The Observations of Magnetic Reconnection During the Interaction Process of Two Active Region Filaments

TL;DR

This study observes magnetic reconnection during the interaction of two solar filaments, revealing partial slingshot reconnection processes and their implications for filament dynamics in active regions.

Contribution

It provides detailed observational evidence of partial slingshot-type magnetic reconnection between filaments, highlighting the role of magnetic flux imbalance.

Findings

Observation of a current sheet approximately 2.17 Mm long.

Reconnection leads to formation of new filaments F3 and F4.

Partial reconnection results in the disappearance of F1 and partial F2 retention.

Abstract

We investigate the interaction between two filaments (F1 and F2) and their subsequent magnetic reconnection in active region (AR) NOAA 13296 and AR NOAA 13293 on May 9, 2023, utilizing high spatial and temporal resolution and multi-wavelength observational data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory, the New Vacuum Solar Telescope, and the Chinese H{\alpha} Solar Explorer. The movement of F1 from the southeast toward the northwest, driven by the motion of the positive magnetic polarity (P1), leads to a collision and reconnection with F2. This reconnection exchanges their footpoints, resulting in the formation of two new filaments (F3 and F4) consistent with "slingshot" type filament interaction. During the interaction, the current sheet moving due to the motion of F1 and the reconnection outflows moving along F3 and F4 were both observed. The current sheet is rarely observed in the slingshot type filament interaction, measuring approximately 2.17 Mm in length and 0.84 Mm in width. After the interaction, the F1 disappears whereas a portion of F2 remains, indicating that the interaction involves partial slingshot reconnection, due to the unequal magnetic flux between the filaments. The residual part of F2 will undergo another magnetic reconnection in the same interaction region with the magnetic loops connecting polarities N1 and P1. The material generated by the reconnection is continuously injected into F4, leading to its final morphology. The findings enhance our understanding of slingshot-type filament interactions, indicating that partial slingshot reconnections between filaments may be more common than full slingshot events.