Quiet Sun Regions Research Articles

Energy estimation of small-scale jets from the quiet-Sun region

Context. Solar jets play a role in coronal heating and the supply of solar wind. Aims. In this study, we calculate the energies of 23 small-scale jets emerging from a quiet-Sun region in order to investigate their contributions to coronal heating. Methods. We used data from the High-Resolution Imager (HRI) of the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) on board the Solar Orbiter. Small-scale jets were observed by the HRIEUV 174 Å passband in the high cadence of 6 s. These events were identified by the time–distance stacks along the trajectories of jets. Using the simultaneous observation from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), we also performed a differential emission measure (DEM) analysis on these small-scale jets to obtain the physical parameters of plasma, which enabled us to estimate the kinetic and thermal energies of the jets. Results. We find that most of the jets exhibit common unidirectional or bidirectional motions, while some show more complex behaviors; namely, a mixture of unidirection and bidirection. A majority of jets also present repeated eruption blobs (plasmoids), which may be signatures of the quasi-periodic magnetic reconnection that has been observed in solar flares. The inverted Y-shaped structure can be recognized in several jets. These small-scale jets typically have a width of ∼0.3 Mm, a temperature of ∼1.7 MK, an electron number density of ≳109 cm−3, with speeds in a wide range from ∼20–170 km s−1. Most of these jets have an energy of 1023–1024 erg, which is marginally smaller than the energy of typical nanoflares. The thermal energy fluxes of 23 jets are estimated to be (0.74–2.96)×105 erg cm−2 s−1, which is almost on the same order of magnitude as the energy flow required to heat the quiet-Sun corona, although the kinetic energy fluxes vary over a wide range because of their strong dependence on velocity. Furthermore, the frequency distribution of thermal energy and kinetic energy both follow the power-law distribution N(E)∝E−α. Conclusions. Our observations suggest that although these jets cannot provide sufficient energy to heat the whole quiet-Sun coronal region, they are likely to account for a significant portion of the energy demand in the local regions where the jets occur.

Globin: A spectropolarimetric inversion code for the coupled inference of atomic line parameters

Context. The reliability of physical parameters describing the solar atmosphere inferred from observed spectral line profiles depends on the accuracy of the involved atomic parameters. For many transitions, atomic data, such as the oscillator strength (log(gf)) and the central wavelength of the line, are poorly constrained or even unknown. Aims. We present and test a new inversion method that infers atomic line parameters and the height stratification of the atmospheric parameters from spatially resolved spectropolarimetric observations of the Sun. This method is implemented in the new inversion code globin. Methods. The new method employs a global minimization algorithm enabling the coupling of inversion parameters common to all pixels, such as the atomic parameters of the observed spectral lines. At the same time, it permits the optimum atmospheric parameters to be retrieved individually for each spatial pixel. The uniqueness of this method lies in its ability to retrieve reliable atomic parameters even for heavily blended spectral lines. We tested the method by applying it to a set of 18 blended spectral lines between 4015 Å and 4017 Å, synthesized from a 3D magnetohydrodynamic simulation containing a sunspot and the quiet Sun region around it. The results were then compared with a previously used inversion method where atomic parameters were determined for every pixel independently (pixel-by-pixel method). For the same spectral region, we also inferred the atomic parameters from the synthesized spatially averaged disc-centre spectrum of the quiet-sun. Results. The new method was able to retrieve the log(gf) values of all lines to an accuracy of 0.004 dex, while the pixel-by-pixel method retrieved the same parameter to an accuracy of only 0.025 dex. The largest differences between the two methods are evident for the heavily blended lines, with the former method performing better than the latter. In addition, the new method is also able to infer reliable atmospheric parameters in all the inverted pixels by successfully disentangling the degeneracies between the atomic and atmospheric parameters. Conclusions. The new method is well suited for the reliable determination of both atomic and atmospheric parameters and works well on all spectral lines, including those that are weak and/or severely blended. This is of high relevance, especially for the analysis of observations of spectral regions with a very high density of spectral lines. An example includes the future near-ultraviolet spectropolarimetric observations of the SUNRISE III stratospheric balloon mission.

