Search

In the previous numerical study, we find the blob formation and ejection in the presence of magnetic reconnection in the environment of the hot flow of the accretion disc. Based on those encouraging results, in the present work, we calculate the energy and the spectrum of the emission in the different bands around sagittarius A* (Sgr A*). We assume the electrons in the magnetic reconnection region are non-thermal and emit synchrotron radiation. The electrons in the other region are thermal, which follows the thermal distribution, and the thermal electron emission mechanism is thermal synchrotron radiation. During the whole process of the magnetic evolution and reconnection, we find two peaks in the temporal light curve in the recently observed radio frequencies (230 and 43 GHz) and near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths (3.8 and 2.2 μm). Although the light curve of the NIR band is most prominent in a single peak. The first peak appears because of the blob in the plasma flow, which is formed due to the magnetic reconnection. The second peak appears due to the production of the non-thermal electrons with the evolution of the magnetic flux. Both peaks reach luminosity of more than 1026 erg s−1 for a single plasmoid/blob. For the NIR band, the highest luminosity can reach more than 1028 erg s−1. These luminosities can be high for the large simulation area and the stronger magnetic field with the multiple blobs. We infer that the observed flares are a group of magnetic reconnection phenomena, not a single one.

Relativistic jets and disc-winds are typically observed in BH-XRBs and AGNs. However, many physical details of jet launching and the driving of disc winds from the underlying accretion disc are still not fully understood. In this study, we further investigate the role of the magnetic field strength and structure in launching jets and disc winds. In particular, we explore the connection between jet, wind, and the accretion disc around the central black hole. We perform axisymmetric GRMHD simulations of the accretion-ejection system using adaptive mesh refinement. Essentially, our simulations are initiated with a thin accretion disc in equilibrium. An extensive parametric study by choosing different combinations of magnetic field strength and initial magnetic field inclination is also performed. Our study finds relativistic jets driven by the Blandford \& Znajek (BZ) mechanism and the disc-wind driven by the Blandford \& Payne (BP) mechanism. We also find that plasmoids are formed due to the reconnection events, and these plasmoids advect with disc-winds. As a result, the tension force due to the poloidal magnetic field is enhanced in the inner part of the accretion disc, resulting in disc truncation and oscillation. These oscillations result in flaring activities in the jet mass flow rates. We find simulation runs with a lower value of the plasma-$��$, and lower inclination angle parameters are more prone to the formation of plasmoids and subsequent inner disc oscillations. Our models provide a possible template to understand spectral state transition phenomena in BH-XRBs., 21 pages, 20 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

The ultraviolet emission from the solar transition region is dominated by dynamic, low-lying magnetic loops. The enhanced spatial and temporal resolution of the solar observation satellite Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) has made it possible to study these structures in fine detail. IRIS has observed ‘transient brightenings’ in these loops, associated with strong excess line broadenings1,2 providing important clues to the mechanisms that heat the solar atmosphere. However, the physical origin of the brightenings is debated. The line broadenings have been variously interpreted as signatures of nanoflares3, magneto-hydrodynamic turbulence4, plasmoid instabilities5 and magneto-acoustic shocks6. Here we use IRIS slit-jaw images and spectral data, and the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly of the Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft, to show that the brightenings are consistent with magnetic-reconnection-mediated impulsive heating at field-line braiding sites in multi-stranded transition-region loops. The spectroscopic observations present evidence for preferential heating of heavy ions from the transition region and we show that this is consistent with ion cyclotron turbulence caused by strong currents at the reconnection sites. Time-dependent differential emission measure distributions are used to determine the heating frequency7–9 and to identify pockets of faintly emitting ‘super-hot’ plasma. The observations we present and the techniques we demonstrate open up a new avenue of diagnostics for reconnection-mediated energy release in solar plasma. Solar imaging and spectral data indicate that impulsive heating through magnetic reconnection in transition region loops is responsible for observed transient brightenings, consistent with ion cyclotron turbulence due to strong currents at the reconnection sites.

The partial eruption of a filament channel with bifurcated substructures is investigated using datasets obtained from both ground-based and space-borne facilities. Small-scale flux reconnection/cancellation events in the region triggered the pile-up of ambient magnetic field, observed as bright EUV loops in close proximity of the filament channel. This led to the formation of a V-shaped cusp structure at the site of interaction between the coalesced EUV loops and the filament channel, with the presence of distinct plasmoid structures and associated bidirectional flows. Analysis of imaging data from SDO/AIA further suggests the vertical split of the filament structure into two substructures. The perturbed upper branch of the filament structure rose up and erupted with the onset of an energetic GOES M1.4 flare at 04:30 UT on January 28, 2015. The estimated twist number and squashing factor obtained from nonlinear force free-field extrapolation of the magnetic field data support the vertical split in filament structure with high twist in upper substructure. The loss in equilibrium of the upper branch due to torus instability, implying this as a potential triggering mechanism of the observed partial eruption., Comment: Accepted for Publication in MNRAS

The results of experimental investigations of an electric discharge in an aqueous medium are presented. In the experiment, the formation of luminous balls, which sometimes exploded, is observed in the atmosphere. Spectroscopic investigations show the presence of an increased content of atomic hydrogen in the plasma, which confirms the assumption that the balls formed could be diffusely burning hydrogen clumps. The results obtained suggest that bead lightning is similar to diffusely burning hydrogen formations.

The physical mechanism for the production of fast gamma-ray variability in blazars remains debated. Plasmoids – magnetized quasi-circular structures of plasma formed self-consistently in reconnecting current sheets – are ideal candidates for the production of broadband variable non-thermal emission. Using state-of-the-art kinetic simulations of magnetic reconnection and radiative transfer calculations, we generate artificial gamma-ray light curves that would be observed with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). Our goal is to investigate if characteristic features of the theoretical light curves, such as the ultra-rapid gamma-ray flares predicted by the reconnection model, are detectable with the typical Fermi-LAT observations. A comparison with observed luminous and fast gamma-ray flares from flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) reveals that magnetic reconnection events lead to comparable flux levels and variability patterns, especially when the reconnection layer is slightly misaligned with the line of sight. Emission from fast plasmoids moving close to the line of sight could explain fast variability on the time scales of minutes for which evidence has been found in observations of FSRQs. Our results motivate improvements in the existing reconnection model for blazars as well as dedicated searches for fast variability in LAT data as evidence for magnetic reconnection events.

Jupiter has a strong magnetic field, and a huge magnetosphere is formed through the solar wind-Jupiter interaction. The generated magnetosphere–ionosphere system is reproduced based on the 9-component Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and the current conservation in the ionosphere. Assuming Io plasma emission rate 1.4 t/sec, this paper reproduces self-consistently global magnetic configuration, generations of the field-aligned current (FAC) and aurora, formation of the Io plasma disk at 8–20 RJ, plasma corotation, instability in the plasma disk, transition from the Io plasma disk to the plasma sheet at 20–150 RJ, and the plasmoid ejection. The rotating Io plasma in the disk forms instabilities that promotes radial diffusion. H+ is supplied from the ionosphere along high-latitude magnetic field lines and mixed with heavy ions around 15–20 RJ. Beyond 20 RJ, mixed plasma diffuses further outward by the centrifugal force that can exceed magnetic tension. In the ionosphere, the main oval occurs at 13.7°–15.5° colatitude. The Io disk is inner side of magnetic field lines traced from the low-latitude edge of the main oval. Along magnetic field lines, the main oval is mapped from the outer edge of the Io disk to the entire plasma sheet accompanying rotation delay. Due to the corotation limit, convection is accompanied by plasmoid ejection. Back reaction of plasmoid ejection affects even transport process in the Io disk. The downward FAC occurs in the polar cap showing variability. The region of externally driven Dungey convection seems quite narrow.

