The Breakout Model for Coronal Jets with Filaments
Abstract
Coronal jets are impulsive, collimated plasma outflows originating low in the solar corona. Many of these events exhibit broad, curtain-like morphologies with helical structure and motions. Recently, Sterling et al. (2015) [doi:10.1038/nature14556] reported that such jets are associated with the eruption of small filaments and, therefore, are miniature versions of corona mass ejections (CMEs). This account differs from the traditional picture of jets, in that internal flare reconnection, rather than interchange reconnection with the external ambient magnetic field, creates the bright loops observed at the jet base. We present 3D simulations, performed with the Adaptively Refined MHD Solver (ARMS), which demonstrate how the magnetic breakout mechanism generates mini-CME-type jets in a compact bipolar region energized by simple footpoint motions. Our numerical model captures the formation of the strongly sheared pre-jet filament structure, the post-jet flare-like loops and ribbons, and the curtain-like untwisting dynamics observed higher in the corona. We will discuss the significance of our new results for understanding solar EUV and X-ray jets and CMEs in general. NASA supported this research by awards to the NASA Postdoctoral Program (P.F.W.) and the LWS TR&T and H-SR programs (C.R.D. & S.K.A.).
- Publication:
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AAS/Solar Physics Division Abstracts #47
- Pub Date:
- May 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016SPD....4740203W