Solar Atmosphere Research Articles

Direct Imaging of a Prolonged Plasma/Current Sheet and Quasiperiodic Magnetic Reconnection on the Sun

Magnetic reconnection is widely believed to be the fundamental process in the solar atmosphere that underlies magnetic energy release and particle acceleration. This process is responsible for the onset of solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and other explosive events (e.g., jets). Here, we report direct imaging of a prolonged plasma/current sheet along with quasiperiodic magnetic reconnection in the solar corona using ultra-high-resolution observations from the 1.6 m Goode Solar Telescope at the Big Bear Solar Observatory and the Solar Dynamics Observatory/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly. The current sheet appeared near a null point in the fan–spine topology and persisted over an extended period (≈20 hr). The length and apparent width of the current sheet were about 6″ and 2″, respectively, and the plasma temperature was ≈10–20 MK. We observed quasiperiodic plasma inflows and outflows (bidirectional jets with plasmoids) at the reconnection site/current sheet. Furthermore, quasiperiodic reconnection at the long-lasting current sheet produced recurrent eruptions (small flares and jets) and contributed significantly to the recurrent impulsive heating of the active region. Direct imaging of a plasma/current sheet and recurrent null-point reconnection for such an extended period has not been reported previously. These unprecedented observations provide compelling evidence that supports the universal model for solar eruptions (i.e., the breakout model) and have implications for impulsive heating of active regions by recurrent reconnection near null points. The prolonged and sustained reconnection for about 20 hr at the breakout current sheet provides new insights into the dynamics and energy release processes in the solar corona.

On the sausage magnetohydrodynamic waves in magnetic flux tubes: finite plasma beta and phase mixing

Abstract Over the past twenty years, there has been increasing evidence of the existence of sausage waves in the solar atmosphere. These observations make them useful tools in the context of atmospheric seismology. Here, we study sausage magnetohydrodynamic waves in a magnetic flux tube of non-zero plasma beta with a circular cross-section and a radially inhomogeneous plasma density. Solving numerically the equations of motion for an initial value problem, the spatio-temporal evolution of the velocity perturbations is obtained for different sets of parameters. We show that the ratio of the amplitudes of the longitudinal and radial perturbations is determined by the amount of plasma beta. Additionally, the longitudinal component of the velocity perturbation experiences phase-mixing within a layer surrounding the boundary of the flux tube with a rate depending on the amount of plasma beta. The results revealed that in the presence of a non-zero plasma beta, the flux tube exhibits oscillations in both the radial and longitudinal directions, characterized by a combination of two frequencies: one belonging to the slow continuum and the other to the Alfvén continuum. Also, the period of radial oscillation is obtained for different sets of parameters. The dependence of the period of the radial oscillation on the wavenumber confirms the results obtained in previous studies.

A search for mode coupling in magnetic bright points

Magnetic bright points (MBPs) are one of the smallest manifestations of the magnetic field in the solar atmosphere and are observed to extend from the photosphere up to the chromosphere. As such, they represent an excellent feature to use in searches for types of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves and mode coupling in the solar atmosphere. In this work, we aim to study wave propagation in the lower solar atmosphere by comparing intensity oscillations in the photosphere with the chromosphere via a search for possible mode coupling, in order to establish the importance of these types of waves in the solar atmosphere, and their contribution to heating the chromosphere. These observations were conducted in July 2011 with the Rapid Oscillations of the Solar Atmosphere (ROSA) and the Hydrogen-Alpha Rapid Dynamics Camera (HARDCam) instruments at the Dunn Solar Telescope. Observations with good seeing were made in the G-band and Halpha wave bands. Speckle reconstruction and several post facto techniques were applied to return science-ready images. The spatial sampling of the images was 0.069arcsec /pixel (50 km/pixel). We used wavelet analysis to identify traveling MHD waves and derive frequencies in the different bandpasses. We isolated a large sample of MBPs using an automated tracking algorithm throughout our observations. Two dozen of the brightest MBPs were selected from the sample for further study. We find oscillations in the G-band MBPs, with frequencies between 1.5 and 3.6 mHz. Corresponding MBPs in the lower solar chromosphere observed in Halpha show a frequency range of 1.4 to 4.3 mHz. In about 38<!PCT!> of the MBPs, the ratio of Halpha to G-band frequencies was near two. Thus, these oscillations show a form of mode coupling where the transverse waves in the photosphere are converted into longitudinal waves in the chromosphere. The phases of the Halpha and G-band light curves show strong positive and negative correlations only 21<!PCT!> and 12<!PCT!> of the time, respectively. From simple estimates we find an energy flux of approx 45 $ $ W m$^ $ and show that the energy flowing through MBPs is enough to heat the chromosphere, although higher-resolution data are needed to explore this contribution further. Regardless, mode coupling is important in helping us understand the types of MHD waves in the lower solar atmosphere and the overall energy budget.