EMISSA: Exploring millimetre indicators of solar-stellar activity III. Comparison of Ca II indices and millimetre continua in a 3D model atmosphere

Amongst several spectral lines, some of the strongest chromospheric diagnostics are offered by the Ca II H K lines. These lines can be used to gauge the temperature stratification of the atmosphere since the line core and wings are formed in different regions of the solar atmosphere. Furthermore, the Ca II lines act as tracers for the magnetic structure of the solar atmosphere, as the line cores are formed in the upper chromosphere even though they are formed in non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (NLTE). In contrast, the formation of millimetre (mm) continuum radiation occurs under local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) conditions. As a result, the brightness temperatures obtained from observations with the Atacama Large Millimetre/Submillimetre Array (ALMA) offer a complementary perspective on the activity and thermal structure of stellar atmospheres. The overall aim is to establish more robust solar/stellar activity indicators using ALMA observations in comparison with classical diagnostics, such as the s index and infrared triplet (IRT) index. We employed the 1.5D radiative transfer codes RH1.5D and advanced radiative transfer (ART) to compute the synthetic spectra for the Ca II lines and the millimetre (mm) continua, respectively. These calculations were performed using an enhanced network atmosphere model, which incorporates non-equilibrium hydrogen ionisation generated by the state-of-the-art 3D radiation magnetohydrodynamics (rMHD) Bifrost code. To account for the limited spatial resolution of ALMA, we simulated the effect using a Gaussian point spread function (PSF). Additionally, we analysed the correlations and slopes of scatter plots between the Ca II indices and mm continuum for the original and degraded resolutions, focusing on the entire simulation box, quiet Sun regions, and enhanced network patches separately. The activity indices generated from these lines could further be used to compare the spectra of Sun-like stars with the solar spectrum. We present a comparative study between synthetic continuum brightness temperature maps at mm wavelengths (0.3 mm to 8.5 mm) and the Ca II activity indices; namely, the s index and infrared triplet (IRT) index. The Ca II activity indices and mm brightness temperatures are weakly correlated at the high resolution, with the highest correlation observed at a wavelength of 0.3 mm, corresponding to ALMA band 10. As the resolution decreases, the correlation consistently increases. Conversely, the slopes exhibit a decreasing trend with increasing wavelength, while the degradation of resolution does not noticeably affect the calculated slopes. As the spatial resolution decreases, the standard deviations of the Ca II activity indices and brightness temperatures decrease, while the correlations between them increase. However, the slopes do not exhibit significant changes. Consequently, these relationships could be valuable for calibrating the mm continuum maps obtained through ALMA observations.

Tracking the motion of a shock along a channel in the low solar corona

Context. Shock waves are excited by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and large-scale extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) wave fronts and can result in low-frequency radio emission under certain coronal conditions. Aims. In this work, we investigate a moving source of low-frequency radio emission as a CME and an associated EUV wave front move along a channel of a lower density, magnetic field, and Alfvén speed in the solar corona. Methods. Observations from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory, the Nançay Radio Heliograph (NRH), and the Irish Low Frequency Array (I-LOFAR) were analysed. Differential emission measure maps were generated to determine densities and Alfvén maps, and the kinematics of the EUV wave front was tracked using CorPITA. The radio sources’ positions and velocity were calculated from NRH images and I-LOFAR dynamic spectra. Results. The EUV wave expanded radially with a uniform velocity of ∼500 km s−1. However, the radio source was observed to be deflected and appeared to move along a channel of a lower Alfvén speed, abruptly slowing from 1700 km s−1 to 250 km s−1 as it entered a quiet-Sun region. A shock wave with an apparent radial velocity of > 420 km s−1 was determined from the drift rate of the associated Type II radio burst. Conclusions. The apparent motion of the radio source may have resulted from a wave front moving along a coronal wave guide or by different points along the wave front emitting at locations with favourable conditions for shock formation.