Many rotating stars have magnetic fields that interact with the winds they produce. The Sun is no exception. The interaction between the Sun’s magnetic field and the solar wind gives rise to the heliospheric magnetic field—a spiralling magnetic structure, known as the Parker spiral, which pervades the Solar System. This magnetic field is critical for governing plasma processes that source the solar wind. Here, we report the creation of a laboratory model of the Parker spiral system based on a rapidly rotating plasma magnetosphere and the measurement of its global structure and dynamic behaviour. This laboratory system exhibits regions where the plasma flows evolve in a similar manner to many magnetized stellar winds. We observe the advection of the magnetic field into an Archimedean spiral and the ejection of quasi-periodic plasma blobs into the stellar outflow, which mimics the observed plasmoids that fuel the slow solar wind. This process involves magnetic reconnection and can be modelled numerically by the inclusion of two-fluid effects in the simulation. The Parker spiral system mimicked in the laboratory can be used for studying solar wind dynamics in a complementary fashion to conventional space missions such as NASA’s Parker Solar Probe mission. The Parker spiral—arising from the interaction between the Sun’s magnetic field with the solar wind—is recreated in the laboratory from a rapidly rotating plasma magnetosphere.

Multipoint in-situ Cluster observations of the solar wind are analysed to identify the magnetic field line topology and current density of turbulent structures using magnetic field gradient tensor invariants. Identified structures are classified as actively evolving if their magnetic field varies significantly from the force-free configuration. We find that at least 35% of all structures are both actively evolving and carrying the strongest currents, actively dissipating, and heating the plasma. These structures are comprised of 1/5 3D plasmoids, 3/5 flux ropes, and 1/5 3D X-points consistent with magnetic reconnection. Actively evolving and passively advecting structures are both close to log-normally distributed. This provides direct evidence for the significant role of strong turbulence, evolving via magnetic shearing and reconnection, in mediating dissipation and solar wind heating.

Recent accumulation of a critical mass of observational material from different spacecraft complete with the enhanced abilities of numerical methods have led to a boom of studies revealing the high complexity of processes occurring in the heliosphere. Views on the solar wind filling the interplanetary medium have dramatically developed from the beginning of the space era. A 2-D picture of the freely expanding solar corona and non-interacting solar wind structures described as planar or spherically-symmetric objects has dominated for decades. Meanwhile, the scientific community gradually moved to a modern understanding of the importance of the 3-D nature of heliospheric processes and their studies via MHD/kinetic simulations, as well as observations of large-scale flows and streams both in situ and remotely, in white light and/or via interplanetary scintillations. The new 3-D approach has provided an opportunity to understand the dynamics of heliospheric structures and processes that could not even be imagined before within the 2-D paradigm. In this review, we highlight a piece of the puzzle, showing the evolution of views on processes related to current sheets, plasmoids, blobs and flux ropes of various scales and origins in the heliosphere. The first part of the review focuses on introducing these plasma structures, discussing their key properties, and paying special attention to their observations in different space plasmas.

The exact mechanism for the production of fast $\gamma$-ray variability in blazars remains debated. Magnetic reconnection, in which plasmoids filled with relativistic particles and magnetic fields are formed, is a viable candidate to explain the broadband electromagnetic spectrum and variability of these objects. Using state-of-the-art magnetic reconnection simulations, we generate realistic $\gamma$-ray light curves that would be observed with the Fermi Large Area Telescope. A comparison with observed $\gamma$-ray flares from flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) reveals that magnetic reconnection events lead to comparable flux levels and variability patterns, in particular when the reconnection layer is slightly misaligned with the line of sight. Emission from fast plasmoids moving close to the line of sight could explain fast variability on the time scales of minutes for which evidence has been found in observations of FSRQs. Our results motivate improvements in existing radiative transfer simulations as well as dedicated searches for fast variability as evidence for magnetic reconnection events., Comment: 19 pages, 6 Figures. Accepted in ApJ. Matches published version

The magnetic switchbacks observed recently by the Parker Solar Probe have raised the question about their nature and origin. One of the competing theories of their origin is the interchange reconnection in the solar corona. In this scenario, switchbacks are generated at the reconnection site between open and closed magnetic fields, and are either advected by an upflow or propagate as waves into the solar wind. In this paper we test the wave hypothesis, numerically modeling the propagation of a switchback, modeled as an embedded Alfvén wave packet of constant magnetic field magnitude, through the gravitationally stratified solar corona with different degrees of background magnetic field expansion. While switchbacks propagating in a uniform medium with no gravity are relatively stable, as reported previously, we find that gravitational stratification together with the expansion of the magnetic field act in multiple ways to deform the switchbacks. These include WKB effects, which depend on the degree of magnetic field expansion, and also finite-amplitude effects, such as the symmetry breaking between nonlinear advection and the Lorentz force. In a straight or radially expanding magnetic field the propagating switchbacks unfold into waves that cause minimal magnetic field deflections, while a super-radially expanding magnetic field aids in maintaining strong deflections. Other important effects are the mass uplift the propagating switchbacks induce and the reconnection and drainage of plasmoids contained within the switchbacks. In the Appendix, we examine a series of setups with different switchback configurations and parameters, which broaden the scope of our study. © 2021. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved., N.M. was supported by a Newton International Fellowship of the Royal Society. D.U. is thankful for the support received through FWF project P27800. This research has received financial support from the European Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 824135 (SOLARNET) enabling D.U. a visit to Sheffield University. R.E. is grateful to Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC, grant number ST/M000826/1) UK and the Royal Society for enabling this research. R.E. also acknowledges the support received by the CAS Presidents International Fellowship Initiative grant No. 2019VMA052 and the warm hospitality received at USTC of CAS, Hefei, where part of the contribution was made. V.M.N. acknowledges the STFC consolidated grant ST/T000252/1 and the BK21 plus program through the National Research Foundation funded by the Ministry of Education of Korea.In order to keep the main body of this paper more transparent, simulations with different switchback parameters and conditions are presented in this Appendix. These additional simulations are carried out in a nonexpanding uniform magnetic field. The results strengthen our conclusions on the property of switchbacks propagating through a gravitationally stratified corona, namely the significant deformations these undergo, and still display the other effects described in Section 3. With funding from the Spanish government through the Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence accreditation SEV-2017-0709.