Periodic Coronal Rain Driven by Self-consistent Heating Process in a Radiative Magnetohydrodynamic Simulation

The periodic coronal rain and in-phase radiative intensity pulsations have been observed in multiple wavelengths in recent years. However, due to the lack of three-dimensional coronal magnetic fields and thermodynamic data in observations, it remains challenging to quantify the coronal heating rate that drives the mass cycles. In this work, based on the MURaM code, we conduct a three-dimensional radiative magnetohydrodynamic simulation spanning from the convective zone to the corona, where the solar atmosphere is heated self-consistently through dissipation resulting from magnetoconvection. For the first time, we model the periodic coronal rain in an active region. With a high spatial resolution, the simulation well resembles the observational features across different extreme-ultraviolet wavelengths. These include the realistic interweaving coronal loops, periodic coronal rain, and periodic intensity pulsations, with two periods of 3.0 hr and 3.7 hr identified within one loop system. Moreover, the simulation allows for a detailed three-dimensional depiction of coronal rain on small scales, revealing adjacent shower-like rain clumps ∼500 km in width and showcasing their multithermal internal structures. We further reveal that these periodic variations essentially reflect the cyclic energy evolution of the coronal loop under thermal nonequilibrium state. Importantly, as the driver of the mass circulation, the self-consistent coronal heating rate is considerably complex in time and space, with hour-level variations in 1 order of magnitude, minute-level bursts, and varying asymmetry reaching ten times between footpoints. This provides an instructive template for the ad hoc heating function and further enhances our understanding of the coronal heating process.

A Data-constrained Analysis for Joule Heating as a Solar Active Region Atmosphere Heating Mechanism. I. Sunspot Umbral Light Bridge

Understanding the mechanisms underlying the heating of the solar atmosphere is a fundamental problem in solar physics. The lower atmosphere of the Sun (i.e., photosphere and chromosphere) is composed of weakly ionized plasma. This results in anisotropic dissipation of electric currents by Coulomb and Cowling resistivities. Joule heating due to dissipation of currents perpendicular to the magnetic field by Cowling resistivity has been demonstrated to be the main mechanism for the heating of a sunspot umbral light bridge located in NOAA AR 12002 on 2014 March 13. Here, we focus on the same target region and demonstrate the importance of further constraining our Joule heating model using observational data in addition to magnetic field, namely plasma temperature calculated from the inversion of spectroscopic data obtained from the Interferometric BI-dimensional Spectrometer instrument of the ground-based Dunn Solar Telescope. As a parameter in our analysis, temperature is demonstrated to have the highest sensitivity after magnetic field. We show that the heating of the light bridge is a highly dynamic event that necessitates utilization of 3D spatially resolved observational data for temperature rather than a 1D temperature stratification based on theoretical/semiempirical solar atmosphere models. Our improved data-constrained analysis using spatially resolved temperatures shows that the entire light bridge is heated by the proposed mechanism, and yields heating rate values that are consistent with our previous study.

A Linear Analysis of Torsional Alfvén Waves in Open Twisted Divergent Magnetic Flux Tubes for Coronal Heating

The torsional Alfvén wave is highly regarded as the carrier of the energy from the photosphere to the corona in the solar atmosphere. This paper presents a comprehensive linear analysis of the wave behavior and energy transfer within an open, twisted, divergent magnetic flux tube configuration, considering the impact of wave guide structure on the propagation of these waves using the magneto-hydrodynamic approach. The study shows that waves with frequencies between 0.001 Hz and 1 Hz can effectively penetrate the transition region, with the most efficient energy transfer occurring in the 0.1 Hz to 1 Hz frequency range. The research findings suggest that waves with certain intermediate frequencies are able to transmit energy to the coronal region of the Sun, contributing to its active heating.

Improving the Automated Coronal Jet Identification with U-NET

Coronal jets are one of the most common eruptive activities in the solar atmosphere. They are related to rich physics processes, including, but not limited to, magnetic reconnection, flaring, instabilities, and plasma heating. Automated identification of off-limb coronal jets has been difficult due to their abundant nature, complex appearance, and relatively small size compared to other features in the corona. In this paper, we present an automated jet identification algorithm (AJIA) that utilizes true and fake jets previously detected by a laborious semiautomated jet detection algorithm (SAJIA) as the input of an image segmentation neural network U-NET. It is found that AJIA can achieve a much higher (0.81) detecting precision than SAJIA (0.34) while giving the possibility of whether each pixel in an input image belongs to a jet. We demonstrate that with the aid of artificial neural networks, AJIA can enable fast, accurate, and real-time off-limb coronal jet identification from Solar Dynamics Observatory/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly 304 Å observations, which are essential in studying the collective and long-term behavior of coronal jets and their relation to the solar activity cycles.

Analyzing the Sequence of Phases Leading to the Formation of the Active Region 13664, with Potential Carrington-like Characteristics

Abstract Several recurrent X-class flares from Active Region (AR) 13664 triggered a severe G5-class geomagnetic storm between 2024 May 10 and 11. The morphology and compactness of this AR closely resemble the AR responsible for the famous Carrington Event of 1859. Although the induced geomagnetic currents produced a value of the Dst index, probably 1 order of magnitude weaker than that of the Carrington Event, the characteristics of AR 13664 warrant special attention. Understanding the mechanisms of magnetic field emergence and transformation in the solar atmosphere that lead to the formation of such an extensive, compact, and complex AR is crucial. Our analysis of the emerging flux and horizontal motions of the magnetic structures observed in the photosphere reveals the fundamental role of a sequence of emerging bipoles at the same latitude and longitude, followed by converging and shear motions. This temporal order of processes frequently invoked in magnetohydrodynamic models—emergence, converging motions, and shear motions—is critical for the storage of magnetic energy preceding strong solar eruptions that, under the right timing, location, and direction conditions, can trigger severe space weather events on Earth.

Solar Wind Structures from the Gaussianity of Magnetic Magnitude

The heliosphere is permeated with highly structured solar wind originating from the Sun. One of the primary science objectives of Parker Solar Probe (PSP) is to determine the structures and dynamics of the plasma and magnetic fields at the sources of the solar wind. However, establishing the connection between in situ measurements and structures and dynamics in the solar atmosphere is challenging: most of the magnetic footpoint mapping techniques have significant uncertainties in the source localization of a plasma parcel observed in situ, and the PSP plasma measurements suffer from a limited field of view. Therefore, it lacks a universal tool to self-contextualize the in situ measurements. Here we develop a novel time series visualization method named Gaussianity Scalogram. Utilizing this method, by analyzing the magnetic magnitude data from both PSP and Ulysses, we successfully identify in situ structures that are possible remnants of solar atmospheric and magnetic structures spanning more than 7 orders of magnitude, from years to seconds, including polar and midlatitude coronal holes, as well as structures compatible with supergranulation, “jetlets” and “picoflares.” Furthermore, computer simulations of Alfvénic turbulence successfully reproduce the Gaussianization of magnetic magnitude, supporting the observed distribution. Building upon these discoveries, the Gaussianity Scalogram can help future studies to reveal the fractal-like fine structures in the solar wind time series from both PSP and a decades-old data archive.