The Plasma β in Quiet Sun Regions: Multi-instrument View

A joint campaign of several spaceborne and ground-based observatories, such as the GREGOR solar telescope, the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS), and the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (Hinode Observing Plan 381, 2019 October 11–22) was conducted to investigate the plasma β in quiet Sun regions. In this work, we focus on 2019 October 13, 17, and 19 to obtain the plasma β at different heights through the solar atmosphere based on multiheight observational data. We obtained temperature, density, and magnetic field estimates from the GREGOR High-resolution Fast Imager, Infrared Spectrograph, Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, and EIS and complementary data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA). Using observational data and models (e.g., FALC and PFSS), we determined the plasma β in the photosphere, chromosphere, transition region, and corona. The obtained plasma β values lie inside the expected ranges through the solar atmosphere. However, at EIS and AIA coronal heights (from 1.03 to 1.20 R ⊙), plasma β values appear in the limit defined by Gary; such behavior was previously reported by Rodríguez Gómez et al. Additionally, we obtained the plasma β in the solar photosphere at different optical depths from logτ=−1.0 to –2.0. These values decrease with optical depth. This work provides a complete picture of plasma β in quiet Sun regions through the solar atmosphere, which is a prerequisite of a better understanding of the plasma dynamics at the base of the solar corona.

Persistent Homology Analysis for Solar Magnetograms

Understanding the magnetic fields of the Sun is essential for unraveling the underlying mechanisms driving solar activity. Integrating topological data analysis techniques into these investigations can provide valuable insights into the intricate structures of magnetic fields, enhancing our comprehension of solar activity and its implications. In this study, we explore what persistent homology can offer in the analysis of solar magnetograms, with the objective of introducing a novel tool that will serve as the foundation for further studies of magnetic structures at the solar surface. By combining various filtration methods of the persistent homology analysis, we conduct an analysis of solar magnetograms that captures the broad magnetic scene, involving a mixture of positive and negative polarities. This analysis is applied to observations of both quiet-Sun and active regions, taken with the Hinode/Solar Optical Telescope and SDO/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager, respectively. Our primary focus is on analyzing the properties of the spatial structures and features of the magnetic fields identified through these techniques. The results show that persistent diagrams can encode the spatial structural complexity of the magnetic flux of active regions by identifying the isolated, connected, and interacting features. They facilitate the classification of active regions based on their morphology and the detection and quantification of interacting structures of opposing polarities, such as δ spots. The small-scale events in the quiet Sun, such as magnetic flux cancellation and emergence, are also revealed in persistent diagrams and can be studied by observing the evolution of the plots and tracking the relevant features.

Coronal Heating and Solar Wind Generation by Flux Cancellation Reconnection

In this paper, we propose that flux cancellation on small granular scales (≲1000 km) ubiquitously drives reconnection at a multitude of sites in the low solar atmosphere, contributing to chromospheric/coronal heating and the generation of the solar wind. We analyze the energy conversion in these small-scale flux cancellation events using both analytical models and three-dimensional, resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations. The analytical models—in combination with the latest estimates of flux cancellation rates—allow us to estimate the energy release rates due to cancellation events, which are found to be on the order 106–107 erg cm−2 s−1, sufficient to heat the chromosphere and corona of the quiet Sun and active regions, and to power the solar wind. The MHD simulations confirm the conversion of energy in reconnecting current sheets, in a geometry representing a small-scale bipole being advected toward an intergranular lane. A ribbon-like jet of heated plasma that is accelerated upward could also escape the Sun as the solar wind in an open-field configuration. We conclude that through two phases of atmospheric energy release—precancellation and cancellation—the cancellation of photospheric magnetic flux fragments and the associated magnetic reconnection may provide a substantial energy and mass flux contribution to coronal heating and solar wind generation.

