Energetic Particles from Quasi-Separatrix Layers and Current Sheets at the Sun

Fuente: arXiv
Guardado en:
Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Schwadron, Nathan A., Caplan, Ronald M., Linker, Jon A., Palmerio, Erika, Young, Matthew A.
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2024
Materias:
Acceso en línea:
Etiquetas: Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
_version_ 1866908642147565568
author Schwadron, Nathan A.
Caplan, Ronald M.
Linker, Jon A.
Palmerio, Erika
Young, Matthew A.
author_facet Schwadron, Nathan A.
Caplan, Ronald M.
Linker, Jon A.
Palmerio, Erika
Young, Matthew A.
contents Quasi-separatrix layers (QSLs) at the Sun are created from regions where channels of open magnetic flux have footpoints near regions of large-scale closed magnetic flux. These regions are particularly prone to magnetic reconnection at the Sun. In recent simulations of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) with the Magnetohydrodynamic Algorithm outside a Sphere (MAS) model coupled to the Energetic Particle Radiation Environment Module (EPREM) model, common sources of energetic particles were discovered over broad longitudinal distributions in the background solar wind, far from the sites of particle acceleration driven by compressions and shocks in front of CMEs. Further investigation revealed these to be accelerated energetic particles from the QSLs and current sheets. The energy released from magnetic reconnection near the QSL drives reconnection exhausts and field-aligned flows, which in turn accelerate energetic particles. The reconnection process also releases material previously contained within closed magnetic field structures, which are often rich in heavy ions and $^3$He ions, as corroborated by recent PSP observations. Therefore, the seed populations produced by QSLs are expected to be rich in $^3$He and heavy ions. Thus, we present the first global model of energetic particles accelerated from QSLs and above current sheets from the Sun. Our results provide a plausible source for seed populations near the Sun, which likely have $^3$He and heavy ion enhancements. These results aid in the development of predictive solar energetic particle models.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2410_07420
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Energetic Particles from Quasi-Separatrix Layers and Current Sheets at the Sun
Schwadron, Nathan A.
Caplan, Ronald M.
Linker, Jon A.
Palmerio, Erika
Young, Matthew A.
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Space Physics
Quasi-separatrix layers (QSLs) at the Sun are created from regions where channels of open magnetic flux have footpoints near regions of large-scale closed magnetic flux. These regions are particularly prone to magnetic reconnection at the Sun. In recent simulations of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) with the Magnetohydrodynamic Algorithm outside a Sphere (MAS) model coupled to the Energetic Particle Radiation Environment Module (EPREM) model, common sources of energetic particles were discovered over broad longitudinal distributions in the background solar wind, far from the sites of particle acceleration driven by compressions and shocks in front of CMEs. Further investigation revealed these to be accelerated energetic particles from the QSLs and current sheets. The energy released from magnetic reconnection near the QSL drives reconnection exhausts and field-aligned flows, which in turn accelerate energetic particles. The reconnection process also releases material previously contained within closed magnetic field structures, which are often rich in heavy ions and $^3$He ions, as corroborated by recent PSP observations. Therefore, the seed populations produced by QSLs are expected to be rich in $^3$He and heavy ions. Thus, we present the first global model of energetic particles accelerated from QSLs and above current sheets from the Sun. Our results provide a plausible source for seed populations near the Sun, which likely have $^3$He and heavy ion enhancements. These results aid in the development of predictive solar energetic particle models.
title Energetic Particles from Quasi-Separatrix Layers and Current Sheets at the Sun
topic Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Space Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.07420