Solar Magnetized "Tornadoes": Relation to Filaments

TL;DR

This paper investigates solar magnetized tornadoes, revealing they are rotating magnetic structures linked to filaments, potentially influencing filament formation and eruption, and providing new insights into solar atmospheric dynamics.

Contribution

First detailed analysis linking solar tornadoes to filament formation, suggesting their role in mass and twist supply, and proposing a new explanation for filament eruptions.

Findings

Solar tornadoes are rotating vertical magnetic structures.

They are associated with filaments and prominences.

Tornadoes may influence filament mass and twist supply.

Abstract

Solar magnetized "tornadoes", a phenomenon discovered in the solar atmosphere, appear as tornado-like structures in the corona but root in the photosphere. Like other solar phenomena, solar tornadoes are a feature of magnetized plasma and therefore differ distinctly from terrestrial tornadoes. Here we report the first analysis of solar "tornadoes" {Two papers which focused on different aspect of solar tornadoes were published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters (Li et al. 2012) and Nature (Wedemeyer-B\"ohm et al. 2012), respectively, during the revision of this Letter.}. A detailed case study of two events indicates that they are rotating vertical magnetic structures probably driven by underlying vortex flows in the photosphere. They usually exist as a group and relate to filaments/prominences, another important solar phenomenon whose formation and eruption are still mysteries. Solar tornadoes may play a distinct role in the supply of mass and twists to filaments. These findings could lead to a new explanation to filament formation and eruption.