UV Bursts Research Articles

A multi-instrument study of UV bursts and associated surges in AR 12957

The relationship between UV bursts and solar surges is complex, with these events sometimes being observed together and sometimes being observed independently. Why this sporadic association exists is unknown; however, it likely relates to the physical conditions at the site of the energy release that drives these events. Here, we aim to better understand the relationship between UV bursts and solar surges through a multi-instrument analysis of several associated events that occurred around the trailing sunspot in AR $12957$. We used data from Solar Orbiter, the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), and the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) to achieve our aims. These data were sampled on 3 March 2022 between $09$:$30$:$30$ UT and $11$:$00$:$00$ UT, during which time a coordinated observing campaign associated with the Slow Solar Wind Connection Solar Orbiter Observing Plan (SOOP) took place. Numerous small-scale negative polarity magnetic magnetic features (MMFs) were observed to move quickly (potentially up to $3.3$ km s$^ $) away from a sunspot until they collided with a more stable positive polarity plage region around $7$ Mm away. Several UV bursts were identified in IRIS slit-jaw imager (SJI) $1400$ data co-spatial to where these opposite polarity fields interacted, with spatial scales ($2$ Mm$<$) and lifetimes ($20<$ minutes) larger than typical values for such events. Two surges were also observed to occur at these locations, with one being short ($5$ Mm) and hot (bright in the IRIS SJI images), whilst the other was a cooler (dark in coronal imaging channels), longer surge that appeared to fill an active region loop. Magnetic reconnection between the negative polarity MMFs around the sunspot and the positive polarity plage region appears to be the driver of these events. Both the speed of the MMFs and the locally open magnetic topology of the plage region could possibly have been important for forming the surges.

Hard X-rays from the deep solar atmosphere: An unusual UV burst with flare properties

Explosive transient events occur throughout the solar atmosphere. The differing manifestations range from coronal mass ejections to Ellermann bombs. The former may have negligible signatures in the lower atmosphere, and the latter may have negligible nonthermal emissions such as hard X-radiation. A solar flare generally involves a broad range of emission signatures. Using a suite of four space-borne telescopes, we report a solar event that combines aspects of simple UV bursts and hard X-ray emitting flares at the same time. The event is a compact C-class flare in active region AR11861, SOL2013-10-12T00:30. By fitting a combined isothermal and nonthermal model to the hard X-ray spectrum, we inferred plasma temperatures in excess of 15\,MK and a nonthermal power of about $3 xii and xxi emission lines, which are characteristic of emission from hotter plasma with a temperature over 1\,MK. Moreover, the event exhibited very limited signatures in the extreme-UV wavelengths. Our study indicates that a UV burst -- hard X-ray flare hybrid phenomenon exists in the low solar atmosphere. Plasma that heats to high temperatures coupled with particle acceleration by magnetic energy that is released directly in the lower atmosphere sheds light on the nature of active region core heating and on inferences of flare signatures.

A magnetic reconnection model for the hot explosion with both ultraviolet and Hα wing emissions

Context. Ellerman bombs (EBs) with significant Hα wing emissions and ultraviolet bursts (UV bursts) with strong Si IV emissions are two kinds of small transient brightening events that occur in the low solar atmosphere. The statistical observational results indicate that about 20% of the UV bursts connect with EBs. While some promising models exist for the formation mechanism of colder EBs in conjunction with UV bursts, the topic remains an area of ongoing research and investigation. Aim. We numerically investigated the magnetic reconnection process between the emerging arch magnetic field and the lower atmospheric background magnetic field. We aim to find out if the hot UV emissions and much colder Hα wing emissions can both appear in the same reconnection process and how they are located in the reconnection region. Methods. The open-source code NIRVANA was applied to perform the 2.5D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation. We developed the related sub-codes to include the more realistic radiative cooling process for the photosphere and chromosphere and the time-dependent ionization degree of hydrogen. The initial background magnetic field is 600 G, and the emerged magnetic field in the solar atmosphere is of the same magnitude, meaning that it results in a low- β magnetic reconnection environment. We also used the radiative transfer code RH1.5D to synthesize the Si IV and Hα spectral line profiles based on the MHD simulation results. Results. Magnetic reconnection between emerged and background magnetic fields creates a thin, curved current sheet, which then leads to the formation of plasmoid instability and the nonuniform density distributions. Initially, the temperature is below 8000 K. As the current sheet becomes more vertical, denser plasmas are drained by gravity, and hotter plasmas above 20 000 K appear in regions with lower plasma density. The mix of hot tenuous and much cooler dense plasmas in the turbulent reconnection region can appear at about the same height, or even in the same plasmoid. Through the reconnection region, the synthesized Si IV emission intensity can reach above 106 erg s−1 sr−1 cm−2 Å−1 and the spectral line profile can be wider than 100 km s−1, the synthesized Hα line profile also show the similar characteristics of a typical EB. The turbulent current sheet is always in a dense plasma environment with an optical depth larger than 6.5 × 10−5 due to the emerged magnetic field pushing high-density plasmas upward. Conclusions. Our simulation results indicate that the cold EB and hot UV burst can both appear in the same reconnection process in the low chromosphere, the EB can either appear several minutes earlier than the UV burst, or they can simultaneously appear at the similar altitude in a turbulent reconnection region below the middle chromosphere.

