Bright Dots and Coronal Plume Formation in Sunspot Penumbra

TL;DR

This study investigates the formation of a coronal plume in a sunspot penumbra using coordinated solar observations, revealing that magneto-acoustic shocks and magnetic topology influence plume development.

Contribution

It provides new insights into plume formation mechanisms, emphasizing the roles of small-scale dots, shocks, and magnetic configurations in sunspot penumbrae.

Findings

Bright dots are concentrated at the plume base.

Some dots are signatures of magneto-acoustic shocks.

Plume formation may depend on magnetic topology and wave fields.

Abstract

Coronal plumes are narrow, collimated structures that are primarily viewed above the solar poles and in coronal holes in the extreme ultraviolet, but also in sunspots. Open questions remain about plume formation, including the role of small-scale transients and whether plumes embedded in different magnetic field configurations have similar formation mechanisms. We report on coordinated Solar Orbiter/Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI), Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, and Solar Dynamics Observatory observations of the formation of a plume in sunspot penumbra in 2022 March. During this observation, Solar Orbiter was positioned near the Earth-Sun line and EUI observed at a 5 s cadence with a spatial scale of 185 km pixel$^{-1}$ in the solar corona. We observe fine-scale dots at various locations in the sunspot, but the brightest and highest density of dots is at the plume base. Space-time maps along the plume axis show parabolic and V-shaped patterns, and we conclude that some of these dots are possible signatures of magneto-acoustic shocks. Compared to other radial cuts around the sunspot, along the plume shows the longest periods (~7 minutes) and the most distinct tracks. Bright dots at the plume base are mostly circular and do not show elongations from a fixed origin, in contrast to jetlets and previously reported penumbral dots. We do not find high-speed, repeated downflows along the plume, and the plume appears to brighten coherently along its length. Our analysis suggests that jetlets and downflows are not a necessary component of this plume's formation, and that mechanisms for plume formation could be dependent on magnetic topology and the chromospheric wave field.