Centre-to-limb variations in coronal hole and quiet sun regions obtained with IRIS spectroscopic observations

ABSTRACT The centre-to-limb variations (CLV) of Gaussian fit parameters of the transition region Si iv 1402.77 Å spectral line in quiet Sun (QS) and coronal hole (CH) regions are presented. The results are derived from a full-disc mosaic scan obtained by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph on 2017 September 24. The CLV for a CH transition region line has not previously been reported, and the parameters are found to show variations consistent with the QS. The intensity increases towards the limb, consistent with an increasing plasma column depth due to line-of-sight effects. The Doppler velocity is normalized to be zero at the limb for both QS and CH and increases to +4.8 km s−1 (redshift) at disc centre for CH and +5.2 km s−1 for QS. Non-thermal broadening in the CH decreases from a maximum of 24 km s−1 at the limb to 10 km s−1 at disc centre. For QS the broadening decreases from 25 km s−1 at the limb to 14 km s−1 at disc centre. Both Doppler velocities and non-thermal velocities vary linearly with $\cos \, \theta$, where θ is the heliocentric angle. The QS results for both parameters are consistent with earlier work.

An Unsupervised Machine Learning-based Algorithm for Detecting Weak Impulsive Narrowband Quiet Sun Emissions and Characterizing Their Morphology

The solar corona is extremely dynamic. Every leap in observational capabilities has been accompanied by unexpected revelations of complex dynamic processes. The ever more sensitive instruments now allow us to probe events with increasingly weaker energetics. A recent leap in the low-frequency radio solar imaging ability has led to the discovery of a new class of emissions, namely weak impulsive narrowband quiet Sun emissions (WINQSEs). They are hypothesized to be the radio signatures of coronal nanoflares and could potentially have a bearing on the long standing coronal heating problem. In view of the significance of this discovery, this work has been followed up by multiple independent studies. These include detecting WINQSEs in multiple data sets, using independent detection techniques and software pipelines, and looking for their counterparts at other wavelengths. This work focuses on investigating morphological properties of WINQSEs and also improves upon the methodology used for detecting WINQSEs in earlier works. We present a machine learning-based algorithm to detect WINQSEs, classify them based on their morphology, and model the isolated ones using 2D Gaussians. We subject multiple data sets to this algorithm to test its veracity. Interestingly, despite the expectations of their arising from intrinsically compact sources, WINQSEs tend to be resolved in our observations. We propose that this angular broadening arises due to coronal scattering. Hence, WINQSEs can provide ubiquitous and ever-present diagnostic of coronal scattering (and, in turn, coronal turbulence) in the quiet Sun regions, which has not been possible until date.

Similarity measurement tracking and properties evolution of photospheric bright point groups in the quiet Sun and active region

ABSTRACT Photospheric bright points (BPs) fast movement is more effective than the slow movement that occurs most of the time in transmitting energy to the corona. The splitting and merging BPs tend to produce relatively large velocities. Therefore, our aim is to detect and track BP groups. After that, the attribute distribution of BP groups and the attribute evolution under possible high-speed movement are studied and analysed. We use a new BPs detection model (HBD-model) that can effectively detect weak BPs and layered BPs and then use similarity measures to judge the splitting and merging of BPs for tracking. The average accuracy of the BPs detection algorithm is 0.74, and the average accuracy of tracking is more than 85 per cent. For the BPs in the quiet Sun (QS) and active region (AR), a total of 62 388 evolutionary BPs were identified and tracked. The average velocities are more than 2 km s−1 in the QS and ARs. For the QS and ARs, the evolution process of splitting or merging BPs is basically the same. The results show that for the merged BPs, the area and velocity of the BPs are tiny in the initial stage, reach a peak in the middle stage, and then become smaller and disappear. The area, intensity contrast, and velocity of the BPs with splitting are relatively tiny at the beginning, become larger at the middle stage, reach the peak after splitting, and then become smaller and disappear rapidly.

