Rotational flows in solar coronal flux rope cavities

TL;DR

This study uses 2.5D MHD simulations to explore how asymmetric flux rope formation can trigger rotational motions in solar prominences and their coronal cavities, matching observed tornado-like phenomena.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel simulation approach demonstrating that asymmetric flux rope formation induces systematic rotation in prominences, aligning with observed solar tornadoes.

Findings

Simulated rotations exceed 60 km/s in velocity.

Reproduced observed rotations in coronal plasma and condensations.

Dark cavity formation consistent with observations.

Abstract

We present a 2.5-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulation of a systematically rotating prominence inside its coronal cavity using the open-source \texttt{MPI-AMRVAC} code. Our simulation starts from a non-adiabatic, gravitationally stratified corona, permeated with a sheared arcade magnetic structure. The flux rope (FR) is formed through converging and shearing footpoints driving, simultaneously applying randomized heating at the bottom. The latter induces a left-right asymmetry of temperature and density distributions with respect to the polarity-inversion line. This asymmetry drives flows along the loops before the FR formation, which gets converted to net rotational motions upon reconnection of the field lines. As the thermal instability within the FR develops, angular momentum conservation about its axis leads to a systematic rotation of both hot coronal and cold condensed plasma. The initial rotational velocity exceeds $60\ \mathrm{km\ s^{-1}}$. The synthesized images confirm the simultaneous rotations of the coronal plasma seen in 211 and 193 \AA\ and condensations seen in 304 \AA. Furthermore, the formation of the dark cavity is evident in 211 and 193 \AA\ images. Our numerical experiment is inspired by observations of so-called giant solar prominence tornadoes, and reveals that asymmetric FR formation can be crucial in triggering rotational motions. We reproduce observed spinning motions inside the coronal cavity, augmenting our understanding of the complex dynamics of rotating prominences.