Ellerman Bombs with Jets: Cause and Effect

TL;DR

This study investigates the cause-and-effect relationship between Ellerman Bombs and chromospheric jets using high-resolution solar observations and simulations, revealing their interconnected dynamics and micro-jet properties.

Contribution

It provides new observational evidence linking EBs to jet formation and demonstrates how reconnection drives micro-jet activity with detailed velocity and temperature insights.

Findings

EBs are connected to chromospheric jet footpoints.

Micro-jets extend up to 500 km with 5-10 km/s velocities.

Simulations replicate observed jet properties and reconnection signatures.

Abstract

Ellerman Bombs (EBs) are thought to arise as a result of photospheric magnetic reconnection. We use data from the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope (SST), to study EB events on the solar disk and at the limb. Both datasets show that EBs are connected to the foot-points of forming chromospheric jets. The limb observations show that a bright structure in the H$\alpha$ blue wing connects to the EB initially fuelling it, leading to the ejection of material upwards. The material moves along a loop structure where a newly formed jet is subsequently observed in the red wing of H$\alpha$. In the disk dataset, an EB initiates a jet which propagates away from the apparent reconnection site within the EB flame. The EB then splits into two, with associated brightenings in the inter-granular lanes (IGLs). Micro-jets are then observed, extending to 500 km with a lifetime of a few minutes. Observed velocities of the micro-jets are approximately 5-10 km s$^{-1}$, while their chromospheric counterparts range from 50-80 km s$^{-1}$. MURaM simulations of quiet Sun reconnection show that micro-jets with similar properties to that of the observations follow the line of reconnection in the photosphere, with associated H$\alpha$ brightening at the location of increased temperature.