Simulation of a Solar Jet Formed from an Untwisting Flux Rope Interacting with a Null Point [SSA]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2303.18098


Coronal jets are eruptions identified by a collimated, sometimes twisted spire. They are small-scale energetic events compared with flares. Using multi-wavelength observations from the Solar Dynamics Observatory/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (SDO/AIA) and a magnetogram from Hinode/Spectro-Polarimeter (Hinode/SP), we study the formation and evolution of a jet occurring on 2019 March 22 in the active region NOAA 12736. A zero-$\beta$ magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation is conducted to probe the initiation mechanisms and appearance of helical motion during this jet event. As the simulation reveals, there are two pairs of field lines at the jet base, indicating two distinct magnetic structures. One structure outlines a flux rope lying low above the photosphere in the north of a bald patch region and the other structure shows a null point high in the corona in the south. The untwisting motions of the observed flux rope was recovered by adding an anomalous (artificial) resistivity in the simulation. A reconnection occurs at the bald patch in the flux rope structure, which is moving upwards and simultaneously encounters the field lines of the null point structure. The interaction of the two structures results in the jet while the twist of the flux rope is transferred to the jet by the reconnected field lines. The rotational motion of the flux rope is proposed to be an underlying trigger of this process and responsible for helical motions in the jet spire.

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J. Zhu, Y. Guo, M. Ding, et. al.
Mon, 3 Apr 23
2/53

Comments: 17pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal