Multithermal Jet Formation Triggered by Flux Emergence

Abstract

Flux emergence is responsible for various solar eruptions. Combining observation and simulations, we investigate the influence of flux emergence at one footpoint of an arcade on coronal rain as well as induced eruptions. The emergence changes the pressure in the loops, and the internal coronal rain all moves to the other side. The emerging flux reconnects with the overlying magnetic field, forming a current sheet and magnetic islands. The plasma is ejected outwards and heated, forming a cool jet ∼6000 K and a hot X-ray jet ∼4 million Kelvin (MK) simultaneously. The jet dynamical properties agree very well between observation and simulation. In the simulation, the jet also displays transverse oscillations with a period of 8 minutes, in a so-called whiplike motion. The movement of the jet and dense plasmoids changes the configuration of the local magnetic field, facilitating the occurrence of the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability, and vortex-like structures form at the boundary of the jet. Our simulation clearly demonstrates the effect of emergence on coronal rain, the dynamical details of reconnecting plasmoid chains, the formation of multithermal jets, and the cycling of cool mass between the chromosphere and the corona.

Keywords

• Solar atmosphere
• Magnetohydrodynamical simulations
• Solar activity
• Solar prominences
• Solar magnetic flux emergence