Statistical study of extreme-ultraviolet nanoflares in the quiet-Sun transition region

Aims. We carried out a large statistical study of ubiquitous small-scale extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) brightenings in the nanoflare energy range in the quiet-Sun transition region to derive their properties, estimate their contribution to the heating of the solar atmosphere, and compare their numbers to the coronal events published in the literature. This is the first study of this magnitude at temperatures of about 2 × 105 K. Methods. We applied a numerical method for detecting small-scale transient events in long 1D image time series. We used data recorded by the SOHO Coronal Diagnostic Spectrometer (CDS) in the transition region line O V 62.97 nm (220 000 K) and analysed 702 h of sit-and-stare time series obtained with a cadence of 15.6 s and 50 h with a cadence of 20.5 s in different quiet-Sun areas at a fixed slit position. These data span from 1996 to 2011. This analysis used a different method and a vastly larger number of data than the previous high-cadence CDS study of small events. Results. We derive histograms of event durations, of the rise and decay time, of the peak intensity and thermal energy, and we obtain a continuous spectrum of their distributions for 117 000 events, spanning the nanoflare energy range with a linear spatial extent of 2−10 arcsec and with durations between 45 s and 40 min. The event peak intensity varied by a factor of 60. We demonstrated that all categories of small-scale events in the transition region are part of a continuum of activity. We obtain a total event rate of 460 s−1 on the entire surface of the Sun. This is more than four times greater than the coronal rate. The maximum value of the duration distribution occurs at 235 s, which is twice the duration of the coronal events. The decay time and rise time difference seen from the shortest to the longest events is symmetrical. We find two event populations: the power law of the smallest events that are confined to one pixel is far steeper for the peak count rates (index of −4.1) and thermal energy (index of −7) than the power law for combined larger events that extend over two or more pixels along the slit (thermal energy power-law index from −2.1 to −3.4). Conclusions. The power law of the thermal energy of the smallest events, extrapolated to lower energies (picoflares), may provide a huge amount of energy for heating the entire transition region plasma at temperatures of about 220 000 K. An extrapolation of only the flatter power law of the larger events can also account for the entire observed emission.

Removal of Active Region Inflows Reveals a Weak Solar Cycle Scale Trend in the Near-surface Meridional Flow

Using time–distance local helioseismology flow maps within 1 Mm of the solar photosphere, we detect inflows toward activity belts that contribute to solar-cycle scale variations in the near-surface meridional flow. These inflows stretch out as far as 30° away from the active region centroids. If active region neighborhoods are excluded, the solar-cycle-scale variation in the background meridional flow diminishes to below 2 m s−1, but still shows systematic variations in the absence of active regions between sunspot cycles 24 and 25. We therefore propose that the near-surface meridional flow is a three-component flow made up of a constant baseline flow profile that can be derived from quiet-Sun regions, variations due to inflows around active regions, and solar-cycle-scale variation of about 2 m s−1. Torsional oscillation, on the other hand, is found to be a global phenomenon, i.e., exclusion of active region neighborhoods does not significantly affect its magnitude or phase. This nonvariation in torsional oscillation with distance away from active regions and the three-component breakdown of the near-surface meridional flow serve as vital constraints for solar dynamo models and surface flux-transport simulations.

Estimating the longitudinal magnetic field in the chromosphere of quiet-Sun magnetic concentrations

