Pre-eruptive Magnetic Reconnection within a Multi-flux-rope System in the Solar Corona

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-20-2018

Abstract

The solar corona is frequently disrupted by coronal mass ejections (CMEs), whose core structure is believed to be a flux rope made of helical magnetic field. This has become a "standard" picture; though, it remains elusive how the flux rope forms and evolves toward eruption. While one-third of the ejecta passing through spacecraft demonstrate a flux-rope structure, the rest have complex magnetic fields. Are they originating from a coherent flux rope, too? Here we investigate the source region of a complex ejecta, focusing on a flare precursor with definitive signatures of magnetic reconnection, i.e., nonthermal electrons, flaring plasma, and bidirectional outflowing blobs. Aided by nonlinear force-free field modeling, we conclude that the reconnection occurs within a system of multiple braided flux ropes with different degrees of coherency. The observation signifies the importance of internal structure and dynamics in understanding CMEs and in predicting their impacts on Earth.

Identifier

85046463409 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Astrophysical Journal

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aab7fb

e-ISSN

15384357

ISSN

0004637X

Issue

2

Volume

857

Grant

41421063

Fund Ref

National Science Foundation

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