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Observing Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in solar blowout jet
Xiaohong Li1,2, Jun Zhang3,4, Shuhong Yang5,6
1CAS Key Laboratory of Solar Activity, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China. lixiaohong@nao.cas.cn.
Scientific Reports
|May 27, 2018
Summary
Scientists discovered Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) in solar blowout jets. This instability, driven by high velocity shear, creates a sawtooth pattern, offering new insights into solar jet dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Plasma physics
- Solar physics
- Astrophysics
Background:
- Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI) is a fundamental process in fluids and magnetized plasmas.
- KHI models instabilities at magnetospheric, heliospheric, and astrophysical boundaries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the discovery of KHI in solar blowout jets.
- To analyze the detailed evolution of KHI in a solar jet using high-resolution data.
Main Methods:
- Employed high-resolution data from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) satellite.
- Analyzed a specific solar blowout jet rooted in Active Region 12365.
Main Results:
- Observed KHI development due to a velocity shear of ~204 km/s.
- Identified a cavity near the jet base, indicating magnetic reconnection.
- The jet's left boundary showed a sawtooth pattern, confirming KHI onset.
Conclusions:
- KHI is present and dynamically significant in solar blowout jets.
- The findings enhance understanding of solar jet evolution and plasma instabilities.
- IRIS satellite data provides crucial insights into these phenomena.
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