Context. Details of the magnetic field in the quiet-Sun chromosphere are key to our understanding of essential aspects of the solar atmosphere. However, the strength and orientation of this magnetic field have not been thoroughly studied at high spatial resolution. Aims. We aim to determine the longitudinal magnetic field component (B∥) of quiet-Sun regions depending on their size. Methods. We estimated B∥ by applying the weak-field approximation to high-spatial-resolution Ca II 854.2 nm data taken with the Swedish 1 m Solar Telescope. Specifically, we analyzed the estimates inferred for different spectral ranges using the data at the original cadence and temporally integrated signals. Results. The longitudinal magnetic field in each considered plasma structure correlates with its size. Using a spectral range restricted to the line core leads to chromospheric longitudinal fields varying from ∼50 G at the edges to 150–500 G at the center of the structure. These values increase as the spectral range widens due to the photospheric contribution. However, the difference between this contribution and the chromospheric one is not uniform for all structures. Small and medium-sized concentrations show a steeper height gradient in B∥ compared to their chromospheric values, so estimates for wider ranges are less trustworthy. Signal addition does not alleviate this situation as the height gradients in B∥ are consistent with time. Finally, despite the amplified noise levels that deconvolving processes may cause, data restored with the destretching technique show similar results, though are affected by smearing. Conclusions. We obtained B∥ estimates similar to those previously found, except for large concentrations and wide spectral ranges. In addition, we report a correlation between the height variation of B∥ compared to the chromospheric estimates and the concentration size. This correlation affects the difference between the photospheric and chromospheric magnetic flux values and the reliability of the estimates for wider spectral ranges.

Comparison of the Composition of ICMEs from Active Regions and Quiet-Sun Regions

The composition of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs), including the ionic charge states and elemental abundances of heavy elements, is tightly correlated with their source regions and eruption processes. This can help in analyzing the eruption mechanisms and plasma origins of CMEs, and deepen our understanding of energetic solar activities. The active regions and quiet-Sun regions have different physical properties; thus, from a statistical point of view, ICMEs originating from the two types of regions should exhibit different compositional characteristics. To demonstrate the differences comprehensively, we conduct survey studies on the ionic charge states of five elements (Mg, Fe, Si, C, and O) and the relative abundances of six elements (Mg/O, Fe/O, Si/O, C/O, Ne/O, and He/O) within ICMEs from 1998 February to 2011 August using data from the Advanced Composition Explorer. The results show that ICMEs from active regions have higher ionic charge states and relative abundances than those from quiet-Sun regions. For the active-region ICMEs, we further analyze the relations between their composition and flare class, and find a positive relationship between them, i.e., the higher the classes of the associated flares, the larger the means of the ionic charge states and relative abundances (except the C/O) within ICMEs. As more (less) fractions of ICMEs originate from active regions around the solar maximum (minimum), and active-region ICMEs usually are associated with higher-class flares, our studies might answer why the composition of ICMEs measured near 1 au exhibits a solar cycle dependence.

High-frequency Decayless Waves with Significant Energy in Solar Orbiter/EUI Observations

High-frequency wave phenomena present a great deal of interest as one of the possible candidates to contribute to the energy input required to heat the corona as a part of the alternating current heating theory. However, the resolution of imaging instruments up until the Solar Orbiter has made it impossible to resolve the necessary time and spatial scales. The present paper reports on high-frequency transverse motions in a small loop located in a quiet-Sun region of the corona. The oscillations were observed with the High Resolution Imager in the Extreme Ultraviolet telescope (17.4 nm) of the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager instrument on board the Solar Orbiter. We detect two transverse oscillations in short loops with lengths of 4.5 and 11 Mm. The shorter loop displays an oscillation with a 14 s period and the longer a 30 s period. Despite the high resolution, no definitive identification as propagating or standing waves is possible. The velocity amplitudes are found to be equal to 72 and 125 km s−1, respectively, for the shorter and longer loops. Based on that, we also estimated the values of the energy flux contained in the loops—the energy flux of the 14 s oscillation is 1.9 kW m−2 and that of the 30 s oscillation is 6.5 kW m−2. While these oscillations have been observed in the quiet Sun, their energy fluxes are of the same order as the energy input required to heat the active solar corona. Numerical simulations were performed in order to reproduce the observed oscillations. The correspondence of the numerical results to the observations provides support to the estimates of energy content for the observations. Such high energy densities have not yet been observed in decayless coronal waves, and this is promising for coronal heating models based on wave damping.

