel in the photosphere and accelerate a mixture of cool and hot plasma upwards.

Chromospheric polarimetry through multiline observations of the 850 nm spectral region III: Chromospheric jets driven by twisted magnetic fields

We investigate the diagnostic potential of the spectral lines at 850 nm for understanding the magnetism of the lower atmosphere. For that purpose, we use a newly developed 3D simulation of a chromospheric jet to check the sensitivity of the spectral lines to this phenomenon as well as our ability to infer the atmospheric information through spectropolarimetric inversions of noisy synthetic data. We start comparing the benefits of inverting the entire spectrum at 850 nm versus only the Ca II 8542 A spectral line. We found a better match of the input atmosphere for the former case, mainly at lower heights. However, the results at higher layers were not accurate. After several tests, we determined that we need to weight more the chromospheric lines than the photospheric ones in the computation of the goodness of the fit. The new inversion configuration allows us to obtain better fits and consequently more accurate physical parameters. Therefore, to extract the most from multi-line inversions, a proper set of weights needs to be estimated. Besides that, we conclude again that the lines at 850 nm, or a similar arrangement with Ca II 8542 A plus Zeeman sensitive photospheric lines, poses the best observing configuration for examining the thermal and magnetic properties of the lower solar atmosphere.

A Three-dimensional Magnetohydrodynamic Simulation of the Formation of Solar Chromospheric Jets with Twisted Magnetic Field Lines

Abstract This paper presents a three-dimensional simulation of chromospheric jets with twisted magnetic field lines. Detailed treatments of the photospheric radiative transfer and the equations of state allow us to model realistic thermal convection near the solar surface, which excites various MHD waves and produces chromospheric jets in the simulation. A tall chromospheric jet with a maximum height of 10–11 Mm and lifetime of 8–10 minutes is formed above a strong magnetic field concentration. The magnetic field lines are strongly entangled in the chromosphere, which helps the chromospheric jet to be driven by the Lorentz force. The jet exhibits oscillatory motion as a natural consequence of its generation mechanism. We also find that the produced chromospheric jet forms a cluster with a diameter of several Mm with finer strands. These results imply a close relationship between the simulated jet and solar spicules.

RESOLVING THE FAN-SPINE RECONNECTION GEOMETRY OF A SMALL-SCALE CHROMOSPHERIC JET EVENT WITH THE NEW SOLAR TELESCOPE

ABSTRACT Jets are ubiquitously present in both quiet and active regions on the Sun. They are widely believed to be driven by magnetic reconnection. A fan-spine structure has been frequently reported in some coronal jets and flares, and has been regarded as a signature of ongoing magnetic reconnection in a topology consisting of a magnetic null connected by a fan-like separatrix surface and a spine. However, for small-scale chromospheric jets, clear evidence of such structures is rather rare, although it has been implied in earlier works that showed an inverted-Y-shaped feature. Here we report high-resolution (0.″16) observations of a small-scale chromospheric jet obtained by the New Solar Telescope (NST) using 10830 Å filtergrams. Bi-directional flows were observed across the separatrix regions in the 10830 Å images, suggesting that the jet was produced due to magnetic reconnection. At the base of the jet, a fan-spine structure was clearly resolved by the NST, including the spine and the fan-like surface, as well as the loops before and after the reconnection. A major part of this fan-spine structure, with the exception of its bright footpoints and part of the base arc, was invisible in the extreme ultraviolet and soft X-ray images (observed by the Atmosphere Imaging Assembly and the X-Ray Telescope, respectively), indicating that the reconnection occurred in the upper chromosphere. Our observations suggest that the evolution of this chromospheric jet is consistent with a two-step reconnection scenario proposed by Török et al.

