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Title: QUIET-SUN NETWORK BRIGHT POINT PHENOMENA WITH SIGMOIDAL SIGNATURES

Journal Article · · Astrophysical Journal
;  [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Department of Physics and Space Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL 32901 (United States)
  2. OrangeWave Innovative Science, LLC, Moncks Corner, SC 29461 (United States)
  3. Department of Optical Science and Engineering, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899 (United States)

Ubiquitous solar atmospheric coronal and transition region bright points (BPs) are compact features overlying strong concentrations of magnetic flux. Here, we utilize high-cadence observations from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory to provide the first observations of extreme ultraviolet quiet-Sun (QS) network BP activity associated with sigmoidal structuring. To our knowledge, this previously unresolved fine structure has never been associated with such small-scale QS events. This QS event precedes a bi-directional jet in a compact, low-energy, and low-temperature environment, where evidence is found in support of the typical fan-spine magnetic field topology. As in active regions and micro-sigmoids, the sigmoidal arcade is likely formed via tether-cutting reconnection and precedes peak intensity enhancements and eruptive activity. Our QS BP sigmoid provides a new class of small-scale structuring exhibiting self-organized criticality that highlights a multi-scaled self-similarity between large-scale, high-temperature coronal fields and the small-scale, lower-temperature QS network. Finally, our QS BP sigmoid elevates arguments for coronal heating contributions from cooler atmospheric layers, as this class of structure may provide evidence favoring mass, energy, and helicity injections into the heliosphere.

OSTI ID:
22521693
Journal Information:
Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 814, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English