Our understanding of processes occurring in the heliosphere historically began with reduced dimensionality - one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) sketches and models, which aimed to illustrate views on large-scale structures in the solar wind. However, any reduced dimensionality vision of the heliosphere limits the possible interpretations of in-situ observations. Accounting for non-planar structures, e.g. current sheets, magnetic islands, flux ropes as well as plasma bubbles, is decisive to shed the light on a variety of phenomena, such as particle acceleration and energy dissipation. In part I of this review, we have described in detail the ubiquitous and multi-scale observations of these magnetic structures in the solar wind and their significance for the acceleration of charged particles. Here, in part II, we elucidate existing theoretical paradigms of the structure of the solar wind and the interplanetary magnetic field, with particular attention to the fine structure and stability of current sheets. Differences in 2D and 3D views of processes associated with current sheets, magnetic islands, and flux ropes are discussed. We finally review the results of numerical simulations and in-situ observations, pointing out the complex nature of magnetic reconnection and particle acceleration in a strongly turbulent environment., Comment: Accepted for publication in Space Science Reviews. The first part of the review will appear here in the following days. This work is supported by the International Space Science Institute (ISSI) in the framework of International Team 405 entitled "Current Sheets, Turbulence, Structures and Particle Acceleration in the Heliosphere"

Nearby pulsar wind nebulae exhibit complex morphological features: jets, torus, arcs and knots. These structures are well captured and understood in the scope of global magnetohydrodynamic models. However, the origin of knots in the inner radius of the Crab Nebula remains elusive. In this work, we investigate the dynamics of the shock front and downstream flow with a special emphasis on the reconnecting equatorial current sheet. We examine whether giant plasmoids produced in the reconnection process could be good candidates for the knots. To this end, we perform large semi-global three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations in a spherical geometry. The hierarchical merging plasmoid model is used to extrapolate numerical results to pulsar wind nebula scales. The shocked material collapses into the midplane, forming and feeding a large-scale, but thin, ring-like current layer. The sheet breaks up into a dynamical chain of merging plasmoids reminiscent of three-dimensional reconnection. Plasmoids grow to a macroscopic size. The final number of plasmoids predicted is solely governed by the inverse of the dimensionless reconnection rate. The formation of giant plasmoids is a robust feature of pulsar wind termination shocks. They provide a natural explanation for the inner-ring knots in the Crab Nebula, provided that the nebula is highly magnetized., Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics, revision includes A&A language editing

Quasi-periodic plasmoid formation at the tip of magnetic streamer structures is observed to occur in experiments on the Big Red Ball as well as in simulations of these experiments performed with the extended-MHD code, NIMROD. This plasmoid formation is found to occur on a characteristic timescale dependent on pressure gradients and magnetic curvature in both experiment and simulation. Single mode, or laminar, plasmoids exist when the pressure gradient is modest, but give way to turbulent plasmoid ejection when the system drive is higher, producing plasmoids of many sizes. However, a critical pressure gradient is also observed, below which plasmoids are never formed. A simple heuristic model of this plasmoid formation process is presented and suggested to be a consequence of a dynamic loss of equilibrium in the high-$\beta$ region of the helmet streamer. This model is capable of explaining the periodicity of plasmoids observed in the experiment and simulations and produces plasmoid periods of 90 minutes when applied to 2D models of solar streamers with a height of $3R_\odot$. This is consistent with the location and frequency at which periodic plasma blobs have been observed to form by LASCO and SECCHI instruments., Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures, 1 movie

We analyze the characteristics of a quiescent polar prominence using the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Initially, small-scale barb-like structures are evident on the solar disk, which firstly grow vertically and thereafter move towards the south-west limb. Later, a spine connects these barbs and we observe apparent rotating motions in the upper part of the prominence. These apparent rotating motions might play an important role for the evolution and growth of the filament by transferring cool plasma and magnetic twist. The large-scale vortex motion is evident in the upper part of the prominence, and consists of a swirl-like structure within it. The slow motion of the footpoint twists the legs of the prominence due to magnetic shear, causing two different kinds of magnetic reconnection. The internal reconnection is initiated by a resistive tearing-mode instability, which leads to the formation of multiple plasmoids in the elongated current sheet. The estimated growth rate was found to be 0.02--0.05. The magnetic reconnection heats the current sheet for a small duration. However, most of the energy release due to magnetic reconnection is absorbed by the surrounding cool and dense plasma and used to accelerate the plasmoid ejection. The multiple plasmoid ejections destroy the current sheet. Therefore, the magnetic arcades collapse near the X-point. Oppositely directed magnetic arcades may reconnect with the southern segment of the prominence and an elongated thin current sheet is formed. This external reconnection drives prominence eruption., Comment: 21 pages, 11 figures, Accepted for publication in Solar Physicss

Context. Ultraviolet (UV) bursts and Ellerman bombs (EBs) are transient brightenings observed in the low solar atmospheres of emerging flux regions. Magnetic reconnection is believed to be the main mechanism leading to formation of the two activities, which are usually formed far apart from each other. However, observations also led to the discovery of co-spatial and co-temporal EBs and UV bursts, and their formation mechanisms are still not clear. The multi-thermal components in these events, which span a large temperature range, challenge our understanding of magnetic reconnection and heating mechanisms in the partially ionized lower solar atmosphere. Aims. We studied magnetic reconnection between the emerging magnetic flux and back ground magnetic fields in the partially ionized and highly stratificated low solar atmosphere. We aim to explain the multi-thermal characteristics of UV bursts, and to find out whether EBs and UV bursts can be generated in the same reconnection process and how they are related with each other. We also aim to unearth the important small-scale physics in these events. Methods. We used the single-fluid magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) code NIRVANA to perform simulations. The background magnetic fields and emerging fields at the solar surface are reasonably strong. The initial plasma parameters are based on the C7 atmosphere model. We simulated cases with different resolutions, and included the effects of ambipolar diffusion, radiative cooling, and heat conduction. We analyzed the current density, plasma density, temperature, and velocity distributions in the main current sheet region, and synthesized the Si IV emission spectrum. Results. After the current sheet with dense photosphere plasma emerges and reaches 0.5 Mm above the solar surface, plasmoid instability appears. The plasmoids collide and coalesce with each other, which causes the plasmas with different densities and temperatures to be mixed up in the turbulent reconnection region. Therefore, the hot plasmas corresponding to the UV emissions and colder plasmas corresponding to the emissions from other wavelengths can move together and occur at about the same height. In the meantime, the hot turbulent structures concentrate above 0.4 Mm, whereas the cool plasmas extend to much lower heights to the bottom of the current sheet. These phenomena are consistent with published observations in which UV bursts have a tendency to be located at greater heights close to corresponding EBs and all the EBs have partial overlap with corresponding UV bursts in space. The synthesized Si IV line profiles are similar to that observed in UV bursts; the enhanced wing of the line profiles can extend to about 100 km s−1. The differences are significant among the numerical results with different resolutions, indicating that the realistic magnetic diffusivity is crucial to revealing the fine structures and realistic plasmas heating in these reconnection events. Our results also show that the reconnection heating contributed by ambipolar diffusion in the low chromosphere around the temperature minimum region is not efficient.

