Signatures of Magnetic Reconnection at the Footpoints of Fan-shaped Jets on a Light Bridge Driven by Photospheric Convective Motions

Xianyong Bai, Hector Socas-Navarro, Daniel Nóbrega-Siverio, Jiangtao Su, Yuanyong Deng, Dong Li, Wenda Cao, Kaifan Ji

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

Dynamical jets are generally found on light bridges (LBs), which are key to studying sunspot decay. So far, their formation mechanism is not fully understood. In this paper, we used state-of-the-art observations from the Goode Solar Telescope, the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, the Spectro-polarimeter on board Hinode, and the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory to analyze the fan-shaped jets on LBs in detail. A continuous upward motion of the jets in the ascending phase is found from the Hα velocity that lasts for 12 minutes and is associated with the Hα line wing enhancements. Two mini jets appear on the bright fronts of the fan-shaped jets visible in the AIA 171 and 193 A channels, with a time interval as short as 1 minute. Two kinds of small-scale convective motions are identified in the photospheric images, along with the Hα line wing enhancements. One seems to be associated with the formation of a new convection cell, and the other manifests as the motion of a dark lane passing through the convection cell. The finding of three-lobe Stokes V profiles and their inversion with the NICOLE code indicate that there are magnetic field lines with opposite polarities in LBs. From the Hα -0.8 A images, we found ribbon-like brightenings propagating along the LBs, possibly indicating slipping reconnection. Our observation supports the idea that the fan-shaped jets under study are caused by magnetic reconnection, and photospheric convective motions play an important role in triggering the magnetic reconnection.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number90
JournalAstrophysical Journal
Volume870
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 10 2019

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

Keywords

  • Sun: activity
  • Sun: atmosphere
  • Sun: magnetic fields
  • methods: observational
  • sunspots

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Signatures of Magnetic Reconnection at the Footpoints of Fan-shaped Jets on a Light Bridge Driven by Photospheric Convective Motions'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this