Small-scale magnetic flux emergence preceding a chain of energetic solar atmospheric events

Advancements in instrumentation have revealed a multitude of small-scale extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) events in the solar atmosphere and considerable effort is currently undergoing to unravel them. Our aim is to employ high-resolution and high-sensitivity magnetograms to gain a detailed understanding of the magnetic origin of such phenomena. We used coordinated observations from the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope (SST), the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph ( and the Solar Dynamics Observatory ( to analyze an ephemeral magnetic flux emergence episode and the following chain of small-scale energetic events. These unique observations clearly link these phenomena together. The high-resolution (0 $) magnetograms obtained with SST/CRISP allowed us to reliably measure the magnetic field at the photosphere and to detect the emerging bipole that caused the subsequent eruptive atmospheric events. Notably, this small-scale emergence episode remains indiscernible in the lower resolution SDO/HMI magnetograms (0 $). We report the appearance of a dark bubble in related to the emerging bipole, a sign of the canonical expanding magnetic dome predicted in flux emergence simulations. Evidence of reconnection are also found, first through an Ellerman bomb and later by the launch of a surge next to a UV burst. The UV burst exhibits a weak EUV counterpart in the coronal SDO/AIA channels. By calculating the differential emission measure (DEM), its plasma is shown to reach a temperature beyond 1 MK and to have densities between the upper chromosphere and transition region. Our study showcases the importance of high-resolution magnetograms in revealing the mechanisms that trigger phenomena such as EBs, UV bursts, and surges. This could hold implications for small-scale events similar to those recently reported in the EUV using Solar Orbiter. The finding of temperatures beyond 1 MK in the UV burst plasma strongly suggests that we are examining analogous features. Therefore, we recommend caution when drawing conclusions from full-disk magnetograms that lack the necessary resolution to reveal their true magnetic origin.

Multiline Stokes Synthesis of Ellerman Bombs: Obtaining Seamless Information from Photosphere to Chromosphere

Magnetic reconnection in the lower atmosphere is a critical process in determining the chromospheric dynamics, such as Ellerman bombs and UV bursts. Because the heating of the atmosphere significantly depends on the ionization degree and plasma β, which varies with height, it is essential to diagnose the height at which the magnetic reconnection takes place. Multiwavelength spectropolarimetry is a powerful solution to fulfill this requirement. We verify the diagnostic capabilities and usefulness of near-infrared multiwavelength spectropolarimetric observations for understanding magnetic reconnection phenomena by synthesizing the Stokes vector from a realistic magnetohydrodynamic simulation. The analysis considers two magnetic reconnection regions occurring at different heights. In the case of magnetic reconnection at low altitude, both red- and blueshifted components originating from reconnection bidirectional flow are identified in the photospheric lines, Fe i 8468 Å, K i 7664 Å, and K i 7698 Å. In the case of magnetic reconnection at high altitudes, chromospheric lines, Ca ii 8498 Å and 8542 Å, show emission due to the heating that occurs at the upper part of the formation layer. These results suggest that multiwavelength spectropolarimetric observations are capable of distinguishing the height where magnetic reconnection occurs.

