Driving Mechanisms of Solar Active Region Geysers: The Role of Interacting Magnetic Flux

Abstract Active region (AR) recurrent jets are manifestations of episodic magnetic energy release processes driven by complex interactions in the lower solar atmosphere. While magnetic flux emergence and cancellation are widely recognized as key contributors to jet formation, the mechanisms behind repeated magnetic reconnection remain poorly understood. In this Letter, we report a sequence of nine recurrent jets originating from AR 12715 during its decay phase, where the jet activity was associated with a complex distribution of fragmented magnetic flux. Nonlinear force-free field extrapolations reveal the presence of low-lying, current-carrying loops beneath overarching open magnetic fields near the jet footpoints. These magnetic structures were perturbed by: (1) emerging flux elements; and (2) interactions between oppositely polarized moving magnetic features (MMFs). To interpret these observations, we compare them with a 3D radiative MHD simulation from the Bifrost model, which reproduces jet formation driven by interacting bipolar MMFs, leading to subsequent flux cancellation in the photosphere. Our results emphasize the critical role of MMF-driven flux interactions in initiating and sustaining recurrent jet activity in ARs.

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Publication Details

Journal
The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Published
2025-12-23
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ae29e8
Primary Topic
Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Driving Mechanisms of Solar Active Region Geysers: The Role of Interacting Magnetic Flux

Aabha Monga, V. H. Hansteen, Satoshi Inoue, Jeongwoo Lee et al.
The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics
article

Driving Mechanisms of Solar Active Region Geysers: The Role of Interacting Magnetic Flux

Aabha Monga, V. H. Hansteen, Satoshi Inoue, Jeongwoo Lee, Haimin Wang
article en

Abstract

Abstract Active region (AR) recurrent jets are manifestations of episodic magnetic energy release processes driven by complex interactions in the lower solar atmosphere. While magnetic flux emergence and cancellation are widely recognized as key contributors to jet formation, the mechanisms behind repeated magnetic reconnection remain poorly understood. In this Letter, we report a sequence of nine recurrent jets originating from AR 12715 during its decay phase, where the jet activity was associated with a complex distribution of fragmented magnetic flux. Nonlinear force-free field extrapolations reveal the presence of low-lying, current-carrying loops beneath overarching open magnetic fields near the jet footpoints. These magnetic structures were perturbed by: (1) emerging flux elements; and (2) interactions between oppositely polarized moving magnetic features (MMFs). To interpret these observations, we compare them with a 3D radiative MHD simulation from the Bifrost model, which reproduces jet formation driven by interacting bipolar MMFs, leading to subsequent flux cancellation in the photosphere. Our results emphasize the critical role of MMF-driven flux interactions in initiating and sustaining recurrent jet activity in ARs.

The Astrophysical Journal LettersVol. 996(1)
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Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics
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