Nonparametric Statistics on Magnetic Properties at the Footpoints of Erupting Magnetic Flux Ropes

It is under debate whether the magnetic field in the solar atmosphere carries neutralized electric currents, in particular, whether a magnetic flux rope (MFR), which is considered the core structure of coronal mass ejections, carries neutralized electric currents. Recently Wang et al. (2023) studied magnetic flux and electric current measured at the footpoints of 28 eruptive MFRs from 2010 to 2015. Because of the small sample size, no rigorous statistical analysis has been done. Here, we include nine more events from 2016 to 2023 and perform a series of nonparametric statistical tests at a significance level of 5%. The tests confirm that there exist no significant differences in magnetic properties between conjugated footpoints of the same MFR, which justifies the method of identifying the MFR footpoints through coronal dimming. The tests demonstrate that there exist no significant differences between MFRs with preeruption dimming and those with only posteruption dimming. However, there is a medium level of association between MFRs carrying substantial net current and those producing preeruption dimming, which can be understood by the Lorentz self-force of the current channel. The tests also suggest that in estimating the magnetic twist of MFRs, it is necessary to take into account the spatially inhomogeneous distribution of electric current density and magnetic field.

Transition region response to quiet-Sun Ellerman bombs

Context. Quiet-Sun Ellerman bombs (QSEBs) are key indicators of small-scale photospheric magnetic reconnection events. Recent high-resolution observations have shown that they are ubiquitous and that large numbers of QSEBs can be found in the quiet Sun. Aims. We aim to understand the impact of QSEBs on the upper solar atmosphere by analyzing their spatial and temporal relationship with the UV brightenings observed in transition region diagnostics. Methods. We analyzed high-resolution Hβ observations from the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope and utilized k-means clustering to detect 1423 QSEBs in a 51 min time series. We used coordinated and co-aligned observations from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) to search for corresponding signatures in the 1400 Å slit-jaw image (SJI) channel and in the Si IV 1394 Å and Mg II 2798.8 Å triplet spectral lines. We identified UV brightenings from SJI 1400 using a threshold of 5σ above the median background. Results. We focused on 453 long-lived QSEBs (> 1 min) and found 67 cases of UV brightenings from SJI 1400 occurring near the QSEBs, both temporally and spatially. Temporal analysis of these events indicates that QSEBs start before UV brightenings in 57% of cases, while UV brightenings lead in 36% of instances. The majority of the UV brightenings occur within 1000 km of the QSEBs in the direction of the solar limb. We also identify 21 QSEBs covered by the IRIS slit, four of which show emissions in the Si IV 1394 Å and/or Mg II 2798.8 Å triplet lines, at distances within 500 km of the QSEBs in the limb direction. Conclusions. We conclude that a small fraction (15%) of the long-lived QSEBs contribute to the localized heating observable in transition region diagnostics, indicating they play a minimal role in the global heating of the upper solar atmosphere.

Influence of electrons on granulation-generated solar chromosphere heating and plasma outflows

Context. It is known that the solar atmosphere exhibits a varying degree of ionization through its different layers. The ionization degree directly depends on plasma temperature, that is, the lower the temperature, the lower the ionization degree. As a result, the plasma in the lower atmospheric layers (the photosphere and the chromosphere) is only partially ionized, which motivates the use of a three-fluid model. Aims. We consider, for the first time, the influence of electrons on granulation-generated solar chromosphere heating and plasma outflows. We attempt to detect variations in the ion temperature and plasma up- and downflows. Methods. We performed 2.5D numerical simulations of the generation and evolution of granulation-generated waves, flows, and other granulation-associated phenomena with an adapted JOANNA code. This code solves the simplified three-fluid equations for ions (protons) and electrons and neutrals (hydrogen atoms) that are coupled by collision forces. Results. Electron-neutral and electron–ion collisions provide extra heat in the low chromosphere and enhance plasma outflows in this region. The effect of electrons is small compared to ion–neutral collisions, which have a significantly greater effect on the heating process and the production of outflows. Ion–neutral collisions involve higher energy exchanges, making them the dominant mechanism over collisions with electrons. Conclusions. Electrons do not play a major role in heating and producing outflows, primarily because their mass is much lower compared to that of neutrals and ions, resulting in lower energy transfer during collisions.