Investigating datasets with high IRIS burst prevalence

Context. Approximately 0.01% of all Si IV 1394 Å spectra sampled in 2013 and 2014 by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) have IRIS burst profiles. However, these events are not evenly distributed across datasets with 19.31% of these spectra being identified in only six (of more than 3500) rasters. Aims. Here, we investigate five of these six datasets, with the aim of understanding why they contain so many IRIS burst profiles. This research will help guide future targeted analyses of IRIS bursts. Methods. We analyse five datasets sampled by the IRIS satellite, studying both Si IV 1394 Å spectra and 1400 Å filter slit-jaw imager (SJI) data. IRIS burst profiles are identified through the use of an automated algorithm. Additionally, we study co-spatial line-of-sight photospheric magnetic field maps sampled by the Solar Dynamics Observatory’s Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (SDO/HMI) instrument. Results. The majority of identified IRIS burst profiles (12 401 out of 13 904) found in the five datasets analysed here were localised to seven small regions in the time-distance domain (temporal durations of < 4 h and spatial lengths of < 12″ along the slit). The SJI data co-spatial to these regions contained long-lived or repetitive compact brightenings, matching the defined properties of UV bursts, which remained close to the IRIS slit throughout their evolutions. The IRIS burst profiles were not limited to the brightest pixels in the fields of view (FOVs) nor did they comprise the majority of bright (> 500 DN/s) pixels. These IRIS burst profiles occurred co-spatial to evolving (e.g., cancelling) opposite polarity magnetic fields where magnetic reconnection is thought to be possible. Conclusions. More than 10% of the IRIS burst profiles identified during the entirety of 2013 and 2014 are contained in just seven small regions in the time-distance domain where long-lived (lifetimes > 10 min) or repetitive UV bursts occurred along the axis of the IRIS slit.

A 2D Model for Coronal Bright Points: Association with Spicules, UV Bursts, Surges, and EUV Coronal Jets

Coronal bright points (CBPs) are ubiquitous structures in the solar atmosphere composed of hot small-scale loops observed in extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) or X-rays in the quiet Sun and coronal holes. They are key elements to understanding the heating of the corona; nonetheless, basic questions regarding their heating mechanisms, the chromosphere underneath, or the effects of flux emergence in these structures remain open. We have used the Bifrost code to carry out a 2D experiment in which a coronal-hole magnetic null-point configuration evolves perturbed by realistic granulation. To compare with observations, synthetic SDO/AIA, Solar Orbiter EUI-HRI, and IRIS images have been computed. The experiment shows the self-consistent creation of a CBP through the action of stochastic granular motions alone, mediated by magnetic reconnection in the corona. The reconnection is intermittent and oscillatory, and it leads to coronal and transition-region temperature loops that are identifiable in our EUV/UV observables. During the CBP lifetime, convergence and cancellation at the surface of its underlying opposite polarities takes place. The chromosphere below the CBP shows a number of peculiar features concerning its density and the spicules in it. The final stage of the CBP is eruptive: Magnetic flux emergence at the granular scale disrupts the CBP topology, leading to different ejections, such as UV bursts, surges, and EUV coronal jets. Apart from explaining observed CBP features, our results pave the way for further studies combining simulations and coordinated observations in different atmospheric layers.

UV LIGHT INDUCED FLUORESCENCE RECOVERY OF GFP AFTER PHOTOBLEACHING IN MICROSCOPY IMAGING

Fluorescence microscopy has become one of the most important tools for biologists to visualize and study organelles and molecules in a cell. Fluorescent markers are used to visualize specific molecules. One of the most used markers is green fluorescent protein (GFP), which can be expressed along with a protein of interest. However, it is known that the intensity of fluorescence decreases with observation time. To combat this problem, researchers and companies have developed protocols and additives to mitigate photobleaching. In this study, we tested the effects of the three most used culture media on photobleaching and developed a new approach of short-wavelength fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP). Photobleaching was analyzed by comparing pixel brightness on images taken with a fluorescence microscope. We determined photobleaching of GFP-expressing cells from images taken with a fluorescence microscope by comparing pixel brightness. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the average bleaching for specific culture media. The culture media analyzed had no significant effect on the photobleaching of GFP. However, a brief UV burst (15 sec) restores 50% of the original fluorescence and neither increases ROS nor decreases cell viability. To avoid artifacts in image analysis and interpretation, our study suggests using this simple method of GFP fluorescence recovery with UV light induced FRAP to extend the fluorescence lifetime and imaging of GFP molecules.