Using numerical simulations we show that low-amplitude Alfv\'en waves from a magnetar quake propagate to the outer magnetosphere and convert to "plasmoids" (closed magnetic loops) which accelerate from the star, driving blast waves into the magnetar wind. Quickly after its formation, the plasmoid becomes a thin relativistic pancake. It pushes out the magnetospheric field lines, and they gradually reconnect behind the pancake, generating a variable wind far stronger than the normal spindown wind of the magnetar. Repeating ejections drive blast waves in the amplified wind. We suggest that these ejections generate the simultaneous X-ray and radio bursts detected from SGR 1935+2154. A modest energy budget of the magnetospheric perturbation $\sim 10^{40}$ erg is sufficient to produce the observed bursts. Our simulation predicts a narrow (a few ms) X-ray spike from the magnetosphere, arriving almost simultaneously with the radio burst emitted far outside the magnetosphere. This timing is caused by the extreme relativistic motion of the ejecta., Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, ApJL in press

One of the main dissipation processes acting on all scales in relativistic jets is thought to be governed by magnetic reconnection. Such dissipation processes have been studied in idealized environments, such as reconnection layers, which evolve in merging islands and lead to the production of plasmoids, ultimately resulting in efficient particle acceleration. In accretion flows onto black holes, reconnection layers can be developed and destroyed rapidly during the turbulent evolution of the flow. We present a series of two-dimensional general-relativistic magnetohydrodynamic simulations of tori accreting onto rotating black holes focusing our attention on the formation and evolution of current sheets. Initially, the tori are endowed with a poloidal magnetic field having a multi-loop structure along the radial direction and with an alternating polarity. During reconnection processes, plasmoids and plasmoid chains are developed leading to a flaring activity and hence to a variable electromagnetic luminosity. We describe the methods developed to track automatically the plasmoids that are generated and ejected during the simulation, contrasting the behaviour of multi-loop initial data with that encountered in typical simulations of accreting black holes having initial dipolar field composed of one loop only. Finally, we discuss the implications that our results have on the variability to be expected in accreting supermassive black holes., 17 pages, MNRAS submitted

In highly conducting plasmas, reconnecting current sheets are often unstable to the generation of plasmoids, small-scale magnetic structures that play an important role in facilitating the rapid release of magnetic energy and channeling that energy into accelerated particles. There is ample evidence for plasmoids throughout the heliosphere, from in situ observations of flux ropes in the solar wind and planetary magnetospheres to remote-sensing imaging of plasma ‘blobs’ associated with explosive solar activity such as eruptive flares and coronal jets. Accurate models for plasmoid formation and dynamics must capture the large-scale self-organization responsible for forming the reconnecting current sheet. However, due to the computational difficulty inherent in the vast separation between the global and current sheet scales, previous numerical studies have typically explored configurations with either reduced dimensionality or pre-formed current sheets. We present new three-dimensional MHD studies of an eruptive flare in which the formation of the current sheet and subsequent reconnection and plasmoid formation are captured within a single simulation. We employ Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) to selectively resolve fine-scale current sheet dynamics. Reconnection in the flare current sheet generates many plasmoids that exhibit highly complex, three-dimensional structure. We show how plasmoid formation and dynamics evolve through the course of the flare, especially in response to the weakening of the reconnection “guide field” linked to the global reduction of magnetic shear. We discuss implications of our results for particle acceleration and transport in eruptive flares as well as for observations by Parker Solar Probe and the forthcoming Solar Orbiter.

Context: Hot coronal jets are a basic observed feature of the solar atmosphere whose physical origin is still being actively debated. Aims: We study six recurrent jets occurring in the active region NOAA 12644 on April 04, 2017. They are observed in all the hot filters of AIA as well as cool surges in IRIS slit-jaw high spatial and temporal resolution images. Methods: The AIA filters allow us to study the temperature and the emission measure of the jets using the filter ratio method. We study the pre-jet phases by analyzing the intensity oscillations at the base of the jets with the wavelet technique. Results: A fine co-alignment of the AIA and IRIS data shows that the jets are initiated at the top of a canopy-like, double-chambered structure with cool emission on one side and hot emission in the other. The hot jets are collimated in the hot temperature filters, have high velocities (around 250 km/s) and accompanied by the cool surges and ejected kernels both moving at about 45 km/s. In the pre-phase of the jets, at their base we find quasi-periodic intensity oscillations in phase with small ejections; they have a period between 2 and 6 minutes and are reminiscent of acoustic or MHD waves. Conclusions: This series of jets and surges provides a good case-study to test the 2D and 3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models that result from magnetic flux emergence. The double-chambered structure found in the observations corresponds to the cold and hot loop regions found in the models beneath the current sheet that contains the reconnection site. The cool surge with kernels is comparable with the cool ejection and plasmoids that naturally appear in the models., Comment: 12 Pages, 11 Figures

The evolution of the photospheric magnetic field plays a key role in the energy transport into the chromosphere and the corona. In active regions, newly emerging magnetic flux interacts with the pre-existent magnetic field, which can lead to reconnection events that convert magnetic energy to thermal energy. We aim to study the heating caused by a strong reconnection event that was triggered by magnetic flux cancellation. We use imaging-spectropolarimetric data in the Fe I 6301A, Fe I 6302A, Ca II 8542A and Ca II K obtained with the CRISP and CHROMIS instruments at the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope. This data was inverted using multi-atom, multi-line non-LTE inversions using the STiC code. The inversion yielded a three-dimensional model of the reconnection event and surrounding atmosphere, including temperature, velocity, microturbulence, magnetic file configuration, and the radiative loss rate. The model atmosphere shows the emergence of magnetic loops with a size of several arcsecs into a pre-existing predominantly unipolar field. Where the reconnection region is expected to be, we see an increase in the chromospheric temperature of roughly 2000 K as well as bidirectional flows of the order of 10 km s$^{-1}$ emanating from the region. We see bright blobs of roughly 0.2 arcsec diameter in the Ca II K moving at a plane-of-the-sky velocity of order 100 km s$^{-1}$ and a blueshift of 100 km s$^{-1}$, which we interpret as plasmoids ejected from the same region. This evidence is consistent with theoretical models of reconnection and we thus conclude that reconnection is taking place. The chromospheric radiative losses at the reconnection site in our inferred model are as high as 160 kW m$^{-2}$, providing a quantitative constraint on theoretical models that aim to simulate reconnection caused by flux emergence in the chromosphere., Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

Magnetic flux ropes are characterized by coherently twisted magnetic field lines, which are ubiquitous in magnetized plasmas. As the core structure of various eruptive phenomena in the solar atmosphere, flux ropes hold the key to understanding the physical mechanisms of solar eruptions, which impact the heliosphere and planetary atmospheres. Strongest disturbances in the Earth's space environments are often associated with large-scale flux ropes from the Sun colliding with the Earth's magnetosphere, leading to adverse, sometimes catastrophic, space-weather effects. However, it remains elusive as to how a flux rope forms and evolves toward eruption, and how it is structured and embedded in the ambient field. The present paper addresses these important questions by reviewing current understandings of coronal flux ropes from an observer's perspective, with emphasis on their structures and nascent evolution toward solar eruptions, as achieved by combining observations of both remote sensing and in-situ detection with modeling and simulation. It highlights an initiation mechanism for coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in which plasmoids in current sheets coalesce into a `seed' flux rope whose subsequent evolution into a CME is consistent with the standard model, thereby bridging the gap between microscale and macroscale dynamics., Comment: Invited review accepted for publication in RAA

Magnetic reconnection plays an important role in the energy conversion during solar eruptions. In this work, we present a resistive magnetohydrodynamical study (2.5D) of a flux rope eruption based on the Lin and Forbes model regarding cascading reconnection. We use a second-order Godunov scheme code, to better understand the physical mechanisms responsible for high reconnection rates and the internal structure, particularly in chaotic or turbulent regions, of the coronal mass ejection (CME)/flare current sheet (CS). Two sets of simulations with Lundquist numbers of 1.18 x 10(5) and 2.35 x 10(5) in the vicinity of the CS, generating a slow CME and a moderate one, show global dynamic features largely consistent with the flare model. Looking into the fine structure of the CS, magnetic reconnection employs simultaneously the Sweet-Parker mode and time-dependent small-scale Petschek patterns in the early stage. As the flux rope rises, the outflow region becomes turbulent, which further enhances the reconnection rates. Our results show that coalescence and fusion processes of plasmoids provide a large number of small, transient local diffusion regions to dissipate magnetic energy, and confirm that the dissipation starts at macro-MHD scales rather than ion inertial lengths. The two runs have the same range of the local reconnection rates (10(-4)-0.3) relevant to CMEs. The fast rates are closely proportional to the square of the aspect ratio of multiple small-scale CSs. The topology of the magnetic field and the turbulence spectrum of the energy cascade are statistically addressed as well.

