Ultra-high-resolution observations of persistent null-point reconnection in the solar corona

X Cheng; E R Priest; H T Li; J Chen; G Aulanier; L P Chitta; Y L Wang; H Peter; X S Zhu; C Xing; M D Ding; S K Solanki; D Berghmans; L Teriaca; R Aznar Cuadrado; A N Zhukov; Y Guo; D Long; L Harra; P J Smith; L Rodriguez; C Verbeeck; K Barczynski; S Parenti

doi:10.1038/s41467-023-37888-w

Ultra-high-resolution observations of persistent null-point reconnection in the solar corona

X Cheng^*, E R Priest, H T Li, J Chen, G Aulanier, L P Chitta, Y L Wang, H Peter, X S Zhu, C Xing, M D Ding, S K Solanki, D Berghmans, L Teriaca, R Aznar Cuadrado, A N Zhukov, Y Guo, D Long, L Harra, P J SmithL Rodriguez, C Verbeeck, K Barczynski, S Parenti

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Magnetic reconnection is a key mechanism involved in solar eruptions and is also a prime possibility to heat the low corona to millions of degrees. Here, we present ultra-high-resolution extreme ultraviolet observations of persistent null-point reconnection in the corona at a scale of about 390 km over one hour observations of the Extreme-Ultraviolet Imager on board Solar Orbiter spacecraft. The observations show formation of a null-point configuration above a minor positive polarity embedded within a region of dominant negative polarity near a sunspot. The gentle phase of the persistent null-point reconnection is evidenced by sustained point-like high-temperature plasma (about 10 MK) near the null-point and constant outflow blobs not only along the outer spine but also along the fan surface. The blobs appear at a higher frequency than previously observed with an average velocity of about 80 km s^-1 and life-times of about 40 s. The null-point reconnection also occurs explosively but only for 4 minutes, its coupling with a mini-filament eruption generates a spiral jet. These results suggest that magnetic reconnection, at previously unresolved scales, proceeds continually in a gentle and/or explosive way to persistently transfer mass and energy to the overlying corona.

Original language	English
Article number	2107
Number of pages	10
Journal	Nature Communications
Volume	14
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37888-w
Publication status	Published - 13 Apr 2023

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Cheng, X., Priest, E. R., Li, H. T., Chen, J., Aulanier, G., Chitta, L. P., Wang, Y. L., Peter, H., Zhu, X. S., Xing, C., Ding, M. D., Solanki, S. K., Berghmans, D., Teriaca, L., Aznar Cuadrado, R., Zhukov, A. N., Guo, Y., Long, D., Harra, L., ... Parenti, S. (2023). Ultra-high-resolution observations of persistent null-point reconnection in the solar corona. Nature Communications, 14, Article 2107. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37888-w

@article{7cad5acd80934c0e88eac64604d78af0,

title = "Ultra-high-resolution observations of persistent null-point reconnection in the solar corona",

abstract = "Magnetic reconnection is a key mechanism involved in solar eruptions and is also a prime possibility to heat the low corona to millions of degrees. Here, we present ultra-high-resolution extreme ultraviolet observations of persistent null-point reconnection in the corona at a scale of about 390 km over one hour observations of the Extreme-Ultraviolet Imager on board Solar Orbiter spacecraft. The observations show formation of a null-point configuration above a minor positive polarity embedded within a region of dominant negative polarity near a sunspot. The gentle phase of the persistent null-point reconnection is evidenced by sustained point-like high-temperature plasma (about 10 MK) near the null-point and constant outflow blobs not only along the outer spine but also along the fan surface. The blobs appear at a higher frequency than previously observed with an average velocity of about 80 km s-1 and life-times of about 40 s. The null-point reconnection also occurs explosively but only for 4 minutes, its coupling with a mini-filament eruption generates a spiral jet. These results suggest that magnetic reconnection, at previously unresolved scales, proceeds continually in a gentle and/or explosive way to persistently transfer mass and energy to the overlying corona.",

author = "X Cheng and Priest, \{E R\} and Li, \{H T\} and J Chen and G Aulanier and Chitta, \{L P\} and Wang, \{Y L\} and H Peter and Zhu, \{X S\} and C Xing and Ding, \{M D\} and Solanki, \{S K\} and D Berghmans and L Teriaca and \{Aznar Cuadrado\}, R and Zhukov, \{A N\} and Y Guo and D Long and L Harra and Smith, \{P J\} and L Rodriguez and C Verbeeck and K Barczynski and S Parenti",

note = "Funding: X.C., H.L., J.C., Y.L.W., M.D.D., Y.G., and W.T.F. are funded by NSFC grants 11722325, 11733003, 11790303, and 11790300, and by the National Key R\&D Program of China under grant 2021YFA1600504. X.C. is also supported by the Alexander von Humboldt foundation. L.P.C. gratefully acknowledges funding from the European Union. G.A. acknowledges financial support from the French national space agency (CNES), as well as from the Programme National Soleil Terre (PNST) of the CNRS/INSU also co-funded by CNES and CEA. X.S. acknowledges financial support by National Key R\&D Program of China (2021YFA1600503), NSFC grant 11790301, and the mobility program (M-0068) of the Sino-German Science Center. A.N.Z. thanks to the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO) for the provision of financial support in the framework of the PRODEX Programme of the European Space Agency (ESA) under contract number 4000136424. D.M.L. is grateful to the Science Technology and Facilities Council for the award of an Ernest Rutherford Fellowship (ST/R003246/1).",