Study of Radio Transients from the Quiet Sun during an Extremely Quiet Time

In this work, we study a class of recently discovered meter-wave solar transients referred to as Weak Impulsive Narrowband Quiet Sun Emission (WINQSEs). Their strength is a few percent of the quiet Sun background and is characterized by their very impulsive, narrowband, and ubiquitous presence in quiet Sun regions. Mondal et al. (2020) hypothesized that these emissions might be the radio counterparts of nanoflares, and their potential significance warrants detailed studies. Here we present an analysis of data from an extremely quiet time and with improved methodology over the previous work. As before, we detect numerous WINQSEs, which we have used for their further characterization. Their key properties, namely, their impulsive nature and ubiquitous presence in the quiet Sun, are observed in these data as well. Interestingly, we also find some of the observed properties to differ significantly from the earlier work. With this demonstration of routine detection of WINQSEs, we hope to engender interest in the larger community to build a deeper understanding of WINQSEs.

Differences in physical properties of coronal bright points and their ALMA counterparts within and outside coronal holes

Aims. This study investigates and compares the physical properties, such as intensity and area, of coronal bright points (CBPs) inside and outside of coronal holes (CHs) using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) observations. Methods. The CBPs were analysed using the single-dish ALMA Band 6 observations, combined with extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) 193 Å filtergrams obtained by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) and magnetograms obtained by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI), both on board SDO. The CH boundaries were extracted from the SDO/AIA images using the Collection of Analysis Tools for Coronal Holes (CATCH) and CBPs were identified in the SDO/AIA, SDO/HMI, and ALMA data. Measurements of brightness and areas in both ALMA and SDO/AIA images were conducted for CBPs within CH boundaries and quiet Sun regions outside CHs. Two equal size CBP samples, one inside and one outside CHs, were randomly chosen and a statistical analysis was conducted. The statistical analysis was repeated 200 times using a bootstrap technique to eliminate the results based on pure coincidence. Results. The boundaries of five selected CHs were extracted using CATCH and their physical properties were obtained. Statistical analysis of the measured physical CBP properties using two different methods resulted in a lower average intensity in the SDO/AIA data, or brightness temperature in the ALMA data, for CBPs within the boundaries of all five CHs. Depending on the CBP sample size, the difference in intensity for the SDO/AIA data, and brightness temperature for the ALMA data, between the CBPs inside and outside CHs ranged from between 2σ and 4.5σ, showing a statistically significant difference between those two CBP groups. We also obtained CBP areas, where CBPs within the CH boundaries showed lower values for the measured areas, with the observed difference between the CBPs inside and outside CHs between 1σ and 2σ for the SDO/AIA data, and up to 3.5σ for the ALMA data, indicating that CBP areas are also significantly different for the two CBP groups. We also found that, in comparison to the SDO/AIA data, the measured CBP properties in the ALMA data show a small brightness temperature difference and a higher area difference between the CBPs within and outside of CHs, possibly because of the modest spatial resolution of the ALMA images. Conclusions. Given the measured properties of the CBPs, we conclude that the CBPs inside CHs tend to be less bright on average, but also smaller in comparison to those outside of CHs. This conclusion might point to the specific physical conditions and properties of the local CH region around a CBP limiting the maximum achievable intensity (temperature) and size of a CBP. The need for the interferometric ALMA data is also emphasised to get more precise physical CBP property measurements at chromospheric heights.

