Numerical simulation of solar photospheric jet-like phenomena caused by magnetic reconnection

• Published in: Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan Vol. 72; no. 5
• Main Authors: Kotani, Yuji, Shibata, Kazunari
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford University Press 01.10.2020
• Subjects: magnetohydrodynamics (MHD); magnetic reconnection; Sun: photosphere
• ISSN: 0004-6264; 2053-051X
• DOI: 10.1093/pasj/psaa064

Abstract Jet phenomena with a bright loop in their footpoint, called anemone jets, have been observed in the solar corona and chromosphere. These jets are formed as a consequence of magnetic reconnection, and from the scale universality of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), it can be expected that anemone jets exist even in the solar photosphere. However, it is not necessarily apparent that jets can be generated as a result of magnetic reconnection in the photosphere, where the magnetic energy is not dominant. Furthermore, MHD waves generated from photospheric jets could contribute to chromospheric heating and spicule formation; however, this hypothesis has not yet been thoroughly investigated. In this study, we perform three-dimensional MHD simulation including gravity with the solar photospheric parameter to investigate anemone jets in the solar photosphere. In the simulation, jet-like structures were induced by magnetic reconnection in the solar photosphere. We determined that these jet-like structures were caused by slow shocks formed by the reconnection and were propagated approximately in the direction of the background magnetic field. We also suggested that MHD waves from the jet-like structures could influence local atmospheric heating and spicule formation.