Observations of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability driven by dynamic motions in a solar prominence

TL;DR

This paper reports the first observation of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in a solar prominence, revealing a new mechanism for turbulence driven by shear flows, which enhances understanding of magnetic and fluid interactions in astrophysical plasmas.

Contribution

It provides the first direct evidence of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in a prominence, demonstrating a novel shear flow mechanism for turbulence in solar plasma.

Findings

Detection of sinusoidal shear flow instability in a prominence

Identification of a new turbulence generation mechanism in solar plasma

Highlights prominence as a laboratory for magnetic-fluid dynamics

Abstract

Prominences are incredibly dynamic across the whole range of their observable spatial scales, with observations revealing gravity-driven fluid instabilities, waves, and turbulence. With all these complex motions, it would be expected that instabilities driven by shear in the internal fluid motions would develop. However, evidence of these have been lacking. Here we present the discovery in a prominence, using observations from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), of a shear flow instability, the Kelvin-Helmholtz sinusoidal-mode of a fluid channel, driven by flows in the prominence body. This finding presents a new mechanism through which we can create turbulent motions from the flows observed in quiescent prominences. The observation of this instability in a prominence highlights their great value as a laboratory for understanding the complex interplay between magnetic fields and fluid flows that play a crucial role in a vast range of astrophysical systems.