Spectroscopic UV observations of M1.0 class solar flare from IRIS satellite

AbstractThis work presents an analysis of UV spectroscopic observations from the IRIS satellite of an M1.0 class flare occurred on 12 June 2014 in active region NOAA 12087. Our analysis of the IRIS spectra and Slit-Jaw images revealed presence of a strongly redshifted chromospheric jet before the flare. We also found strong emission of the chromospheric lines, and studied the C II 1334.5 Å line emission distribution in details. A blueshift of the Fe XXI line across the flaring region corresponds to evaporation flows of the hot chromospheric plasma with a speed of 50 km/s. Although the enhancement of the C II line integrated redshift correlates with the flare X-ray emission, we classify the evaporation as of a “gentle” type because of its long time scale and subsonic velocities. Analysis of X-ray data from the RHESSI satellite showed that both, an injection of accelerated particles and a heat flux from the energy release site can explain the energetics of the observed event.

OBSERVATIONAL EVIDENCE FOR THE CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES OF CHROMOSPHERIC RECONNECTION

The chromospheric anemone jets with an inverse “Y” shape are ubiquitous, as revealed by the Solar Optical Telescope observations. These jets are considered to be consequences of chromospheric magnetic reconnections. Although these jets have been studied intensively, the dynamics and their driving causes remain unclear observationally. In this work, we report a case of a chromospheric jet showing complete observational evidence for the cause and consequence of chromospheric intermittent reconnection. The intermittent eruption of this jet shows two distinct quasi-periods, 50–60 s and 600–700 s. The short-period eruptions may be related to the plasmoid-induced reconnection, and the long-period ones may be interpreted as sequences of cycles of energy storage and release during magnetic reconnections. The observations also reveal Alfvenic waves with a mean period around 88 s and a maximum transverse displacement around 0.″26. The jet is hosted by a loop moving smoothly with a horizontal speed of ∼0.4 km s−1. Our results provide observational evidence supporting the magnetic reconnection model of the formation of the chromospheric jets with related products, in which the loop advection drives intermittent magnetic reconnections, and the reconnection outflows carrying plasmoids collide further with the ambient field lines and finally excite waves and jets.

MHD modelling of coronal loops: injection of high-speed chromospheric flows

Observations reveal a correspondence between chromospheric type II spicules and bright upwardly moving fronts in the corona observed in the EUV band. However, theoretical considerations suggest that these flows are unlikely to be the main source of heating in coronal magnetic loops. We investigate the propagation of high-speed chromospheric flows into coronal magnetic flux tubes, and the possible production of emission in the EUV band. We simulate the propagation of a dense $10^4$ K chromospheric jet upwards along a coronal loop, by means of a 2-D cylindrical MHD model, including gravity, radiative losses, thermal conduction and magnetic induction. The jet propagates in a complete atmosphere including the chromosphere and a tenuous cool ($\sim 0.8$ MK) corona, linked through a steep transition region. In our reference model, the jet's initial speed is 70 km/s, its initial density is $10^{11}$ cm$^{-3}$, and the ambient uniform magnetic field is 10 G. We explore also other values of jet speed and density in 1-D, and of magnetic field in 2-D, and the jet propagation in a hotter ($\sim 1.5$ MK) background loop. While the initial speed of the jet does not allow it to reach the loop apex, a hot shock front develops ahead of it and travels to the other extreme of the loop. The shock front compresses the coronal plasma and heats it to about $10^6$ K. As a result, a bright moving front becomes visible in the 171 \AA\ channel of the SDO/AIA mission. This result generally applies to all the other explored cases, except for the propagation in the hotter loop. For a cool, low-density initial coronal loop, the post-shock plasma ahead of upward chromospheric flows might explain at least part of the observed correspondence between type II spicules and EUV emission excess.