We present simultaneous optical and near-infrared (IR) photometry of the millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038 during its low-mass X-ray binary phase. The r'- and K_s-band light curves show rectangular, flat-bottomed dips, similar to the X-ray mode-switching (active-passive state transitions) behaviour observed previously. The cross-correlation function (CCF) of the optical and near-IR data reveals a strong, broad negative anti-correlation at negative lags, a broad positive correlation at positive lags, with a strong, positive narrow correlation superimposed. The shape of the CCF resembles the CCF of black hole X-ray binaries but the time-scales are different. The features can be explained by reprocessing and a hot accretion flow close to the neutron star's magnetospheric radius. The optical emission is dominated by the reprocessed component, whereas the near-IR emission contains the emission from plasmoids in the hot accretion flow and a reprocessed component. The rapid active-passive state transition occurs when the hot accretion flow material is channelled onto the neutron star and is expelled from its magnetosphere. During the transition the optical reprocessing component decreases resulting in the removal of a blue spectral component. The accretion of clumpy material through the magnetic barrier of the neutron star produces the observed near-IR/optical CCF and variability. The dip at negative lags corresponds to the suppression of the near-IR synchrotron component in the hot flow, whereas the broad positive correlation at positive lags is driven by the increased synchrotron emission of the outflowing plasmoids. The narrow peak in the CCF is due to the delayed reprocessed component, enhanced by the increased X-ray emission., Comment: 12 pages, 11 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

The Galactic Center black hole Sgr A* shows significant variability and flares in the submillimeter, infrared, and X-ray wavelengths. Owing to its exquisite resolution in the IR bands, the GRAVITY experiment for the first time spatially resolved the locations of three flares and showed that a bright region moves in ellipse-like trajectories close to but offset from the black hole over the course of each event. We present a model for plasmoids that form during reconnection events and orbit in the coronal region around a black hole to explain these observations. We utilize general-relativistic radiative transfer calculations that include effects from finite light travel time, plasmoid motion, particle acceleration, and synchrotron cooling and obtain a rich structure in the flare lightcurves. This model can naturally account for the observed motion of the bright regions observed by the GRAVITY experiment and the offset between the center of the centroid motion and the position of the black hole. It also explains why some flares may be double-peaked while others have only a single peak and uncovers a correlation between the structure in the lightcurve and the location of the flare. Finally, we make predictions for future observations of flares from the inner accretion flow of Sgr A* that will provide a test of this model., Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures

Blazar emission models based on magnetic reconnection succeed in reproducing many observed spectral and temporal features, including the short-duration luminous flaring events. Plasmoids, a self-consistent by-product of the tearing instability in the reconnection layer, can be the main source of blazar emission. Kinetic simulations of relativistic reconnection have demonstrated that plasmoids are characterized by rough energy equipartition between their radiating particles and magnetic fields. This is the main reason behind the apparent shortcoming of plasmoid-dominated emission models to explain the observed Compton ratios of BL Lac objects. Here, we demonstrate that the radiative interactions among plasmoids, which have been neglected so far, can assist in alleviating this contradiction. We show that photons emitted by large, slow-moving plasmoids can be a potentially important source of soft photons to be then up-scattered, via inverse Compton, by small fast-moving, neighboring plasmoids. This inter-plasmoid Compton scattering process can naturally occur throughout the reconnection layer, imprinting itself as an increase in the observed Compton ratios from those short and luminous plasmoid-powered flares within BL Lac sources, while maintaining energy equipartition between radiating particles and magnetic fields., 7 pages, 5 figures

Eruptive flares (EFs) are associated with erupting filaments and, in some models, filament eruption drives flare reconnection. Recently, however, observations of a confined flare (CF) have revealed all the hallmarks of an EF (impulsive phase, flare ribbons, etc.) without the filament eruption itself. Therefore, if the filament is not primarily responsible for impulsive flare reconnection, what is? In this Letter, we argue, based on mimimal requirements, that the plasmoid instability is a strong candidate for explaining the impulsive phase in the observed CF. We present magnetohydrodynamic simulation results of the nonlinear development of the plasmoid instability, in a model active region magnetic field geometry, to strengthen our claim. We also discuss how the ideas described in this Letter can be generalised to other situations, including EFs., Comment: Accepted for MNRAS

Several active galactic nuclei and microquasars are observed to eject plasmoids that move at relativistic speeds. We envisage the plasmoids as pre-existing current carrying magnetic flux ropes that were initially anchored in the accretion disk-corona. The plasmoids are ejected outwards via a mechanism called the toroidal instability (TI). The TI, which was originally explored in the context of laboratory tokamak plasmas, has been very successful in explaining coronal mass ejections from the Sun. Our model predictions for plasmoid trajectories compare favorably with a representative set of multi-epoch observations of radio emitting knots from the radio galaxy 3C120, which were preceded by dips in Xray intensity., Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal

Order of magnitude variability has been observed in the blazar sub-class of Active Galactic Nuclei on minute timescales. These high-energy flares are often difficult to explain with shock acceleration models due to the small size of the inferred emitting region, with recent particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations showing that magnetic reconnection is a promising alternative mechanism. Here, we present a macroscopic emission model physically motivated by PIC simulations, where the energy for particle acceleration originates from the reconnecting magnetic field. We track the radial growth and relative velocity of a reconnecting plasmoid, modelling particle acceleration and radiative losses from synchrotron and synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) emission. To test the viability of magnetic reconnection as the mechanism behind rapid blazar flares we simultaneously fit our model to the observed light-curve and SED from the 2016 TeV flare of BL Lacertae. We find generally that, without considering external photons, reconnecting plasmoids are unable to produce Compton-dominant TeV flares and so cannot reproduce the observations due to overproduction of synchrotron emission. Additionally, problematically large plasmoids, comparable in size to the entire jet radius, are required to emit sufficient SSC gamma-rays to be observable. However, our plasmoid model can reproduce the rapid TeV lightcurve of the flare, demonstrating that reconnection is able to produce rapid, powerful TeV flares on observed timescales. We conclude that while reconnection can produce SSC flares on the correct timescales, the primary source of TeV emission cannot be SSC and the size of plasmoids required may be implausibly large., Replaced with accepted version. Contains additional figures and considers the effect of a magnetic guide field

Solar flares often display pulsating and oscillatory signatures in the emission, known as quasi-periodic pulsations (QPP). QPP are typically identified during the impulsive phase of flares, yet in some cases, their presence is detected late into the decay phase. Here, we report extensive fine structure QPP that are detected throughout the large X8.2 flare from 2017 September 10. Following the analysis of the thermal pulsations observed in the GOES/XRS and the 131 A channel of SDO/AIA, we find a pulsation period of ~65 s during the impulsive phase followed by lower amplitude QPP with a period of ~150 s in the decay phase, up to three hours after the peak of the flare. We find that during the time of the impulsive QPP, the soft X-ray source observed with RHESSI rapidly rises at a velocity of approximately 17 km/s following the plasmoid/coronal mass ejection (CME) eruption. We interpret these QPP in terms of a manifestation of the reconnection dynamics in the eruptive event. During the long-duration decay phase lasting several hours, extended downward contractions of collapsing loops/plasmoids that reach the top of the flare arcade are observed in EUV. We note that the existence of persistent QPP into the decay phase of this flare are most likely related to these features. The QPP during this phase are discussed in terms of MHD wave modes triggered in the post-flaring loops., Accepted for publication in ApJ - 13 pages, 9 figures, 1 accompanying movie found at -https://tinyurl.com/yykvd8pf

