The Thermodynamics of Coronal Jets and Their Contribution to the Solar Wind
Abstract
Coronal (or X-ray) jets are transient, collimated plasma eruptions that are observed low in the corona in EUV and soft X-ray bands. It is widely accepted that they are triggered by reconnection between closed and open magnetic fields, but their detailed formation mechanisms are still under debate. Since coronal jets are often seen to extend to several solar radii, it has been suggested that they may contribute to powering the solar wind, but the amount of this contribution remains largely uncertain. Here we present the first MHD simulations of coronal jets that include the solar wind and a realistic description of the energy transfer in the corona ("thermodynamic MHD"). The evolution in our model is driven by the emergence of a magnetic flux rope into an open magnetic field. We find different types of jets in our simulations, and discuss their respective formation mechanisms, morphologies, and emission properties. We also analyze their energy and mass contributions to the solar wind, and compare them with existing estimations obtained from observations.
- Publication:
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SDO 2016: Unraveling the Sun's Complexity
- Pub Date:
- October 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016usc..confE..11L
- Keywords:
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- SDO;
- SDO 2016;
- Solar Dynamic Observatory;
- SDO-2016;
- SDO Workshop;
- SDO 2016: Unraveling the Sun's Complexity