Numerical Simulations of Solar Chromospheric Jets Associated with Emerging Flux

We studied the acceleration mechanisms of chromospheric jets associated with emerging flux using a two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation. We found that slow-mode shock waves generated by magnetic reconnection in the chromosphere and the photosphere play key roles in the acceleration mechanisms of chromospheric jets. An important parameter is the height of magnetic reconnection. When magnetic reconnection takes place near the photosphere, the reconnection outflow collides with the region where the plasma beta is much larger than unity. Then, the plasma moves along a magnetic field. This motion generates a slow-mode wave. The slow-mode wave develops to a strong slow shock as it propagates upward. When the slow shock crosses the transition region, this region is lifted up. As a result, we obtain a chromospheric jet as the lifted transition region. When magnetic reconnection takes place in the upper chromosphere, the chromospheric plasma is accelerated due to the combination of the Lorentz force and the whip-like motion of the magnetic field. We found that the chromospheric plasma is further accelerated through the interaction between the transition region (steep density gradient) and a slow shock emanating from the reconnection point. In the process, the magnetic energy released by magnetic reconnection is efficiently converted into the kinetic energy of jets. This is an MHD effect that has not been discussed before.

SYSTEMATIC MOTION OF FINE-SCALE JETS AND SUCCESSIVE RECONNECTION IN SOLAR CHROMOSPHERIC ANEMONE JET OBSERVED WITH THE SOLAR OPTICAL TELESCOPE/HINODE

The Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) on board Hinode allows observations with high spatiotemporal resolution and stable image quality. A {lambda}-shaped chromospheric anemone jet was observed in high resolution with SOT/Hinode. We found that several fine-scale jets were launched from one end of the footpoint to the other. These fine-scale jets ({approx}1.5-2.5 Mm) gradually move from one end of the footpoint to the other and finally merge into a single jet. This process occurs recurrently, and as time progresses the jet activity becomes more and more violent. The time evolution of the region below the jet in Ca II H filtergram images taken with SOT shows that various parts (or knots) appear at different positions. These bright knots gradually merge into each other during the maximum phase. The systematic motion of the fine-scale jets is observed when different knots merge into each other. Such morphology would arise due to the emergence of a three-dimensional twisted flux rope in which the axial component (or the guide field) appears in the later stages of the flux rope emergence. The partial appearance of the knots could be due to the azimuthal magnetic field that appears during the early stage of the flux rope emergence.more » If the guide field is strong and reconnection occurs between the emerging flux rope and an ambient magnetic field, this could explain the typical feature of systematic motion in chromospheric anemone jets.« less

MULTIPLE PLASMA EJECTIONS AND INTERMITTENT NATURE OF MAGNETIC RECONNECTION IN SOLAR CHROMOSPHERIC ANEMONE JETS

The recent discovery of chromospheric anemone jets with the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) on board Hinode has shown an indirect evidence of magnetic reconnection in the solar chromosphere. However, the basic nature of magnetic reconnection in chromosphere is still unclear. We studied nine chromospheric anemone jets from SOT/Hinode using Ca II H filtergrams, and we found multiple bright, plasma ejections along the jets. In most cases, the major intensity enhancements (larger than 30% relative to the background intensity) of the loop correspond to the timing of the plasma ejections. The typical lifetime and size of the plasma ejecta are about 20-60 s and 0.3-1.5 Mm, respectively. The height-time plot of jet shows many sub-structures (or individual jets) and the typical lifetime of the individual jet is about one to five minutes. Before the onset of the jet activity, a loop appears in Ca II H and gradually increases in size, and after few minutes several jets are launched from the loop. Once the jet activity starts and several individual jets are launched, the loop starts shrinking with a speed of ~4 km s–1. In some events, a downward moving blob with a speed of ~35 km s–1 was observed, associated with the upward moving plasma along one of the legs of the loop hosting the jets. The upward moving plasma gradually developed into jets. Multiple plasma ejections in chromospheric anemone jet show the strongly time-dependent as well as intermittent nature of magnetic reconnection in the solar chromosphere.