Solar surges related to UV bursts

Context. Surges are cool and dense ejections typically observed in chromospheric lines and closely related to other solar phenomena such as UV bursts or coronal jets. Even though surges have been observed for decades now, questions regarding their fundamental physical properties such as temperature and density, as well as their impact on upper layers of the solar atmosphere remain open. Aims. Our aim is to address the current lack of inverted models and diagnostics of surges, as well as to characterize the chromospheric and transition region plasma of these phenomena. Methods. We have analyzed an episode of recurrent surges related to UV bursts observed with the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) in April 2016. The mid- and low-chromosphere of the surges were unprecedentedly examined by getting their representative Mg IIh&k line profiles through the k-means algorithm and performing inversions on them using the state-of-the-art STiC code. We have studied the far-UV spectra focusing on the O IV 1399.8 Å and 1401.2 Å lines, which were previously unexplored for surges, carrying out density diagnostics to determine the transition region properties of these ejections. We have also used numerical experiments performed with the Bifrost code for comparisons. Results. Thanks to the k-means clustering, we reduced the number of Mg IIh&k profiles to invert by a factor 43.2. The inversions of the representative profiles show that the mid- and low-chromosphere of the surges are characterized, with a high degree of reliability, by temperatures mainly around T = 6 kK at −6.0 ≤ log10(τ)≤ − 3.2. For the electronic number density, ne, and line-of-sight velocity, VLOS, the most reliable results from the inversions are within −6.0 ≤ log10(τ)≤ − 4.8, with ne ranging from ∼1.6 × 1011 cm−3 up to 1012 cm−3, and VLOS of a few km s−1. We find, for the first time, observational evidence of enhanced O IV emission within the surges, indicating that these phenomena have a considerable impact on the transition region even in the weakest far-UV lines. The O IV emitting layers of the surges have an electron number density ranging from 2.5 × 1010 cm−3 to 1012 cm−3. The numerical simulations provide theoretical support in terms of the topology and location of the O IV emission within the surges.

Revisiting the Spectral Features of Ellerman Bombs and UV Bursts. I. Radiative Hydrodynamic Simulations

Abstract Ellerman bombs (EBs) and UV bursts are both small-scale solar activities that occur in active regions. They are now believed to form at different heights in the lower atmosphere. In this paper, we use one-dimensional radiative hydrodynamic simulations to calculate various line profiles in response to heating in different atmospheric layers. We confirm that heating in the upper photosphere to the lower chromosphere can generate spectral features of typical EBs, while heating in the mid to upper chromosphere can generate spectral features of typical UV bursts. The intensity evolution of the Hα line wing in EBs shows a rise–plateau pattern, while that of the Si iv 1403 Å line center in UV bursts shows a rise–fall pattern. However, the predicted enhancement of the FUV continuum near 1400 Å for EBs is rarely reported and requires further observations to check it. With two heating sources or an extended heating source in the atmosphere, both EB and UV burst features could be reproduced simultaneously.

Line formation of He I D3 and He I 10 830 Å in a small-scale reconnection event

Context. Ellerman bombs (EBs) and UV bursts are small-scale reconnection events that occur in the region of the upper photosphere to the chromosphere. It has recently been discovered that these events can have emission signatures in the He I D3 and He I 10 830 Å lines, suggesting that their temperatures are higher than previously expected. Aims. We aim to explain the line formation of He I D3 and He I 10 830 Å in small-scale reconnection events. Methods. We used a simulated EB in a Bifrost-generated radiative magnetohydrodynamics snapshot. The resulting He I D3 and He I 10 830 Å line intensities were synthesized in 3D using the non-local thermal equilibrium (non-LTE) Multi3D code. The presence of coronal extreme UV (EUV) radiation was included self-consistently. We compared the synthetic helium spectra with observed raster scans of EBs in He I 10 830 Å and He I D3 obtained at the Swedish Solar Telescope with the TRI-Port Polarimetric Echelle-Littrow Spectrograph. Results. Emission in He I D3 and He I 10 830 Å is formed in a thin shell around the EB at a height of ∼0.8 Mm, while the He I D3 absorption is formed above the EB at ∼4 Mm. The height at which the emission is formed corresponds to the lower boundary of the EB, where the temperature increases rapidly from 6 × 103 K to 106 K. The synthetic line profiles at a heliocentric angle of μ = 0.27 are qualitatively similar to the observed profiles at the same μ-angle in dynamics, broadening, and line shape: emission in the wing and absorption in the line core. The opacity in He I D3 and He I 10 830 Å is generated through photoionization-recombination driven by EUV radiation that is locally generated in the EB at temperatures in the range of 2 × 104 − 2 × 106 K and electron densities between 1011 and 1013 cm−3. The synthetic emission signals are a result of coupling to local conditions in a thin shell around the EB, with temperatures between 7 × 103 and 104 K and electron densities ranging from ∼1012 to 1013 cm−3. This shows that both strong non-LTE and thermal processes play a role in the formation of He I D3 and He I 10 830 Å in the synthetic EB/UV burst that we studied. Conclusions. In conclusion, the synthetic He I D3 and He I 10 830 Å emission signatures are an indicator of temperatures of at least 2 × 104 K; in this case, as high as ∼106 K.

