Post-CME Reconnection and the Generation of Descending Solar Coronal Voids
Abstract
Observations of solar coronal flares occurring behind coronal mass ejections (CME's) have shown downflowing voids in the corona, which are believed to be the signatures of descending magnetic flux tubes. We are studying the hypothesis that these flux tubes have reconnected in the current sheet which forms behind the CME in the high corona. We will present three dimensional MHD simulations of a localized reconnection event in a Y-type post-CME current sheet. The reconnected field creates a downflow which rapidly decelerates as it hits the Y-line and the magnetic loops below it. We will compare this deceleration with the observed deceleration of coronal voids when they hit coronal arcades. We will also present studies of the 3D tearing mode in this current sheet. This tearing generates numerous localized reconnection patches, and a cascade of reconnected fluxtubes. We will compare this cascade with the the cascades of descending voids and coronal loops which are seen following a CME event, providing further evidence that the observed voids are reconnected flux tubes.
This research was supported by grants from NASA and ONR.- Publication:
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American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #210
- Pub Date:
- May 2007
- Bibcode:
- 2007AAS...210.2903L