Imaging coronal magnetic-field reconnection in a solar flare

TL;DR

This paper presents high-resolution multi-wavelength observations of a solar flare, providing clear visual evidence of magnetic reconnection and revealing complex features that challenge existing models.

Contribution

It offers unprecedented imaging of magnetic reconnection in a solar flare, validating key aspects of flare models while highlighting new complexities to consider.

Findings

Visual confirmation of magnetic reconnection in a solar flare

Detection of plasma heated to >10 MK at reconnection sites

Observation of 3D non-uniform, non-steady, asymmetric evolution

Abstract

Magnetic-field reconnection is believed to play a fundamental role in magnetized plasma systems throughout the Universe1, including planetary magnetospheres, magnetars and accretion disks around black holes. This letter present extreme ultraviolet and X-ray observations of a solar flare showing magnetic reconnection with a level of clarity not previously achieved. The multi-wavelength extreme ultraviolet observations from SDO/AIA show inflowing cool loops and newly formed, outflowing hot loops, as predicted. RHESSI X-ray spectra and images simultaneously show the appearance of plasma heated to >10 MK at the expected locations. These two data sets provide solid visual evidence of magnetic reconnection producing a solar flare, validating the basic physical mechanism of popular flare models. However, new features are also observed that need to be included in reconnection and flare studies, such as three-dimensional non-uniform, non-steady and asymmetric evolution.