Published May 1, 2017 | Version v1
Journal article

Interchange Reconnection Associated with a Confined Filament Eruption: Implications for the Source of Transient Cold-dense Plasma in Solar Winds

  • 1. Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, and Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, Weihai 264209 (China)
  • 2. Department of Physics and CSPAR, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899 (United States)
  • 3. Yunnan Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650216 (China)

Description

The cold-dense plasma is occasionally detected in the solar wind with in situ data, but the source of the cold-dense plasma remains illusive. Interchange reconnections (IRs) between closed fields and nearby open fields are known to contribute to the formation of solar winds. We present a confined filament eruption associated with a puff-like coronal mass ejection (CME) on 2014 December 24. The filament underwent successive activations and finally erupted, due to continuous magnetic flux cancelations and emergences. The confined erupting filament showed a clear untwist motion, and most of the filament material fell back. During the eruption, some tiny blobs escaped from the confined filament body, along newly formed open field lines rooted around the south end of the filament, and some bright plasma flowed from the north end of the filament to remote sites at nearby open fields. The newly formed open field lines shifted southward with multiple branches. The puff-like CME also showed multiple bright fronts and a clear southward shift. All the results indicate an intermittent IR existed between closed fields of the confined erupting filament and nearby open fields, which released a portion of filament material (blobs) to form the puff-like CME. We suggest that the IR provides a possible source of cold-dense plasma in the solar wind.

Availability note (English)

Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aa6b03

Additional details

Identifiers

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Astrophysical Journal
Journal Volume
840
Journal Issue
1
Journal Page Range
[9 p.]
ISSN
0004-637X
CODEN
ASJOAB

INIS

Country of Publication
United States
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
49009153
Subject category
S79: ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY;
Descriptors DEI
FILAMENTS; MAGNETIC FLUX; MASS; PLASMA; SOLAR FLARES; SOLAR WIND; SUN
Descriptors DEC
MAIN SEQUENCE STARS; SOLAR ACTIVITY; STARS; STELLAR ACTIVITY; STELLAR FLARES; STELLAR WINDS