year = "2023",

month = apr,

day = "13",

doi = "10.1038/s41467-023-37888-w",

language = "English",

volume = "14",

journal = "Nature Communications",

issn = "2041-1723",

publisher = "Nature Research",

}

Cheng, X, Priest, ER, Li, HT, Chen, J, Aulanier, G, Chitta, LP, Wang, YL, Peter, H, Zhu, XS, Xing, C, Ding, MD, Solanki, SK, Berghmans, D, Teriaca, L, Aznar Cuadrado, R, Zhukov, AN, Guo, Y, Long, D, Harra, L, Smith, PJ, Rodriguez, L, Verbeeck, C, Barczynski, K & Parenti, S 2023, 'Ultra-high-resolution observations of persistent null-point reconnection in the solar corona', Nature Communications, vol. 14, 2107. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37888-w

TY - JOUR

T1 - Ultra-high-resolution observations of persistent null-point reconnection in the solar corona

AU - Cheng, X

AU - Priest, E R

AU - Li, H T

AU - Chen, J

AU - Aulanier, G

AU - Chitta, L P

AU - Wang, Y L

AU - Peter, H

AU - Zhu, X S

AU - Xing, C

AU - Ding, M D

AU - Solanki, S K

AU - Berghmans, D

AU - Teriaca, L

AU - Aznar Cuadrado, R

AU - Zhukov, A N

AU - Guo, Y

AU - Long, D

AU - Harra, L

AU - Smith, P J

AU - Rodriguez, L

AU - Verbeeck, C

AU - Barczynski, K

AU - Parenti, S

N1 - Funding: X.C., H.L., J.C., Y.L.W., M.D.D., Y.G., and W.T.F. are funded by NSFC grants 11722325, 11733003, 11790303, and 11790300, and by the National Key R&D Program of China under grant 2021YFA1600504. X.C. is also supported by the Alexander von Humboldt foundation. L.P.C. gratefully acknowledges funding from the European Union. G.A. acknowledges financial support from the French national space agency (CNES), as well as from the Programme National Soleil Terre (PNST) of the CNRS/INSU also co-funded by CNES and CEA. X.S. acknowledges financial support by National Key R&D Program of China (2021YFA1600503), NSFC grant 11790301, and the mobility program (M-0068) of the Sino-German Science Center. A.N.Z. thanks to the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (BELSPO) for the provision of financial support in the framework of the PRODEX Programme of the European Space Agency (ESA) under contract number 4000136424. D.M.L. is grateful to the Science Technology and Facilities Council for the award of an Ernest Rutherford Fellowship (ST/R003246/1).

PY - 2023/4/13

Y1 - 2023/4/13

N2 - Magnetic reconnection is a key mechanism involved in solar eruptions and is also a prime possibility to heat the low corona to millions of degrees. Here, we present ultra-high-resolution extreme ultraviolet observations of persistent null-point reconnection in the corona at a scale of about 390 km over one hour observations of the Extreme-Ultraviolet Imager on board Solar Orbiter spacecraft. The observations show formation of a null-point configuration above a minor positive polarity embedded within a region of dominant negative polarity near a sunspot. The gentle phase of the persistent null-point reconnection is evidenced by sustained point-like high-temperature plasma (about 10 MK) near the null-point and constant outflow blobs not only along the outer spine but also along the fan surface. The blobs appear at a higher frequency than previously observed with an average velocity of about 80 km s-1 and life-times of about 40 s. The null-point reconnection also occurs explosively but only for 4 minutes, its coupling with a mini-filament eruption generates a spiral jet. These results suggest that magnetic reconnection, at previously unresolved scales, proceeds continually in a gentle and/or explosive way to persistently transfer mass and energy to the overlying corona.

AB - Magnetic reconnection is a key mechanism involved in solar eruptions and is also a prime possibility to heat the low corona to millions of degrees. Here, we present ultra-high-resolution extreme ultraviolet observations of persistent null-point reconnection in the corona at a scale of about 390 km over one hour observations of the Extreme-Ultraviolet Imager on board Solar Orbiter spacecraft. The observations show formation of a null-point configuration above a minor positive polarity embedded within a region of dominant negative polarity near a sunspot. The gentle phase of the persistent null-point reconnection is evidenced by sustained point-like high-temperature plasma (about 10 MK) near the null-point and constant outflow blobs not only along the outer spine but also along the fan surface. The blobs appear at a higher frequency than previously observed with an average velocity of about 80 km s-1 and life-times of about 40 s. The null-point reconnection also occurs explosively but only for 4 minutes, its coupling with a mini-filament eruption generates a spiral jet. These results suggest that magnetic reconnection, at previously unresolved scales, proceeds continually in a gentle and/or explosive way to persistently transfer mass and energy to the overlying corona.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85152437584

U2 - 10.1038/s41467-023-37888-w

DO - 10.1038/s41467-023-37888-w

M3 - Article

C2 - 37055427

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 14

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

M1 - 2107

ER -

Ultra-high-resolution observations of persistent null-point reconnection in the solar corona

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