Ubiquitous Solar Eruptions Driven by Magnetized Vortex Tubes

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates through realistic simulations that ubiquitous magnetized vortex tubes generated by turbulent convection are responsible for small-scale solar eruptions like spicules, revealing their structure, dynamics, and initiation mechanisms.

Contribution

It uncovers the role of subsurface magnetized vortex tubes in driving solar eruptions, a novel insight into the initiation of spicule-like jets.

Findings

Vortex tubes penetrate into the solar atmosphere and generate shocks.

Eruptions are driven by high-pressure gradients and Lorentz forces.

Simulations reveal complex flow patterns and magnetic structures.

Abstract

The solar surface is covered by high-speed jets transporting mass and energy into the solar corona and feeding the solar wind. The most prominent of these jets have been known as spicules. However, the mechanism initiating these eruptions events is still unknown. Using realistic numerical simulations we find that small-scale eruptions are produced by ubiquitous magnetized vortex tubes generated by the Sun's turbulent convection in subsurface layers. The swirling vortex tubes (resembling tornadoes) penetrate into the solar atmosphere, capture and stretch background magnetic field, and push surrounding material up, generating quasiperiodic shocks. Our simulations reveal a complicated high-speed flow patterns, and thermodynamic and magnetic structure in the erupting vortex tubes. We found that the eruptions are initiated in the subsurface layers and are driven by the high-pressure gradients in the subphotosphere and photosphere, and by the Lorentz force in the higher atmosphere layers.