Enhancement of a sunspot light wall with external disturbances

TL;DR

This study investigates how external disturbances like falling material and flare ejections influence the dynamics and brightness of a solar sunspot light wall, revealing that such disturbances can enhance the wall's height and brightness.

Contribution

It demonstrates that external disturbances, including material falling and flare ejections, can significantly enhance the brightness and height of a solar sunspot light wall, expanding understanding of its dynamic behavior.

Findings

External disturbances can increase light wall height.

Brightenings at the wall base correlate with height fluctuations.

Falling material and flare ejections influence light wall dynamics.

Abstract

Based on the \emph{Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph} observations, we study the response of a solar sunspot light wall to external disturbances. A flare occurrence near the light wall caused material to erupt from the lower solar atmosphere into the corona. Some material falls back to the solar surface, and hits the light bridge (i.e., the base of the light wall), then sudden brightenings appear at the wall base followed by the rise of wall top, leading to an increase of the wall height. Once the brightness of the wall base fades, the height of the light wall begins to decrease. Five hours later, another nearby flare takes place, a bright channel is formed that extends from the flare towards the light bridge. Although no obvious material flow along the bright channel is found, some ejected material is conjectured to reach the light bridge. Subsequently, the wall base brightens and the wall height begins to increase again. Once more, when the brightness of the wall base decays, the wall top fluctuates to lower heights. We suggest, based on the observed cases, that the interaction of falling material and ejected flare material with the light wall results in the brightenings of wall base and causes the height of the light wall to increase. Our results reveal that the light wall can be not only powered by the linkage of \emph{p}-mode from below the photosphere, but may also be enhanced by external disturbances, such as falling material.