Mass motion in a prominence bubble revealing a kinked flux rope configuration

TL;DR

This study analyzes the complex mass motions within a prominence bubble, revealing a counter-clockwise rotation consistent with a kinked flux rope or kink instability, using high-resolution solar observations.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed observational evidence of mass motions indicating a kinked flux rope or kink instability in a prominence bubble.

Findings

Disparate morphology in H-alpha line-center and line-wing images.

Counter-clockwise rotation of mass motions inside the bubble.

Evidence supporting a kinked flux rope or kink instability.

Abstract

Prominence bubbles are cavities rising into quiescent prominences from below. The bubble-prominence interface is often the active location for the formation of plumes, which flow turbulently into quiescent prominences. Not only the origin of prominence bubbles is poorly understood, but most of their physical characteristics are still largely unknown. Here, we investigate the dynamical properties of a bubble, which is observed since its early emergence beneath the spine of a quiescent prominence on 20 October 2017 in the H$\alpha$ line-center and in $\pm$0.4 angstrom line-wing wavelengths by the 1-m New Vacuum Solar Telescope. We report the prominence bubble to be exhibiting a disparate morphology in the H$\alpha$ line-center compared to its line-wings' images, indicating a complex pattern of mass motion along the line-of-sight. Combining Doppler maps with flow maps in the plane of sky derived from a Nonlinear Affine Velocity Estimator, we obtained a comprehensive picture of mass motions revealing a counter-clockwise rotation inside the bubble; with blue-shifted material flowing upward and red-shifted material flowing downward. This sequence of mass motions is interpreted to be either outlining a kinked flux rope configuration of the prominence bubble or providing observational evidence of the internal kink instability in the prominence plasma.