Observations and Modeling of the Onset of Fast Reconnection in the Solar Transition Region

Abstract Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental plasma process that plays a critical role not only in energy release in the solar atmosphere, but also in fusion, astrophysics, and other space plasma environments. One of the challenges in explaining solar observations in which reconnection is thought to play a critical role is to account for the transition of the dynamics from a slow quasi-continuous phase to a fast and impulsive energetic burst of much shorter duration. Despite the theoretical progress in identifying mechanisms that might lead to rapid onset, a lack of observations of this transition has left models poorly constrained. High-resolution spectroscopic observations from NASA's Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph now reveal tell-tale signatures of the abrupt transition of reconnection from a slow phase to a fast, impulsive phase during UV bursts or explosive events in the Sun's atmosphere. Our observations are consistent with numerical simulations of the plasmoid instability, and provide evidence for the onset of fast reconnection mediated by plasmoids and new opportunities for remote-sensing diagnostics of reconnection mechanisms on the Sun.

A Cancellation Nanoflare Model for Solar Chromospheric and Coronal Heating. III. 3D Simulations and Atmospheric Response

Abstract Inspired by recent observations suggesting that photospheric magnetic flux cancellation occurs much more frequently than previously thought, we analytically estimated the energy released from reconnection driven by photospheric flux cancellation, and propose that it can act as a mechanism for chromospheric and coronal heating. Using two-dimensional simulations we validated the analytical estimates and studied the resulting atmospheric response. In the present work, we set up 3D resistive MHD simulations of two canceling polarities in a stratified atmosphere with a horizontal external field to further validate and improve upon the analytical estimates. The computational evaluation of the parameters associated with the energy release are in good qualitative agreement with the analytical estimates. The computational Poynting energy flux into the current sheet is in good qualitative agreement with the analytical estimates, after correcting the analytical expression to better account for the horizontal extent of the current sheet. The atmospheric response to the cancellation is the formation of hot ejections, cool ejections, or a combination of both hot and cool ejections, which can appear with a time difference and/or be spatially offset, depending on the properties of the canceling region and the resulting height of the reconnection. Therefore, during the cancellation, a wide spectrum of ejections can be formed, which can account for the variety of multi-thermal ejections associated with Ellerman bombs, UV bursts, and IRIS bombs, and also other ejections associated with small-scale canceling regions and spicules.

Chromospheric UV Bursts and Turbulent-driven Magnetic Reconnection

Abstract We use Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) spacecraft data to study a group of Chromospheric ultraviolet bursts (UVBs) associated with an active region. We classify the UVBs into two types: smaller ones that can only be measured once by the scanning slit, and larger UVBs that are measured twice by the slit. The UVBs’ optically thin Si iv 1402.77 Å line profiles are studied intensively. By fitting the smaller UVBs’ lines with 1–2 Gaussians, we obtain a variety of line-of-sight flow measurements that hint various 3D orientations of small-scale magnetic reconnections, each associated with a UVB. The larger UVBs are, however, unique in a way that they each have two sets of measurements at two slit locations. This makes it possible to unambiguously detect two oppositely directed heated flows jetting out of a single UVB, a signature of magnetic reconnection operating at the heart of the UVB. Here, we report on the first of such an observation. Additionally, all the optically thin Si iv 1402.77 Å line profiles from those UVBs consistently demonstrate excessive broadening, an order of magnitude larger than would be expected from thermal broadening, suggesting that those small-scale reconnections could be driven by large scale (macroscale) turbulence in the active region.