Properties of sunspot light bridges on a geometric height scale

Context. Investigating light bridges (LBs) helps us comprehend key aspects of sunspots. However, few studies have analyzed the properties of LBs in terms of the geometric height, which is a more realistic perspective given the corrugation of the solar atmosphere. Aims. We aim to shed light on LBs by studying the variation in their physical properties with geometric height. Methods. We used the SICON code to infer the physical quantities in terms of the optical depth and the Wilson depression values of three LBs hosted by a sunspot observed with Hinode/SP in the Fe I 630 nm pair lines. We also used SIR inversions to cross-check the height variation of the field inclination in the LBs. In both output sets, we performed linear interpolation to convert the physical parameters from optical depth into a geometric height scale in each pixel. Results. Depending on their general appearance, we classified each LB as filamentary, grainy, or umbral. They appear as ridges that reach different maximum heights, with the umbral LB being the deepest. While the filamentary LB hosts a plasma inflow from the penumbra, the results for the grainy LB are compatible with an injection of hot plasma through convective cells of reduced field strength. Only a few positions reveal hints suggesting a cusp-like magnetic canopy. Moreover, strong gradients in the magnetic field strength and inclination usually exhibit enhanced electric currents, with the filamentary LB having remarkably strong currents that appear to be related to chromospheric events. Conclusions. The height stratification in filamentary and grainy LBs differ, indicating diverse mechanisms at work. Our results are in general incompatible with a magnetic canopy scenario, and further analysis is needed to confirm whether it exists along the entire LB or only at specific locations. Furthermore, this work assesses the usefulness of the SICON code when determining the height stratification of solar structures.

Learned infinite elements for helioseismology. Learning transparent boundary conditions for the solar atmosphere

Acoustic waves in the Sun are affected by the atmospheric layers, but this region is often ignored in forward models because it increases the computational cost. The purpose of this work is to take the solar atmosphere into account without significantly increasing the computational cost. We solved a scalar-wave equation that describes the propagation of acoustic modes inside the Sun using a finite-element method. The boundary conditions used to truncate the computational domain were learned from the Dirichlet-to-Neumann operator, that is, the relation between the solution and its normal derivative at the computational boundary. These boundary conditions may be applied at any height above which the background medium is assumed to be radially symmetric. We show that learned infinite elements lead to a numerical accuracy similar to the accuracy that is obtained for a traditional radiation boundary condition in a simple atmospheric model. The main advantage of learned infinite elements is that they reproduce the solution for any radially symmetric atmosphere to a very good accuracy at low computational cost. In particular, when the boundary condition is applied directly at the surface instead of at the end of the photosphere, the computational cost is reduced by 20<!PCT!> in 2D and by 60<!PCT!> in 3D. This reduction reaches 70<!PCT!> in 2D and 200<!PCT!> in 3D when the computational domain includes the atmosphere. We emphasize the importance of including atmospheric layers in helioseismology and propose a computationally efficient method to do this.