Chromospheric jets around the edges of sunspots

Evidence is beginning to be put forward that demonstrates the role of the chromosphere in supplying energy and mass to the corona. We aim to assess the role of chromospheric jets in active region dynamics. Using a combination of the Hinode/SOT Ca II H and TRACE 1550 {\AA} and 1600 {\AA} filters we examine chromospheric jets situated at the edge of a sunspot. Analysis reveals a near continuous series of jets, that raise chromospheric material into the low corona above a sunspot. The jets have average rise speeds of 30 km\,s^{-1} and a range of 10-100km\,s^{-1}. Enhanced emission observed at the jets leading edge suggests the formation of a shock front. Increased emission in TRACE bandpasses above the sunspot and the disappearance of the jets from the Ca II filter suggests that some of the chromospheric jet material is at least heated to \sim0.1MK. The evidence suggests that the jets could be a mechanism which provides a steady, low-level heating for active region features.

STATISTICAL STUDY OF CHROMOSPHERIC ANEMONE JETS OBSERVED WITHHINODE/SOT

The Solar Optical Telescope on board Hinode has revealed numerous tiny jets in all regions of the chromosphere outside of sunspots. A typical chromospheric anemone jet has a cusp-shaped structure and bright footpoint, similar to the shape of an X-ray anemone jet observed previously with the Soft X-ray Telescope on board Yohkoh. The similarity in the shapes of chromospheric and X-ray anemone jets suggests that chromospheric anemone jets are produced as a result of the magnetic reconnection between a small bipole (perhaps a tiny emerging flux) and a pre-existing uniform magnetic field in the lower chromosphere. We examine various chromospheric anemone jets in the solar active region near the solar limb and study the typical features (e.g., length, width, lifetime, and velocity) of the chromospheric anemone jets. Statistical studies show that chromospheric anemone jets have: (1) a typical length {approx}1.0-4.0 Mm, (2) a width {approx}100-400 km, (3) a lifetime {approx}100-500 s, and (4) a velocity {approx}5-20 km s{sup -1}. The velocity of the chromospheric anemone jets is comparable to the local Alfven speed in the lower solar chromosphere ({approx}10 km s{sup -1}). The histograms of chromospheric anemone jets near the limb and near the disk center show similar averages andmore » shapes of distributions, suggesting that the characteristic behavior of chromospheric anemone jets is independent of whether they are observed on the disk or at the limb. The observed relationship between the velocity and length of chromospheric anemone jets shows that the jets do not follow ballistic motion but are more likely accelerated by some other mechanism. This is consistent with numerical simulations of chromospheric anemone jets.« less

CHROMOSPHERIC JET AND GROWING “LOOP” OBSERVED BYHINODE: NEW EVIDENCE OF FAN-SPINE MAGNETIC TOPOLOGY RESULTING FROM FLUX EMERGENCE

We present observations of a chromospheric jet and growing "loop" system that show new evidence of a fan-spine topology resulting from magnetic flux emergence. This event, occurring in an equatorial coronal hole on 2007 February 9, was observed by the Hinode Solar Optical Telescope in the Ca II H line in unprecedented detail. The predecessor of the jet is a bundle of fine material threads that extend above the chromosphere and appear to rotate about the bundle axis at ~50 km/s (period <200 s). These rotations or transverse oscillations propagate upward at velocities up to 786 km/s. The bundle first slowly and then rapidly swings up, with the transition occurring at the onset of an A4.9 flare. A loop expands simultaneously in these two phases (velocity: 16-135 km/s). Near the peak of the flare, the loop appears to rupture; simultaneous upward ejecta and mass downflows faster than free-fall appear in one of the loop legs. The material bundle then swings back in a whiplike manner and develops into a collimated jet, which is orientated along the inferred open field lines with transverse oscillations continuing at slower rates. Some material falls back along smooth streamlines, showing no more oscillations. At low altitudes, the streamlines bifurcate at presumably a magnetic null point and bypass an inferred dome, depicting an inverted-Y geometry. These streamlines closely match in space the late Ca II H loop and X-ray flare loop. These observations are consistent with the model that flux emergence in an open-field region leads to magnetic reconnection, forming a jet and fan-spine topology. We propose that the material bundle and collimated jet represent the outer spine in quasi-static and eruptive stages, respectively, and the growing loop is a 2D projection of the 3D fan surface.

