Two Kinds of Dynamic Behavior in a Quiescent Prominence Observed by the NVST

TL;DR

This study uses high-resolution solar observations to analyze two dynamic behaviors in a quiescent prominence: Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities caused by shear flows and small-scale oscillations, revealing insights into plasma transfer and wave phenomena.

Contribution

First detailed observation of KHIs and oscillations in a quiescent prominence using NVST, linking flow velocities to instability development and wave behavior.

Findings

KHIs exhibit vortex-like structures with specific growth rates.

Shear velocities are supersonic, causing boundary deformation.

Oscillations show non-monotonic period changes and are likely MHD waves.

Abstract

We present high-resolution observations of two kinds of dynamic behavior in a quiescent prominence using the New Vacuum Solar Telescope, i.e., Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities (KHIs) and small-scale oscillations. The KHIs were identified as rapidly developed vortex-like structures with counter-clockwise/clockwise rotations in the Ha red-wing images at +0.3 A, which were produced by the strong shear-flows motions on the surface/interface of prominence plumes. The KHI growth rates are estimated to be about 0.0135 +(-)0.0004 and 0.0138 +(-) 0.0004. Our observational results further suggest that the shear velocities (i.e, supersonic) of the mass flows are fast enough to produce the strong deformation of the boundary and overcome the restraining surface tension force. This flow-driven instability might play a significant role in the process of plasma transfer in solar prominences. The small-scale oscillations perpendicular to the prominence threads are observed in the Ha line-center images. The oscillatory periods changed non-monotonically and showed two changing patterns, in which one firstly decreased slowly and then it changed to increase, while the other grew fast at the beginning and then it changed to decrease. Both of these two thread oscillations with changing periods were observed to be unstable for an entire cycle, and they were local in nature. All our findings indicate that the small-scale thread oscillations could be magnetohydrodynamic waves in the solar corona.