Hungarian Science and Technology Foundation

This paper offers a fresh perspective on solar chromosphere heating and plasma outflows, focusing on the contribution of waves generated by solar granulation. Utilizing a 2.5D numerical experiment for the partially ionized lower solar atmosphere, we investigate the dissipation of these waves and their impact on plasma outflows and chromospheric heating via ion-neutral collisions. Employing the JOint ANalytical and Numerical Approach code, we adopt two-fluid model equations, examining partially ionized hydrogen plasma dynamics, including protons+electrons and neutrals, treated as two separate fluids that are coupled through ion-neutral collisions. Our investigation focuses on a quiet solar chromosphere region characterized by gravitational stratification and magnetic confinement by an initially set single magnetic arcade. The primary source of the waves is the solar convection beneath the photosphere. Our results demonstrate that ion-neutral collisions result in the dissipation of such waves, releasing thermal energy that heats the chromosphere plasma. Notably, this is accompanied by upward-directed plasma flows. Finally, we conclude that wave dissipation due to ion-neutral collisions in the two-fluid plasma model induces chromosphere heating and plasma outflows.

The focus of this study is on the spatial and temporal distributions of 2704 solar jets throughout Solar Cycle 24, from beginning to end. This work is a follow-up paper by Liu et al. With this extended data set, we have further confirmed the two distinct distributions of coronal jets: one located in polar regions and another at lower latitudes. Further analysis of the series of coronal jets revealed kink oscillations of the global solar magnetic field. Additionally, studying the northern and southern hemispheres separately showed an antiphase correlation that can be interpreted as a global sausage oscillatory pattern of the loci of the coronal jets. We also investigated how the variability of the solar cycle may impact the power law index of coronal jets by dividing the data set into the rising and declining phases of Solar Cycle 24. However, there is no compelling evidence to suggest that the power law index changes after the maximum. It is worth noting that based on this vast database of solar jets, the degradation of the 304 Å channel of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly instrument on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory can also be identified and confirmed. Finally, we searched for compelling signatures of the presence of active longitude in the coronal jet database. There was no obvious evidence with a high probability of an active longitude; therefore, this question remains yet to be addressed further.

Abstract Observational precursors of large solar flares provide a basis for future operational systems for forecasting. Here, we study the evolution of the normalized emergence (EM), shearing (SH), and total (T) magnetic helicity flux components for 14 flaring (with at least one X-class flare) and 14 nonflaring (<M5-class flares) active regions (ARs) using the Space-weather Helioseismic Magnetic Imager Active Region Patches vector magnetic field data. Each of the selected ARs contain a δ-type spot. The three helicity components of these ARs were analyzed using wavelet analysis. Localized peaks of the wavelet power spectrum (WPS) were identified and statistically investigated. We find that (i) the probability density function of the identified WPS peaks for all the EM/SH/T profiles can be fitted with a set of Gaussian functions centered at distinct periods between ∼3 and 20 hr. (ii) There is a noticeable difference in the distribution of periods found in the EM profiles between the flaring and nonflaring ARs, while no significant difference is found in the SH and T profiles. (iii) In flaring ARs, the distributions of the shorter EM/SH/T periods (<10 hr) split up into two groups after flares, while the longer periods (>10 hr) do not change. (iv) When the EM periodicity does not contain harmonics, the ARs do not host a large energetic flare. (v) Finally, significant power at long periods (∼20 hr) in the T and EM components may serve as a precursor for large energetic flares.