Plasmoid-mediated reconnection in solar UV bursts

Context. Ultraviolet bursts are transients in the solar atmosphere with an increased impulsive emission in the extreme UV lasting for one to several tens of minutes. They often show spectral profiles indicative of a bi-directional outflow in response to magnetic reconnection. Aims. To understand UV bursts, we study how motions of magnetic elements at the surface can drive the self-consistent formation of a current sheet resulting in plasmoid-mediated reconnection. In particular, we want to study the role of the height of the reconnection in the atmosphere. Methods. We conducted numerical experiments solving the 2D magnetohydrodynamic equations from the solar surface to the upper atmosphere. Motivated by observations, we drove a small magnetic patch embedded in a larger system of magnetic field of opposite polarity. This type of configuration creates an X-type neutral point in the initial potential field. The models are characterized by the (average) plasma-β at the height of this X point. Results. The driving at the surface stretches the X-point into a thin current sheet, where plasmoids appear, accelerating the reconnection, and a bi-directional jet forms. This is consistent with what is expected for UV bursts or explosive events, and we provide a self-consistent model of the formation of the reconnection region in such events. The gravitational stratification gives a natural explanation for why explosive events are restricted to a temperature range around a few 0.1 MK, and the presence of plasmoids in the reconnection process provides an understanding of the observed variability during the transient events on a timescale of minutes. Conclusions. Our numerical experiments provide a comprehensive understanding of UV bursts and explosive events, in particular of how the atmospheric response changes if the reconnection happens at different plasma-β, that is, at different heights in the atmosphere. This analysis also gives new insight into how UV bursts might be related to the photospheric Ellerman bombs.

Dissecting bombs and bursts: non-LTE inversions of low-atmosphere reconnection in SST and IRIS observations

Ellerman bombs and UV bursts are transient brightenings that are ubiquitously observed in the lower atmospheres of active and emerging flux regions. As they are believed to pinpoint sites of magnetic reconnection in reconfiguring fields, understanding their occurrence and detailed evolution may provide useful insight into the overall evolution of active regions. Here we present results from inversions of SST/CRISP and CHROMIS, as well as IRIS data of such transient events. Combining information from the Mg II h & k, Si IV, and Ca II 8542 Å and Ca II H & K lines, we aim to characterise their temperature and velocity stratification, as well as their magnetic field configuration. We find average temperature enhancements of a few thousand kelvin, close to the classical temperature minimum and similar to previous studies, but localised peak temperatures of up to 10 000–15 000 K from Ca II inversions. Including Mg II appears to generally dampen these temperature enhancements to below 8000 K, while Si IV requires temperatures in excess of 10 000 K at low heights, but may also be reproduced with secondary temperature enhancements of 35 000–60 000 K higher up. However, reproducing Si IV comes at the expense of overestimating the Mg II emission. The line-of-sight velocity maps show clear bi-directional jet signatures for some events and strong correlation with substructure in the intensity images in general. Absolute line-of-sight velocities range between 5 and 20 km s−1 on average, with slightly larger velocities towards, rather than away from, the observer. The inverted magnetic field parameters show an enhancement of the horizontal field co-located with the brightenings at heights similar to that of the temperature increase. We are thus able to largely reproduce the observational properties of Ellerman bombs with the UV burst signature (e.g. intensities, profile asymmetries, morphology, and bi-directional jet signatures), with temperature stratifications peaking close to the classical temperature minimum. Correctly modelling the Si IV emission in agreement with all other diagnostics is however an outstanding issue and remains paramount in explaining its apparent coincidence with Hα emission. Fine-tuning the approach (accounting for resolution differences, fitting localised temperature enhancements, and/or performing spatially coupled inversions) is likely necessary in order to obtain better agreement between all considered diagnostics.

Observations of small-scale energetic events in the solar transition region: explosive events, UV bursts, and network jets

In this paper, we review observational aspects of three common small-scale energetic events in the solar transition region (TR), namely TR explosive events, ultraviolet bursts and jets. These events are defined in either (both) spectral or (and) imaging data. The development of multiple instruments capable of observing the TR has allowed researchers to gain numerous insights into these phenomena in recent years. These events have provided a proxy to study how mass and energy are transported between the solar chromosphere and the corona. As the physical mechanisms responsible for these small-scale events might be similar to the mechanisms responsible for large-scale phenomena, such as flares and coronal mass ejections, analysis of these events could also help our understanding of the solar atmosphere from small to large scales. The observations of these small-scale energetic events demonstrate that the TR is extremely dynamic and is a crucial layer in the solar atmosphere between the chromosphere and the corona.