Observations of Chromospheric Anemone Jets with Hinode Ca II Broadband Filtergraph and Hida Ca II Spectroheliograph

Abstract We report on the first simultaneous observations of chromospheric “anemone” jets in solar active regions with the Hinode Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) Ca II H broadband filtergraph and the Ca II K spetroheliograph on the Domeless Solar Telescope (DST) at Hida Observatory. During the period of coordinated observations, nine chromospheric anemone jets were simultaneously observed with the two instruments. These observations revealed three important features: (1) the jets are generated in the lower chromosphere; i.e., these cannot be seen in Ca II K$_{3}$; (2) the length and lifetime of the jets are 0.4–5 Mm and 40–320 s, respectively; (3) the apparent velocity of the jets observed with the SOT is 3–24 km s$^{-1}$, while the Ca II K$_{3}$ component at the jets shows a blueshift (in 5 events) in the range of 2–6 km s$^{-1}$. The chromospheric anemone jets are associated with mixed polarity regions, which are either small emerging flux regions or moving magnetic features. It is found that the Ca II K line often shows red or blue asymmetry in the K$_{2}$/K$_{1}$ component; the footpoint of the jets associated with emerging flux regions often shows a redshift (2–16 km s$^{-1}$), while the one with moving magnetic features shows a blueshift ($\sim\ $5 km s$^{-1}$). A detailed analysis of the magnetic evolution of the jet-forming regions revealed that the reconnection rate (or canceling rate) of the total magnetic flux at the footpoint of the jets is on the order of 10$^{16}\ $Mx s$^{-1}$, and the resulting magnetic energy release rate is (1.1–10) $\times$ 10$^{24}\ $erg s$^{-1}$, with a total energy release of (1–13) $\times$ 10$^{26}\ $erg for the duration of the magnetic cancellation, $\sim\ $130 s. These are comparable to the estimated total energy, $\sim\ $10$^{26}\ $erg, in a single chromospheric anemone jet. In addition to the DST Ca II K spectroheliogram and the SOT Ca II H broadband filtergram, we also used for analysis an SOT magnetogram as well as a Hida H$\alpha $ filtergram. We present a physical model of the jet based on the observation, and discuss the relation between chromospheric anemone jets and Ellerman bombs.

AN INTRIGUING CHROMOSPHERIC JET OBSERVED BY HINODE : FINE STRUCTURE KINEMATICS AND EVIDENCE OF UNWINDING TWISTS

We report a chromospheric jet lasting for more than 1 hr observed by Hinode Solar Optical Telescope in unprecedented detail. The ejection occurred in three episodes separated by 12-14 min, with the amount and velocity of material decreasing with time. The upward velocities range from 438 to 33 km/s, while the downward velocities of the material falling back have smaller values (mean: -56 km/s) and a narrower distribution (standard deviation: 14 km/s). The average acceleration inferred from parabolic space-time tracks is 141 m/s^2, a fraction of the solar gravitational acceleration. The jet consists of fine threads (0.5-2.0 arcsec wide), which exhibit coherent, oscillatory transverse motions perpendicular to the jet axis and about a common equilibrium position. These motions propagate upward along the jet, with the maximum phase speed of 744 +/- 11 km/s at the leading front of the jet. The transverse oscillation velocities range from 151 to 26 km/s, amplitudes from 6.0 to 1.9 Mm, and periods from 250 to 536 s. The oscillations slow down with time and cease when the material starts to fall back. The falling material travels along almost straight lines in the original direction of ascent, showing no transverse motions. These observations are consistent with the scenario that the jet involves untwisting helical threads, which rotate about the axis of a single large cylinder and shed magnetic helicity into the upper atmosphere.