Observations of pores and surrounding regions with CO 4.66 μm lines by BBSO/CYRA

Context. Solar observations of carbon monoxide (CO) indicate the existence of lower-temperature gas in the lower solar chromosphere. We present an observation of pores, and quiet-Sun, and network magnetic field regions with CO 4.66 μm lines by the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrograph (CYRA) at Big Bear Solar Observatory. Aims. We used the strong CO lines at around 4.66 μm to understand the properties of the thermal structures of lower solar atmosphere in different solar features with various magnetic field strengths. Methods. Different observations with different instruments were included: CO 4.66 μm imaging spectroscopy by CYRA, Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) 1700 Å images, Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) continuum images, line-of-sight (LOS) magnetograms, and vector magnetograms. The data from 3D radiation magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation with the Bifrost code are also employed for the first time to be compared with the observation. We used the Rybicki-Hummer (RH) code to synthesize the CO line profiles in the network regions. Results. The CO 3-2 R14 line center intensity changes to be either enhanced or diminished with increasing magnetic field strength, which should be caused by different heating effects in magnetic flux tubes with different sizes. We find several “cold bubbles” in the CO 3-2 R14 line center intensity images, which can be classified into two types. One type is located in the quiet-Sun regions without magnetic fields. The other type, which has rarely been reported in the past, is near or surrounded by magnetic fields. Notably, some are located at the edge of the magnetic network. The two kinds of cold bubbles and the relationship between cold bubble intensities and network magnetic field strength are both reproduced by the 3D MHD simulation with the Bifrost and RH codes. The simulation also shows that there is a cold plasma blob near the network magnetic fields, causing the observed cold bubbles seen in the CO 3-2 R14 line center image. Conclusions. Our observation and simulation illustrate that the magnetic field plays a vital role in the generation of some CO cold bubbles.

Solar Orbiter and SDO Observations, and a Bifrost Magnetohydrodynamic Simulation of Small-scale Coronal Jets

We report high-resolution, high-cadence observations of five small-scale coronal jets in an on-disk quiet Sun region observed with Solar Orbiter’s EUI/HRIEUV in 174 Å. We combine the HRIEUV images with the EUV images of SDO/AIA and investigate the magnetic setting of the jets using coaligned line-of-sight magnetograms from SDO/HMI. The HRIEUV jets are miniature versions of typical coronal jets as they show narrow collimated spires with a base brightening. Three out of five jets result from a detectable minifilament eruption following flux cancelation at the neutral line under the minifilament, analogous to coronal jets. To better understand the physics of jets, we also analyze five small-scale jets from a high-resolution Bifrost MHD simulation in synthetic Fe ix/Fe x emissions. The jets in the simulation reside above neutral lines and four out of five jets are triggered by magnetic flux cancelation. The temperature maps show evidence of cool gas in the same four jets. Our simulation also shows the signatures of opposite Doppler shifts (of the order of ±10 s of km s−1) in the jet spire, which is evidence of untwisting motion of the magnetic field in the jet spire. The average jet duration, spire length, base width, and speed in our observations (and in synthetic Fe ix/Fe x images) are 6.5 ± 4.0 min (9.0 ± 4.0 minutes), 6050 ± 2900 km (6500 ± 6500 km), 2200 ± 850 km, (3900 ± 2100 km), and 60 ± 8 km s−1 (42 ± 20 km s−1), respectively. Our observation and simulation results provide a unified picture of small-scale solar coronal jets driven by magnetic reconnection accompanying flux cancelation. This picture also aligns well with the most recent reports of the formation and eruption mechanisms of larger coronal jets.

Automatic Computation of Linear Magneto-Hydro-Static Equilibria

Deriving the physical parameters of observed phenomena in the solar atmosphere has fundamental importance, as these parameters are then employed to constrain and validate models. Here we report the development of a new computational algorithm based on a magneto-hydro-static model that computes the magnetic field in the solar atmosphere and automatically matches individual magnetic-field lines with observed structures that appear with enhanced emission in extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) images. Presently, for the quiet-Sun regions, we can only measure the vertical photospheric magnetic field B_{z}, as accurate horizontal magnetic field measurements are not available. Thus, vertical photospheric magnetic-field measurements are extrapolated into the upper atmosphere, from the photosphere to the corona, with a magneto-hydro-static model. Free model parameters are then optimized with a downhill-simplex method by comparing quantitatively magnetic-field lines with the enhanced emission of loop structures composing the so-called coronal bright points recorded in EUV images taken with the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on-board the Solar Dynamics Observatory. The algorithm will be applicable to any solar image data where individual structures with an enhanced emission can be resolved. Most importantly, the algorithm can be employed to obtain the magnetic properties of these structures above the photosphere.