Tether-cutting Reconnection between Two Solar Filaments Triggering Outflows and a Coronal Mass Ejection

TL;DR

This study presents high-resolution IRIS observations of tether-cutting reconnection between two solar filaments, demonstrating how this process triggers solar eruptions and CMEs with detailed plasma flow measurements.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed imaging and spectral analysis of tether-cutting reconnection between filaments, confirming its role in solar eruption initiation.

Findings

Reconnection triggered a C4.3 flare and CME.

Bright plasma outflows observed with velocities around 120 km/s.

Spectral features showed significant enhancement before the flare.

Abstract

Triggering mechanisms of solar eruptions have long been a challenge. A few previous case studies have indicated that preceding gentle filament merging via magnetic reconnection may launch following intense eruption, according with the tether-cutting (TC) model. However, detailed process of TC reconnection between filaments has not been exhibited yet. In this work, we report the high resolution observations from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrometer (IRIS) of TC reconnection between two sheared filaments in NOAA active region 12146. The TC reconnection commenced since 15:35 UT on 2014 August 29 and triggered an eruptive GOES C4.3-class flare 8 minutes later. An associated coronal mass ejection appeared in the field of view of SOHO/LASCO C2 about 40 minutes later. Thanks to the high spatial resolution of IRIS data, bright plasma outflows generated by the TC reconnection are clearly observed, which moved along the subarcsecond fine-scale flux tube structures in the erupting filament. Based on the imaging and spectral observations, the mean plane-of-sky and line-of-sight velocities of the TC reconnection outflows are separately measured to be 79 and 86 km/s, which derives an average real speed of 120 km/s. In addition, it is found that spectral features, such as peak intensities, Doppler shifts, and line widths in the TC reconnection region evidently enhanced compared with those in the nearby region just before the flare.