Investigation of Phase Shift and Travel Time of Acoustic Waves in the Lower Solar Atmosphere Using Multiheight Velocities

We report and discuss the phase shift and phase travel time of low-frequency (ν < 5.0 mHz) acoustic waves estimated within the photosphere and photosphere–chromosphere interface regions, utilizing multiheight velocities in the quiet Sun. The bisector method has been employed to estimate seven height velocities in the photosphere within the Fe i 6173 Å line scan, while nine height velocities are estimated from the chromospheric Ca ii 8542 Å line scan observations obtained from the narrowband imager instrument installed on the Multi-Application Solar Telescope operational at the Udaipur Solar Observatory, India. Utilizing a fast Fourier transform at each pixel over the full field of view, phase shift and coherence have been estimated. The frequency and height-dependent phase shift integrated over the regions having an absolute line-of-sight magnetic field of less than 10 G indicates the nonevanescent nature of low-frequency acoustic waves within the photosphere and photosphere–chromosphere interface regions. Phase travel time estimated within the photosphere shows nonzero values, aligning with previous simulations and observations. Further, we report that the nonevanescent nature persists beyond the photosphere, encompassing the photospheric–chromospheric height range. We discuss possible factors contributing to the nonevanescent nature of low-frequency acoustic waves. Additionally, our observations reveal a downward propagation of high-frequency acoustic waves indicating refraction from higher layers in the solar atmosphere. This study contributes valuable insights into the understanding of the complex dynamics of acoustic waves within different lower solar atmospheric layers, shedding light on the nonevanescent nature and downward propagation of the acoustic waves.

Effect of area divergence and frequency on damping of slow magnetoacoustic waves propagating along umbral fan loops

ABSTRACT Waves play an important role in the heating of solar atmosphere; however, observations of wave propagation and damping from the solar photosphere to corona through chromosphere and transition region are very rare. Recent observations have shown propagation of 3-min slow magnetoacoustic waves (SMAWs) along fan loops from the solar photosphere to corona. In this work, we investigate the role of area divergence and frequencies on the damping of SMAWs propagating from the photosphere to the corona along several fan loops rooted in the sunspot umbra. We study the Fourier power spectra of oscillations along fan loops at each atmospheric height which showed significant enhancements in 1–2, 2.3–3.6, and 4.2–6 min period bands. Amplitude of intensity oscillations in different period bands and heights are extracted after normalizing the filtered light curves with low-frequency background. We find damping of SMAW energy flux propagating along the fan loop 6 with damping lengths $\approx 170$ and $\approx 208$ km for 1.5- and 3-min period bands. We also show the decay of total wave energy content with height after incorporating area divergence effect, and present actual damping of SMAWs from photosphere to corona. Actual damping lengths in this case increases to $\approx 172$ and $\approx 303$ km for 1.5- and 3-min period bands. All the fan loops show such increase in actual damping lengths, and thus highlight the importance of area divergence effect. Results also show some frequency-dependent damping of SMAW energy fluxes with height where high-frequency waves are damped faster than low-frequency waves.

The Large Imaging Spectrometer for Solar Accelerated Nuclei (LISSAN): A next-generation solar gamma-ray spectroscopic imaging instrument concept

We present the Large Imaging Spectrometer for Solar Accelerated Nuclei (LISSAN), a new solar dedicated satellite instrument concept. LISSAN relies on an indirect Fourier imaging technique valid over an energy range from 40 keV up to 100 MeV. Spatial information is encoded into 15 moiré patterns by 15 pairs of slightly offset grids (bigrids) separated by a fixed distance enabling a predicted spatial resolution of 10”. The time, location, and energy of each incoming photon is recorded via a pixelated gadolinium aluminium gallium garnet (GAGG) crystal scintillator detector placed in alignment with each bigrid, therefore providing simultaneous imaging and spectroscopy from the same imaging system. X-ray and gamma-ray emission are key diagnostics of electron and ion acceleration, respectively. However, despite being a fundamental process that occurs throughout the Universe, particularly in the solar atmosphere, only one resolved gamma-ray image of ion acceleration in a solar flare has ever been achieved. LISSAN will shed new light on this process by providing spectral resolution better than 1.5% FWHM at 6.1 MeV, an imaging effective area at 2.2 MeV of 100 cm2 (more than 25 times greater than past missions such as RHESSI) and a 10 s cadence. Thanks to these significant advances over the previous satellite-based solar detectors, LISSAN will provide reliable imaging and the spectral characterization of both electron and ion acceleration in solar eruptive events simultaneously for the first time, enabling to it to answer several important open questions regarding solar particle acceleration and the initiation of space weather events.