Ellerman bombs and UV bursts: transient events in chromospheric current sheets

Context. Ellerman bombs (EBs), observed in the photospheric wings of the Hα line, and UV bursts, observed in the transition region Si IV line, are both brightenings related to flux emergence regions and specifically to magnetic flux of opposite polarity that meet in the photosphere. These two reconnection-related phenomena, nominally formed far apart, occasionally occur in the same location and at the same time, thus challenging our understanding of reconnection and heating of the lower solar atmosphere. Aims. We consider the formation of an active region, including long fibrils and hot and dense coronal plasma. The emergence of a untwisted magnetic flux sheet, injected 2.5 Mm below the photosphere, is studied as it pierces the photosphere and interacts with the preexisting ambient field. Specifically, we aim to study whether EBs and UV bursts are generated as a result of such flux emergence and examine their physical relationship. Methods. The Bifrost radiative magnetohydrodynamics code was used to model flux emerging into a model atmosphere that contained a fairly strong ambient field, constraining the emerging field to a limited volume wherein multiple reconnection events occur as the field breaks through the photosphere and expands into the outer atmosphere. Synthetic spectra of the different reconnection events were computed using the 1.5D RH code and the fully 3D MULTI3D code. Results. The formation of UV bursts and EBs at intensities and with line profiles that are highly reminiscent of observed spectra are understood to be a result of the reconnection of emerging flux with itself in a long-lasting current sheet that extends over several scale heights through the chromosphere. Synthetic spectra in the Hα and Si IV 139.376 nm lines both show characteristics that are typical of the observations. These synthetic diagnostics suggest that there are no compelling reasons to assume that UV bursts occur in the photosphere. Instead, EBs and UV bursts are occasionally formed at opposite ends of a long current sheet that resides in an extended bubble of cool gas.

On the Importance of the Nonequilibrium Ionization of Si iv and O iv and the Line of Sight in Solar Surges

Abstract Surges are ubiquitous cool ejections in the solar atmosphere that often appear associated with transient phenomena like UV bursts or coronal jets. Recent observations from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph show that surges, although traditionally related to chromospheric lines, can exhibit enhanced emission in Si iv with brighter spectral profiles than for the average transition region (TR). In this paper, we explain why surges are natural sites to show enhanced emissivity in TR lines. We performed 2.5D radiative-MHD numerical experiments using the Bifrost code including the nonequilibrium (NEQ) ionization of silicon and oxygen. A surge is obtained as a by-product of magnetic flux emergence; the TR enveloping the emerged domain is strongly affected by NEQ effects: assuming statistical equilibrium would produce an absence of Si iv and O iv ions in most of the region. Studying the properties of the surge plasma emitting in the Si iv λ1402.77 and O iv λ1401.16 lines, we find that (a) the timescales for the optically thin losses and heat conduction are very short, leading to departures from statistical equilibrium, and (b) the surge emits in Si iv more and has an emissivity ratio of Si iv to O iv larger than a standard TR. Using synthetic spectra, we conclude the importance of line-of-sight effects: given the involved geometry of the surge, the line of sight can cut the emitting layer at small angles and/or cross it multiple times, causing prominent, spatially intermittent brightenings in both Si iv and O iv.

IRIS Observations of Magnetic Interactions in the Solar Atmosphere between Preexisting and Emerging Magnetic Fields. I. Overall Evolution

Abstract We report multiwavelength ultraviolet observations taken with the IRIS satellite, concerning the emergence phase in the upper chromosphere and transition region of an emerging flux region (EFR) embedded in the preexisting field of active region NOAA 12529 in the Sun. IRIS data are complemented by full-disk observations of the Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite, relevant to the photosphere and the corona. The photospheric configuration of the EFR is also analyzed by measurements taken with the spectropolarimeter on board the Hinode satellite, when the EFR was fully developed. Recurrent intense brightenings that resemble UV bursts, with counterparts in all coronal passbands, are identified at the edges of the EFR. Jet activity is also observed at chromospheric and coronal levels, near the observed brightenings. The analysis of the IRIS line profiles reveals the heating of dense plasma in the low solar atmosphere and the driving of bidirectional high-velocity flows with speed up to 100 km s−1 at the same locations. Compared with previous observations and numerical models, these signatures suggest evidence of several long-lasting, small-scale magnetic reconnection episodes between the emerging bipole and the ambient field. This process leads to the cancellation of a preexisting photospheric flux concentration and appears to occur higher in the atmosphere than usually found in UV bursts, explaining the observed coronal counterparts.