The Sun's atmosphere is frequently disrupted by coronal mass ejections (CMEs), coupled with flares and energetic particles. In the standard picture, the coupling is explained by magnetic reconnection at a vertical current sheet connecting the flare loops and the CME, with the latter embedding a helical magnetic structure known as flux rope. As it jumps upward due to instabilities or loss of equilibrium, the flux rope stretches the overlying coronal loops so that oppositely directed field is brought together underneath, creating the current sheet. However, both the origin of flux ropes and their nascent paths toward eruption remain elusive. Here we present an observation of how a stellar-sized CME bubble evolves continuously from plasmoids, mini flux ropes that are barely resolved, within half an hour. The eruption initiates when plasmoids springing from a vertical current sheet merge into a leading plasmoid occupying the upper tip of the current sheet. Rising at increasing speed to stretch the overlying loops, this leading plasmoid then expands impulsively into the CME bubble, in tandem with hard X-ray bursts. This observation illuminates for the first time a complete CME evolutionary path that has the capacity to accommodate a wide variety of plasma phenomena by bridging the gap between micro-scale dynamics and macro-scale activities., Comment: Original version submitted to Science Advances

A three-dimensional time-dependent, numerical magnetohydrodynamic simulation is performed to investigate the propagation of a coronal mass ejection that occurred on 12 December 2008. The background solar wind is obtained by using a splitting finite-volume scheme based on a six-component grid system in spherical coordinate, with Parker’s one-dimensional solar wind solution and measured photospheric magnetic fields as the initial values. A spherical plasmoid is superposed on the realistic ambient solar wind to study the 12 December 2008 coronal mass ejection event. The plasmoid is assumed to have a spheromak magnetic structure with a high-density, high-velocity, and high-pressure near the Sun. The dynamical interaction between the coronal mass ejection and the background solar wind flow is then investigated. We compared the model results with observations, and the model provide a relatively satisfactory comparison with the Wind spacecraft observations at 1 AU. We also investigated the numerical results assuming different parameters of the CME, we find that initial magnetic fields in the CME have a larger influence on the solar wind parameters at the Earth.

The onset of cool massive winds in evolved giants is correlated with an evolutionary feature on the red giant branch known as the bump. Also at the bump, shear instability in the star leads to magnetic fields that occur preferentially on small length scales. Pneuman (1983) has suggested that the emergence of small scale flux tubes in the Sun can give rise to enhanced acceleration of the solar wind as a result of plasmoid acceleration (the melon seed mechanism). In this paper, we examine the Pneuman formalism to determine if it may shed some light on the process that drives mass loss from stars above the bump. Because we do not currently have detailed information for some of the relevant physical parameters, we are not yet able to derive a detailed model. Instead, our goal in this paper is to explore a proof of concept. Using parameters that are known to be plausible in cool giants, we find that the total mass loss rate from such stars can be replicated. Moreover, we find that the radial profile of the wind speed in such stars can be steep or shallow depending on the fraction of the mass loss which is contained in the plasmoids. This is consistent with empirical data which indicate that the velocity profiles of winds from cool giants range from shallow to steep., Comment: 39 pages, including 4 figures

Fast magnetic reconnection plays a fundamental role in driving explosive dynamics and heating in the solar chromosphere. The reconnection time scale of traditional models is shortened at the onset of the coalescence instability, which forms a turbulent reconnecting current sheet through plasmoid interaction. In this work we aim to investigate the role of partial ionisation on the development of fast reconnection through the study of the coalescence instability of plasmoids. Unlike the processes occurring in fully ionised coronal plasmas, relatively little is known about how fast reconnection develops in partially ionised plasmas of the chromosphere. We present 2.5D numerical simulations of coalescing plasmoids in a single fluid magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model, and a two-fluid model of a partially ionised plasma (PIP). We find that in the PIP model, which has the same total density as the MHD model but an initial plasma density two orders of magnitude smaller, plasmoid coalescence is faster than the MHD case, following the faster thinning of the current sheet and secondary plasmoid dynamics. Secondary plasmoids form in the PIP model where the effective Lundquist number $S = 7.8 \cdot 10^3$, but are absent from the MHD case where $S = 9.7 \cdot 10^3$: these are responsible for a more violent reconnection. Secondary plasmoids also form in linearly stable conditions as a consequence of the non-linear dynamics of the neutrals in the inflow. In the light of these results we can affirm that two-fluid effects play a major role on the processes occurring in the solar chromosphere., 22 pages, 22 figures, 1 table

A fast-mode shock can form in the front of reconnection outflows and has been suggested as a promising site for particle acceleration in solar flares. Recent development of magnetic reconnection has shown that numerous plasmoids can be produced in a large-scale current layer. Here we investigate the dynamical modulation of electron acceleration in the looptop region when plasmoids intermittently arrive at the shock by combining magnetohydrodynamics simulations with a particle kinetic model. As plasmoids interact with the shock, the looptop region exhibits various compressible structures that modulate the production of energetic electrons. The energetic electron population varies rapidly in both time and space. The number of 5$-$10 keV electrons correlates well with the area with compression, while that of $>$50 keV electrons shows good correlation with strong compression area but only moderate correlation with shock parameters. We further examine the impacts of the first plasmoid, which marks the transition from a quasi-steady shock front to a distorted and dynamical shock. The number of energetic electrons is reduced by $\sim 20\%$ at 15$-$25 keV and nearly 40\% for 25$-$50 keV, while the number of 5$-$10 keV electrons increases. In addition, the electron energy spectrum above 10 keV evolves softer with time. We also find double or even multiple distinct sources can develop in the looptop region when the plasmoids move across the shock. Our simulations have strong implications to the interpretation of nonthermal looptop sources, as well as the commonly observed fast temporal variations in flare emissions, including the quasi-periodic pulsations., accepted for publication in ApJL

We have investigated MESSENGER magnetic field data from the Mercury magnetosheath and near solar wind, to identify isolated magnetic field structures (defined as clear, isolated changes in the field magnitude). Their properties are studied in order to determine if they may be considered as analogues to plasmoids and jets known to exist in Earth's magnetosheath. Both isolated decreases of the magnetic field absolute value (‘negative magnetic field structures’) and increases (‘positive structures’) are found in the magnetosheath, whereas only negative structures are found in the solar wind. The similar properties of the solar wind and magnetosheath negative magnetic field structures suggests that they are analogous to diamagnetic plasmoids found in Earth's magnetosheath and near solar wind. The latter have earlier been identified with solar wind magnetic holes. Positive magnetic field structures are only found in the magnetosheath, concentrated to a region relatively close to the magnetopause. Their proximity to the magnetopause, their scale sizes, and the association of a majority of the structures with bipolar magnetic field signatures identify them as flux transfer events (which generally are associated with a decrease of plasma density in the magnetosheath). The positive magnetic field structures are therefore not likely to be analogous to terrestrial paramagnetic plasmoids but possibly to a sub-population of magnetosheath jets. At Earth, a majority of magnetosheath jets are associated with the quasi-parallel bow shock. We discuss some consequences of the findings of the present investigation pertaining to the different nature of the quasi-parallel bow shock at Mercury and Earth.

