Observation of Two Splitting Processes in a Partial Filament Eruption on the Sun: The Role of Breakout Reconnection
Partial filament eruptions have often been observed; however, the physical mechanisms that lead to filament splitting are not yet fully understood. In this study, we present a unique event of a partial filament eruption that undergoes two distinct splitting processes. The first process involves vert...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2023-01-01
|
| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ace5b1 |
| _version_ | 1797694422373105664 |
|---|---|
| author | Zheng Sun Ting Li Hui Tian Yijun Hou Zhenyong Hou Hechao Chen Xianyong Bai Yuanyong Deng |
| author_facet | Zheng Sun Ting Li Hui Tian Yijun Hou Zhenyong Hou Hechao Chen Xianyong Bai Yuanyong Deng |
| author_sort | Zheng Sun |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Partial filament eruptions have often been observed; however, the physical mechanisms that lead to filament splitting are not yet fully understood. In this study, we present a unique event of a partial filament eruption that undergoes two distinct splitting processes. The first process involves vertical splitting and is accompanied by brightenings inside the filament, which may result from internal magnetic reconnection within the filament. Following the first splitting process, the filament is separated into an upper part and a lower part. Subsequently, the upper part undergoes a second splitting, which is accompanied by a coronal blowout jet. An extrapolation of the coronal magnetic field reveals a hyperbolic flux tube structure above the filament, indicating the occurrence of breakout reconnection that reduces the constraining field above. Consequently, the filament is lifted up, but at a nonuniform speed. The high-speed part reaches the breakout current sheet to generate the blowout jet, while the low-speed part falls back to the solar surface, resulting in the second splitting. In addition, continuous brightenings are observed along the flare ribbons, suggesting the occurrence of a slipping reconnection process. This study presents, for the first time, the unambiguous observation of a two-stage filament-splitting process, advancing our understanding of the complex dynamics of solar eruptions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T02:56:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-03123ad52f214b6c850269d9fe4966f6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T02:56:42Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-03123ad52f214b6c850269d9fe4966f62023-09-03T15:11:49ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572023-01-01953214810.3847/1538-4357/ace5b1Observation of Two Splitting Processes in a Partial Filament Eruption on the Sun: The Role of Breakout ReconnectionZheng Sun0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5657-7587Ting Li1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6655-1743Hui Tian2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1369-1758Yijun Hou3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9534-1638Zhenyong Hou4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4804-5673Hechao Chen5https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7866-4358Xianyong Bai6https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2686-9153Yuanyong Deng7School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University , Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China ; huitian@pku.edu.cnNational Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China ; liting@nao.cas.cn; School of Astronomy and Space Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049, People's Republic of ChinaSchool of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University , Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China ; huitian@pku.edu.cn; National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China ; liting@nao.cas.cn; National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100190, People's Republic of ChinaNational Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China ; liting@nao.cas.cn; School of Astronomy and Space Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049, People's Republic of ChinaSchool of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University , Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China ; huitian@pku.edu.cn; Key Laboratory of Modern Astronomy and Astrophysics (Nanjing University) , Ministry of Education, Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of ChinaSchool of Physics and Astronomy, Yunnan University , Kunming 650500, People's Republic of ChinaNational Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China ; liting@nao.cas.cnNational Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China ; liting@nao.cas.cnPartial filament eruptions have often been observed; however, the physical mechanisms that lead to filament splitting are not yet fully understood. In this study, we present a unique event of a partial filament eruption that undergoes two distinct splitting processes. The first process involves vertical splitting and is accompanied by brightenings inside the filament, which may result from internal magnetic reconnection within the filament. Following the first splitting process, the filament is separated into an upper part and a lower part. Subsequently, the upper part undergoes a second splitting, which is accompanied by a coronal blowout jet. An extrapolation of the coronal magnetic field reveals a hyperbolic flux tube structure above the filament, indicating the occurrence of breakout reconnection that reduces the constraining field above. Consequently, the filament is lifted up, but at a nonuniform speed. The high-speed part reaches the breakout current sheet to generate the blowout jet, while the low-speed part falls back to the solar surface, resulting in the second splitting. In addition, continuous brightenings are observed along the flare ribbons, suggesting the occurrence of a slipping reconnection process. This study presents, for the first time, the unambiguous observation of a two-stage filament-splitting process, advancing our understanding of the complex dynamics of solar eruptions.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ace5b1Solar magnetic reconnectionSolar flaresJets |
| spellingShingle | Zheng Sun Ting Li Hui Tian Yijun Hou Zhenyong Hou Hechao Chen Xianyong Bai Yuanyong Deng Observation of Two Splitting Processes in a Partial Filament Eruption on the Sun: The Role of Breakout Reconnection The Astrophysical Journal Solar magnetic reconnection Solar flares Jets |
| title | Observation of Two Splitting Processes in a Partial Filament Eruption on the Sun: The Role of Breakout Reconnection |
| title_full | Observation of Two Splitting Processes in a Partial Filament Eruption on the Sun: The Role of Breakout Reconnection |
| title_fullStr | Observation of Two Splitting Processes in a Partial Filament Eruption on the Sun: The Role of Breakout Reconnection |
| title_full_unstemmed | Observation of Two Splitting Processes in a Partial Filament Eruption on the Sun: The Role of Breakout Reconnection |
| title_short | Observation of Two Splitting Processes in a Partial Filament Eruption on the Sun: The Role of Breakout Reconnection |
| title_sort | observation of two splitting processes in a partial filament eruption on the sun the role of breakout reconnection |
| topic | Solar magnetic reconnection Solar flares Jets |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ace5b1 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zhengsun observationoftwosplittingprocessesinapartialfilamenteruptiononthesuntheroleofbreakoutreconnection AT tingli observationoftwosplittingprocessesinapartialfilamenteruptiononthesuntheroleofbreakoutreconnection AT huitian observationoftwosplittingprocessesinapartialfilamenteruptiononthesuntheroleofbreakoutreconnection AT yijunhou observationoftwosplittingprocessesinapartialfilamenteruptiononthesuntheroleofbreakoutreconnection AT zhenyonghou observationoftwosplittingprocessesinapartialfilamenteruptiononthesuntheroleofbreakoutreconnection AT hechaochen observationoftwosplittingprocessesinapartialfilamenteruptiononthesuntheroleofbreakoutreconnection AT xianyongbai observationoftwosplittingprocessesinapartialfilamenteruptiononthesuntheroleofbreakoutreconnection AT yuanyongdeng observationoftwosplittingprocessesinapartialfilamenteruptiononthesuntheroleofbreakoutreconnection |