Observations of Locally Excited Waves in the Low Solar Atmosphere Using the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope

We present an interpretation of the recent Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) observations of propagating wave fronts in the lower solar atmosphere. Using MPS/University of Chicago MHD radiative magnetohydrodynamic simulations spanning the solar photosphere, the overshoot region, and the lower chromosphere, we identify three acoustic-wave source mechanisms, each occur at a different atmospheric height. We synthesize the DKIST Visible Broadband Imager G-band, blue-continuum, and Ca ii K signatures of these waves at high spatial and temporal resolution, and conclude that the wave fronts observed by DKIST likely originate from acoustic sources at the top of the solar photosphere overshoot region and in the chromosphere proper. The overall importance of these local sources to the atmospheric energy and momentum budget of the solar atmosphere is unknown, but one of the excitation mechanisms identified (upward propagating shock interaction with down-welling chromospheric plasma resulting in acoustic radiation) may be an important shock dissipation mechanism. Additionally, the observed wave fronts may prove useful for ultralocal helioseismological inversions and promise to play an important diagnostic role at multiple atmospheric heights.

Extreme-ultraviolet Polarimetric Diagnostics of the Solar Corona: The Hanle Effect of Ne viii 770 Å

Magnetic fields are the primary driver of the plasma thermodynamics in the upper solar atmosphere, especially in the corona. However, magnetic field measurements in the solar corona are sporadic, thereby limiting us from the complete understanding of physical processes occurring in the coronal plasma. In this paper, we explore the diagnostic potential of a coronal emission line in the extreme-ultraviolet, i.e., Ne viii 770 Å, to probe the coronal magnetic fields. We utilize 3D “Magnetohydrodynamic Algorithm outside a Sphere” models as input to the FORWARD code to model polarization in the Ne viii line produced as a result of resonance scattering, and we interpret its modification due to collisions and the magnetic fields through the Hanle effect. The polarization maps are synthesized both on the disk and off the limb. The variation of this polarization signal through the different phases of Solar Cycle 24 and the beginning phase of Solar Cycle 25 is studied in order to understand the magnetic diagnostic properties of this line owing to different physical conditions in the solar atmosphere. The detectability of the linear polarization signatures of the Hanle effect significantly improves with increasing solar activity, consistent with the increase in the magnetic field strength and the intensity of the mean solar brightness at these wavelengths. We finally discuss the signal-to-noise ratio requirements by considering realistic instrument designs.

Unraveling the Trigger Mechanism of Explosive Reconnection in Partially Ionized Solar Plasma

Plasmoid instability usually accounts for the onset of fast reconnection events observed in astrophysical plasmas. However, the measured reconnection rate from observations can be one order of magnitude higher than that derived from magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations. In this study, we present the results of magnetic reconnection in the partially ionized low solar atmosphere based on 2.5D MHD simulations. The whole reconnection process covers two different fast reconnection phases. In the first phase, the slow Sweet–Parker reconnection transits to the plasmoid-mediated reconnection, and the reconnection rate reaches about 0.02. In the second phase, a faster explosive reconnection appears, with the reconnection rate reaching above 0.06. At the same time, a sharp decrease in plasma temperature and density at the principle X-point is observed, which is associated with the strong radiative cooling, the ejection of hot plasma from the local reconnection region, or the motion of the principle X-point from a hot and dense region to a cool and less dense region along the narrow current sheet. This causes gas pressure depletion and increases magnetic diffusion at the main X-point, resulting in the local Petschek-like reconnection and a violent and rapid increase in the reconnection rate. This study for the first time reveals a common phenomenon where the plasmoid-dominated reconnection transits to an explosive faster reconnection with a rate approaching the order of 0.1 in partially ionized plasma in the MHD scale.