Earthward propagating plasmoids in the Earth's magnetotail have been observed by satellites. Using a multi-fluid global magnetosphere simulation, earthward propagating plamoids are reproduced when ionospheric O+ outflow is included in the global simulation. Controlled simulations show that without ionospheric outflow, the plasmoids generated in the magnetotail during a substorm-SMC cycle only propagate tailward. With ionospheric outflow, earthward plasmoids can be induced through the modification of magnetotail reconnection at multiple X-lines. When multiple X-lines form in the magnetotail, plasmoids may be trapped between multiple reconnection sites. When magnetic reconnection rate is reduced at the near-Earth X-line by the presence of ionospheric O+, the earthward exhaust flow of reconnection occurring at the mid-tail X-line forces the plasmoid to propagate earthward. The propagation speed and spatial size of the simulated earthward plasmoid are consistent with observations from the Cluster satellites.

We performed a numerical study for interpreting observations of plasma blobs occurring in the solar corona. Considering all of the previous studies and the presence of magnetic null points together with propagating magnetohydrodynamic waves in the solar corona, we guessed that the interaction of fast magnetoacoustic waves with null points could give rise to blobs under coronal conditions. The outcome of these interactions contributes to coronal jets and flares that directly affects us on Earth. The propagation of magnetoacoustic waves in the vicinity of a magnetic null point contributes to the high current density accumulation at the small scale around the magnetic null point, which has significant magnetic gradients. When nonlinearity becomes dominant, the variation of current density could result in instabilities and thus anomalous resistivity. Moreover, it is demonstrated that plasmoids with eruption events take place in the solar corona without considering the transition region. In our numerical simulation results, it is interesting that plasma blobs manifest themselves in many parameters, including current density, temperature, plasma density, flows, and magnetic fields, simultaneously and consistent with the generation of plasmoids. In this work, it is found that plasmoid instability is the reason for the plasma blobs and tiny blobs are produced by the tearing instability occurring in thin current sheets.

Suprathermal electrons with energies of ∼70 eV and above are observed at 1 au as dispersionless halo electrons and magnetic field-aligned beams of strahls. For a long time, it has been thought that both populations originate only from the solar corona, and that the only active process impacting their properties in the solar wind is scattering. This view has consequently impacted the interpretation of typical patterns of pitch-angle distributions (PADs) of suprathermal electrons. Meanwhile, recent observational studies supported by numerical simulations have shown that there is an unaccounted population of electrons accelerated to suprathermal energies at reconnecting current sheets (RCSs) and 3D dynamical plasmoids (or 2D magnetic islands (MIs)) directly in the heliosphere. We present multispacecraft observations of counterstreaming strahls and heat flux dropouts in PADs within a region filled with plasmoids and RCSs unaffected by interplanetary shocks, comparing observed PAD features with those predicted by particle-in-cell simulations. We show typical PAD patterns determined by local acceleration of thermal-core electrons up to hundreds of electron volts. Resulting PAD views depend on properties and topology of particular RCSs, MIs, and plasma/magnetic field parameters. Our study suggests that solar wind-borne suprathermal electrons coexist with those of solar origin. Therefore, some of heat flux dropout and bidirectional strahl events can be explained by local dynamical processes involving magnetic reconnection. Possible implications of the results for the interpretation of the actively debated decrease in the strahl/halo relative density with heliocentric distance and puzzling features of suprathermal electrons observed at crossings of the heliospheric current sheet and cometary comas are also discussed.

Properties of plasmoid-dominated turbulent reconnection in a low-$\beta$ background plasma are investigated by resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations. In the $\beta_{\rm in} < 1$ regime, where $\beta_{\rm in}$ is plasma $\beta$ in the inflow region, the reconnection site is dominated by shocks and shock-related structures and plasma compression is significant. The effective reconnection rate increases from $0.01$ to $0.02$ as $\beta_{\rm in}$ decreases. We hypothesize that plasma compression allows faster reconnection rate, and then we estimate a speed-up factor, based on a compressible MHD theory. We validate our prediction by a series of MHD simulations. These results suggest that the plasmoid-dominated reconnection can be twice faster than expected in the $\beta \ll 1$ environment in a solar corona., Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures; f90 codes are attached; see ancillary files in the "Other formats" link

How magnetic reconnection drives Mercury’s magnetospheric dynamics under extreme solar wind conditions is not well understood. Here we report MESSENGER observations of an active reconnection event in Mercury’s magnetotail driven by an interplanetary coronal mass ejection on 2011 November 23. The primary Hall magnetic field, sequential passage of X-lines with Hall field perturbations, and flux ropes (FRs) provide unambiguous evidence of multiple X-line reconnection in an unstable ion diffusion region. In addition, large FRs consisting of multiple successive small-scale FRs are ejected tailward at quasi-periodic intervals of ∼1 minute, which is comparable to the Dungey cycle time. We propose that these large FRs are generated by the interaction and coalescence of multiple ion-scale FRs. This is distinct from the commonly accepted Earth-like substorm process where plasmoids are created by widely separated X-lines in the magnetotail. These observations suggest that during extreme solar wind conditions multiple X-line reconnection may dominate the tail reconnection process and control the global dynamics of Mercury’s magnetosphere.

In the last two decades, a wide variety of plasmoids events have been observed, ranging from space and astrophysical phenomenon to magnetically confined laboratory plasmas, in which there are a lot of evidence of observational plasmoid-like features supported by direct large-scaled computer simulations. A super-Alfvénic instability, named plasmoid instability, occurs in an extended current sheet, when the Lundquist number exceeds a critical value. The large-aspect-ratio current sheet is fragmented by generating, growing, coalescing and ejecting of plasmoids so that this phenomenon has been proposed as a possible mechanism for fast reconnection scenario. This super-Alfvénic plasmoid instability has been usedin the significant new development of reconnection theory, and thus can provide alternative and more convincing mechanism for fast reconnection. In this work, a “driving” kind of shear flow in the out-of-plane direction is imposed on a two-dimensional, three-component magnetohydrodynamic model with a current sheet system to study the dynamic process of the plasmoids in a current sheet system. The effect of the width and strength of the driving flow on the reconnection rate of plasmoids are numerically analyzed in detail. It is found that the plasmoids are easily formed in the case of strong and wide out-of-plane driving flow. The reconnection rate and the number of the plasmoids increase with the driving flow width and/or driving flow strength increasing. In the presence of guiding field, it is found that the symmetry of the plasmoids is broken in the reconnection plane. In addition, for the fixed guiding field, the growth rate of plasmoids increases much faster when the strength of driving flow increases.

