Coronal Cells in Coronal Holes: Systematic Analysis and Implications for Coronal Evolution

TL;DR

This study systematically analyzes coronal cells in coronal holes using high-resolution EUV images, revealing their structure, magnetic dependence, and role in coronal evolution, with implications for understanding solar magnetic activity.

Contribution

It provides a detailed characterization of coronal cells, linking their properties to magnetic fields and demonstrating their influence on coronal hole dynamics.

Findings

Coronal cells are ubiquitous, funnel-shaped structures in coronal holes.

Cell properties depend on magnetic flux at their footpoints.

Cells can influence coronal hole boundary dynamics.

Abstract

Using advanced processing techniques, we analyze high-cadence, high-resolution extreme ultraviolet images and show that, throughout the solar cycle, mid-latitude coronal holes (CHs) are made up of ubiquitous and space-filling funnel-shaped structures (or cells) anchored to unipolar magnetic flux concentrations in network lanes. We demonstrate that the coronal cells, previously documented in the magnetically closed regions, as well as coronal plumes, inside CHs, are a particular manifestation of ubiquitous cells. The cell properties depend on the magnetic field intensity at their footpoint and connectivity in the corona, either closing in opposite polarity regions (CF-cells) or extending to form open-field (OF-cells). The OF-cells reach size scales on the order of super-granules and are characterized by dark lanes delimiting ray-like features both showing, at different levels, persistent jet-like ejections. The cells' lifetime mirrors that of magnetic flux concentrations revealed by magnetograms, slowly emerging and then disappearing in a matter of a few hours to a few days in a one-to-one correspondence. When a cell forms along the CH boundary, it can alter the CH boundary by shrinking or expanding the CH by an approximately supergranular cell unit. Therefore, coronal cells can contribute to the dynamics of CH boundary. We contextualize these observations in a "coronal cell" theory potentially able to provide an explanation for fine scale coronal structures and jetting activity in polar coronal holes.