Quasiperiodic Fast-propagating Waves Driven by the Tuning-fork Effect during Magnetic Reconnection

Abstract Through three-dimensional MHD simulations, we have uncovered a kind of fast coronal wave originating from both ends of a current sheet (CS) during a solar eruption. These waves are observed to appear near the top and bottom ends of the reconnection-related CS. The simulations demonstrate the presence of termination shock regions above the two ends of the CS. As the reconnection outflows escape from the vertical CS and encounter these termination shocks, they undergo partial reflection, redirecting toward the CS terminal fork walls. The identified waves propagate rapidly at a speed of approximately 1400 km s −1 with a period of just 2 s. Concurrently, the time evolution of intensity within a small region of the CS terminal fork structures exhibits a similar oscillation period of 2 s. All this evidence supports the notion that these quasiperiodic fast-propagating (QFP) waves were excited by tuning-fork effects within the CS system. Essentially, the rapid reconnection outflows are reflected by the terminal shocks, striking the fork walls at the CS ends. Moreover, parts of the oscillations along the tuning-fork handle are transformed into thermal energy, accumulating in the CS center and elevating the temperature. This is the first time to report such QFP waves resulting from tuning-fork effects within the CS during a solar eruption. These waves are anticipated to manifest closely following the propagation of CMEs and adjacent to the related postflare loops in observations, with partial confirmation in current observations.