We numerically study magnetic reconnection on different spatial scales and at different heights in the weakly ionized plasma of the low solar atmosphere (around $300-800$~km above the solar surface) within a reactive 2.5 D multi-fluid plasma-neutral model. We consider a strongly magnetized plasma ($\beta \sim 6\% $) evolving from a force-free magnetic configuration and perturbed to initialize formation of a reconnection current sheet. On large scales, the resulting current sheets are observed to undergo a secondary 'plasmoid' instability. A series of simulations at different scales demonstrate a cascading current sheet formation process that terminates for current sheets with width of ~2m and length of $\sim100$~m, corresponding to the critical current sheet aspect ratio of $\sim50$. We also observe that the plasmoid instability is the primary physical mechanism accelerating the magnetic reconnection in this plasma parameter regime. After plasmoid instabilities appear, the reconnection rate sharply increases to a value of $\sim$ 0.035, observed to be independent of the Lundquist number. These characteristics are very similar to magnetic reconnection in fully ionized plasmas. In this low $\beta$ guide field reconnection regime, both the recombination and collisionless effects are observed to have a small contribution to the reconnection rate. The simulations show that it is difficult to heat the dense weakly ionized photospheric plasmas to above $2\times10^4$~K during the magnetic reconnection process. However, the plasmas in the low solar chromosphere can be heated above $3\times10^4$~K with reconnection magnetic fields of $500$~G or stronger.

Strong magnetic fields in the magnetospheres of neutron stars (NSs) (especially magnetars) and other astrophysical objects may release their energy in violent, intense episodes of magnetic reconnection. While reconnection has been studied extensively, the extreme field strength near NSs introduces new effects: radiation cooling and electron–positron pair production. Using massively parallel particle-in-cell simulations that self-consistently incorporate these new radiation and quantum-electrodynamic effects, we investigate relativistic magnetic reconnection in the strong-field regime. We show that reconnection in this regime can efficiently convert magnetic energy to X-ray and gamma-ray radiation and thus power bright, high-energy astrophysical flares. Rapid radiative cooling causes strong plasma and magnetic field compression in compact plasmoids. In the most extreme cases, the field can approach the quantum limit, leading to copious pair production. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Magnetic reconnection in the solar corona is thought to be unstable to the formation of multiple interacting plasmoids, and previous studies have shown that plasmoid dynamics can trigger MHD waves of different modes propagating outward from the reconnection site. However, variations in plasma parameters and magnetic field strength in the vicinity of a coronal reconnection site may lead to wave reflection and mode conversion. In this paper we investigate the reflection and refraction of fast magnetoacoustic waves near a reconnection site. Under a justified assumption of an analytically specified Alfv\'{e}n speed profile, we derive and solve analytically the full wave equation governing propagation of fast mode waves in a non-uniform background plasma without recourse to the small-wavelength approximation. We show that the waves undergo reflection near the reconnection current sheet due to the Alfv\'en speed gradient and that the reflection efficiently depends on the plasma-$\beta$ parameter as well as on the wave frequency. In particular, we find that waves are reflected more efficiently near reconnection sites in a low-$\beta$ plasma which is typical for the solar coronal conditions. Also, the reflection is larger for lower frequency waves while high frequency waves propagate outward from the reconnection region almost without the reflection. We discuss the implications of efficient wave reflection near magnetic reconnection sites in strongly magnetized coronal plasma for particle acceleration, and also the effect this might have on First Ionization Potential (FIP) fractionation by the ponderomotive force of these waves in the chromosphere., Comment: 28 pages, 10 figures, submitted to the Astrophysical Journal

Drifting pulsation structures (DPSs) are considered to be radio signatures of the plasmoids formed during magnetic reconnection in the impulsive phase of solar flares. In the present paper we analyze oscillations and waves in seven examples of drifting pulsation structures, observed by the 800-2000 MHz Ondrejov radiospectrograph. For their analysis we use a new type of oscillation maps which give us a much more information about processes in DPSs than that in previous analyzes. Based on these oscillation maps, made from radio spectra by the wavelet technique, we recognized quasi-periodic oscillations with periods ranging from about 1 to 108 s in all studied DPSs. This strongly supports the idea that DPSs are generated during a fragmented magnetic reconnection. Phases of most the oscillations in DPSs, especially for the period around 1 s, are synchronized ("infinite" frequency drift) in the whole frequency range of DPSs. For longer periods in some DPSs we found that the phases of the oscillations drift with the frequency drift in the interval from -17 to +287 MHz\s. We propose that these drifting phases can be caused (a) by the fast or slow magnetosonic waves generated during the magnetic reconnection and propagating through the plasmoid, (b) by a quasi-periodic structure in the plasma inflowing to the reconnection forming a plasmoid, and (c) by a quasi-periodically varying reconnection rate in the X-point of the reconnection close to the plasmoid., 15 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in Solar Physics on Mar 13, 2018

Coronal jets are always produced by magnetic reconnection between emerging flux and pre-existing overlying magnetic fields. When the overlying field is vertical/obilique or horizontal, the coronal jet will appear as anemone type or two-sided-loop type. Most of observational jets are of the anemone type, and only a few of two-sided-loop jets have been reported. Using the high-quality data from New Vacuum Solar Telescope, Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, and Solar Dynamics Observatory, we present an example of two-sided-loop jets simultaneously observed in the chromosphere, transition region, and corona. The continuous emergence of magnetic flux brought in successively emerging of coronal loops and the slowly rising of an overlying horizontal filament threads. Sequentially, there appeared the deformation of the loops, the plasmoids ejection from the loop top, and pairs of loop brightenings and jet moving along the untwisting filament threads. All the observational results indicate there exist magnetic reconnection between the emerging loops and overlying horizontal filament threads, and it is the first example of two-sided-loop jets associated with ejected plasmoids and twisted overlying fields., Comment: 9 figures

Magnetic reconnection is thought to be a key process in most of solar eruptions. Thanks to high-resolution observations and simulations, the studied scale of reconnection process has become smaller and smaller. Spectroscopic observations show that the reconnection site can be very small, which always exhibits a bright core and two extended wings with fast speeds, i.e., transition-region explosive events. In this paper, using the PLUTO code, we perform a 2-D magnetohydrodynamic simulation to investigate the small-scale reconnection in double current sheets. Based on our simulation results, such as the line-of-sight velocity, number density and plasma temperature, we can synthesize the line profile of Si IV 1402.77 A which is a well known emission line to study the transition-region explosive events on the Sun. The synthetic line profile of Si IV 1402.77 A is complex with a bright core and two broad wings which can extend to be nearly 200 km/s. Our simulation results suggest that the transition-region explosive events on the Sun are produced by plasmoid instability during the small-scale magnetic reconnection., Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures, 1 table, accepted by RAA

Using high spatial and temporal data from the \emph{Solar Dynamics Observatory} (\emph{SDO}) and the \emph{Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph} (\emph{IRIS}), several observational signatures of magnetic reconnection in the course of magnetic flux cancellation are presented, including two loop-loop interaction processes, multiple plasma blob ejections, and a sheet-like structure that appeared above the flux cancellation sites with a Y-shaped and an inverted Y-shaped ends. The \emph{IRIS} 1400 \AA\ observations show that the plasma blobs were ejected from the tip of the Y-shaped ends of the sheet-like structure. Obvious photospheric magnetic flux cancellation occurred after the first loop-loop interaction and continued until the end of the observation. Complemented by the nonlinear force-free field extrapolation, we found that two sets of magnetic field lines, which reveal an X-shaped configuration, align well with the interacted coronal loops. Moreover, a magnetic null point is found to be situated at about $0.9$ Mm height right above the flux cancellation sites and located between the two sets of magnetic field lines. These results suggest that the flux cancellation might be a result of submergence of magnetic field lines following magnetic reconnection that occurs in the lower atmosphere of the Sun, and the ejected plasma blobs should be plasmoids created in the sheet-like structure due to the tearing-mode instability. This observation reveals detailed magnetic field structure and dynamic process above the flux cancellation sites and will help us to understand magnetic reconnection in the lower atmosphere of the Sun.