Numerical simulations of a two-fluid jet at a magnetic null point in a solar arcade

TL;DR

This paper uses 2D numerical simulations of partially ionized plasma to study jet formation at magnetic null points in the solar atmosphere, revealing shock-driven jets with heating effects linked to ion-neutral interactions.

Contribution

It introduces a two-fluid MHD simulation approach to model jet formation and heating at magnetic null points, highlighting the role of shocks and ion-neutral collisions.

Findings

Jets form as shocks from pressure pulses at null points propagate into the corona.

Jets exhibit an inverted-Y shape related to magnetic null topology.

Ion-neutral collisions contribute to plasma heating in jets.

Abstract

We study the formation and evolution of jets in the solar atmosphere using numerical simulations of partially ionized plasma. The two-fluid magnetohydrodynamic equations with ion+electron and neutral hydrogen components are used in two-dimensional (2D) Cartesian geometry. Numerical simulations show that a localized nonlinear Gaussian pulse of ion and neutral pressures initially launched from the magnetic null point of a potential arcade located below the transition region quickly develops into a shock due to the decrease of density with height. The shock propagates upwards into the solar corona and lifts the cold and dense chromospheric plasma behind in the form of a collimated jet with an inverted-Y shape. The inverted-Y shape of jets is connected with the topology of a magnetic null point. The pulse also excites a nonlinear wake in the chromosphere, which leads to quasi-periodic secondary shocks. The secondary shocks lift the chromospheric plasma upwards and create quasi-periodic jets in the lower corona. Ion and neutral fluids show generally similar behavior, but their relative velocity is higher near the upper part of jets, which leads to enhanced temperature or heating due to ion-neutral collisions. Simulations of jets with inverted-Y shape and their heating may explain the properties of some jets observed in the solar atmosphere.