Flows and magnetic field structures in reconnection regions of simulations of the solar atmosphere: Do flux pile-up models work?
Abstract
Aims: We study the process of magnetic field annihilation and reconnection in simulations of magnetised solar photosphere and chromosphere with magnetic fields of opposite polarities and constant numerical resistivity.
Methods: Exact analytical solutions for reconnective annihilations were used to interpret the features of magnetic reconnection in simulations of flux cancellation in the solar atmosphere. We used MURaM high-resolution photospheric radiative magneto-convection simulations to demonstrate the presence of magnetic field reconnection consistent with the magnetic flux pile-up models. Also, a simulated data-driven chromospheric magneto-hydrodynamic simulation is used to demonstrate magnetic field and flow structures, which are similar to the theoretically predicted ones.
Results: Both simulations demonstrate flow and magnetic field structures roughly consistent with accelerated reconnection with magnetic flux pile-up. The presence of standard Sweet-Parker type reconnection is also demonstrated in stronger photospheric magnetic fields.
- Publication:
-
Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- December 2018
- DOI:
- 10.1051/0004-6361/201833752
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1809.00587
- Bibcode:
- 2018A&A...620A.159S
- Keywords:
-
- Sun: atmosphere;
- Sun: magnetic fields;
- Sun: photosphere;
- Sun: chromosphere;
- Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 7 pages, 6 figures. Resubmitted after taking into account the referee's comments