Fleeting Small-scale Surface Magnetic Fields Build the Quiet-Sun Corona
Arch-like loop structures filled with million Kelvin hot plasma form the building blocks of the quiet-Sun corona. Both high-resolution observations and magnetoconvection simulations show the ubiquitous presence of magnetic fields on the solar surface on small spatial scales of ∼100 km. However, the...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2023-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/acf136 |
| _version_ | 1797631111196573696 |
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| author | L. P. Chitta S. K. Solanki J. C. del Toro Iniesta J. Woch D. Calchetti A. Gandorfer J. Hirzberger F. Kahil G. Valori D. Orozco Suárez H. Strecker T. Appourchaux R. Volkmer H. Peter S. Mandal R. Aznar Cuadrado L. Teriaca U. Schühle D. Berghmans C. Verbeeck A. N. Zhukov E. R. Priest |
| author_facet | L. P. Chitta S. K. Solanki J. C. del Toro Iniesta J. Woch D. Calchetti A. Gandorfer J. Hirzberger F. Kahil G. Valori D. Orozco Suárez H. Strecker T. Appourchaux R. Volkmer H. Peter S. Mandal R. Aznar Cuadrado L. Teriaca U. Schühle D. Berghmans C. Verbeeck A. N. Zhukov E. R. Priest |
| author_sort | L. P. Chitta |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Arch-like loop structures filled with million Kelvin hot plasma form the building blocks of the quiet-Sun corona. Both high-resolution observations and magnetoconvection simulations show the ubiquitous presence of magnetic fields on the solar surface on small spatial scales of ∼100 km. However, the question of how exactly these quiet-Sun coronal loops originate from the photosphere and how the magnetic energy from the surface is channeled to heat the overlying atmosphere is a long-standing puzzle. Here we report high-resolution photospheric magnetic field and coronal data acquired during the second science perihelion of Solar Orbiter that reveal a highly dynamic magnetic landscape underlying the observed quiet-Sun corona. We found that coronal loops often connect to surface regions that harbor fleeting weaker, mixed-polarity magnetic field patches structured on small spatial scales, and that coronal disturbances could emerge from these areas. We suggest that weaker magnetic fields with fluxes as low as 10 ^15 Mx and/or those that evolve on timescales less than 5 minutes are crucial to understanding the coronal structuring and dynamics. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T11:17:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-975324790d9c4365ba54dee02d9d4763 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-8205 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T11:17:38Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-975324790d9c4365ba54dee02d9d47632023-11-10T20:09:26ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal Letters2041-82052023-01-019561L110.3847/2041-8213/acf136Fleeting Small-scale Surface Magnetic Fields Build the Quiet-Sun CoronaL. P. Chitta0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9270-6785S. K. Solanki1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3418-8449J. C. del Toro Iniesta2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3387-026XJ. Woch3D. Calchetti4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2755-5295A. Gandorfer5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9972-9840J. Hirzberger6F. Kahil7https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4796-9527G. Valori8https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7809-0067D. Orozco Suárez9https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8829-1938H. Strecker10https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1483-4535T. Appourchaux11https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1790-1951R. Volkmer12H. Peter13https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9921-0937S. Mandal14https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7762-5629R. Aznar Cuadrado15https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1294-1257L. Teriaca16https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7298-2320U. Schühle17https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6060-9078D. Berghmans18https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4052-9462C. Verbeeck19https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5022-4534A. N. Zhukov20https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2542-9810E. R. Priest21https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3621-6690Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung , Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany ; chitta@mps.mpg.deMax-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung , Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany ; chitta@mps.mpg.deInstituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC) , Apartado de Correos 3004, E-18080 Granada, Spain; Spanish Space Solar Physics Consortium (S3PC) , SpainMax-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung , Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany ; chitta@mps.mpg.deMax-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung , Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany ; chitta@mps.mpg.deMax-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung , Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany ; chitta@mps.mpg.deMax-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung , Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany ; chitta@mps.mpg.deMax-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung , Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany ; chitta@mps.mpg.deMax-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung , Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany ; chitta@mps.mpg.deInstituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC) , Apartado de Correos 3004, E-18080 Granada, Spain; Spanish Space Solar Physics Consortium (S3PC) , SpainInstituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC) , Apartado de Correos 3004, E-18080 Granada, Spain; Spanish Space Solar Physics Consortium (S3PC) , SpainUniv. Paris-Sud , Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale, UMR 8617, CNRS, Bâtiment 121, F-91405 Orsay Cedex, FranceLeibniz-Institut für Sonnenphysik , Schöneckstr. 6, D-79104 Freiburg, GermanyMax-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung , Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany ; chitta@mps.mpg.deMax-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung , Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany ; chitta@mps.mpg.deMax-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung , Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany ; chitta@mps.mpg.deMax-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung , Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany ; chitta@mps.mpg.deMax-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung , Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany ; chitta@mps.mpg.deSolar-Terrestrial Centre of Excellence—SIDC , Royal Observatory of Belgium, Ringlaan -3- Av. Circulaire, B-1180 Brussels, BelgiumSolar-Terrestrial Centre of Excellence—SIDC , Royal Observatory of Belgium, Ringlaan -3- Av. Circulaire, B-1180 Brussels, BelgiumSolar-Terrestrial Centre of Excellence—SIDC , Royal Observatory of Belgium, Ringlaan -3- Av. Circulaire, B-1180 Brussels, Belgium; Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics, Moscow State University , 119991 Moscow, RussiaSchool of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews , St Andrews, KY16 9SS, UKArch-like loop structures filled with million Kelvin hot plasma form the building blocks of the quiet-Sun corona. Both high-resolution observations and magnetoconvection simulations show the ubiquitous presence of magnetic fields on the solar surface on small spatial scales of ∼100 km. However, the question of how exactly these quiet-Sun coronal loops originate from the photosphere and how the magnetic energy from the surface is channeled to heat the overlying atmosphere is a long-standing puzzle. Here we report high-resolution photospheric magnetic field and coronal data acquired during the second science perihelion of Solar Orbiter that reveal a highly dynamic magnetic landscape underlying the observed quiet-Sun corona. We found that coronal loops often connect to surface regions that harbor fleeting weaker, mixed-polarity magnetic field patches structured on small spatial scales, and that coronal disturbances could emerge from these areas. We suggest that weaker magnetic fields with fluxes as low as 10 ^15 Mx and/or those that evolve on timescales less than 5 minutes are crucial to understanding the coronal structuring and dynamics.https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/acf136Solar extreme ultraviolet emissionSolar photosphereSolar coronal heatingSolar magnetic fieldsSolar magnetic reconnectionMagnetohydrodynamics |
| spellingShingle | L. P. Chitta S. K. Solanki J. C. del Toro Iniesta J. Woch D. Calchetti A. Gandorfer J. Hirzberger F. Kahil G. Valori D. Orozco Suárez H. Strecker T. Appourchaux R. Volkmer H. Peter S. Mandal R. Aznar Cuadrado L. Teriaca U. Schühle D. Berghmans C. Verbeeck A. N. Zhukov E. R. Priest Fleeting Small-scale Surface Magnetic Fields Build the Quiet-Sun Corona The Astrophysical Journal Letters Solar extreme ultraviolet emission Solar photosphere Solar coronal heating Solar magnetic fields Solar magnetic reconnection Magnetohydrodynamics |
| title | Fleeting Small-scale Surface Magnetic Fields Build the Quiet-Sun Corona |
| title_full | Fleeting Small-scale Surface Magnetic Fields Build the Quiet-Sun Corona |
| title_fullStr | Fleeting Small-scale Surface Magnetic Fields Build the Quiet-Sun Corona |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fleeting Small-scale Surface Magnetic Fields Build the Quiet-Sun Corona |
| title_short | Fleeting Small-scale Surface Magnetic Fields Build the Quiet-Sun Corona |
| title_sort | fleeting small scale surface magnetic fields build the quiet sun corona |
| topic | Solar extreme ultraviolet emission Solar photosphere Solar coronal heating Solar magnetic fields Solar magnetic reconnection Magnetohydrodynamics |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/acf136 |
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