Episodic Plasma Flows and Coronal Brightenings in an Arch Filament System Observed with Sunrise iii
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Emerging flux regions (EFRs) are key sites of magnetic flux transport and energy release in the solar atmosphere, often hosting arch filament systems (AFSs). We present high-resolution observations of an EFR obtained during the Sunrise III mission, combining spectropolarimetric measurements from the Tunable Magnetograph (TuMag) and Sunrise Chromospheric Infrared Spectro-Polarimeter (SCIP) with complementary observations from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). The data set provides a continuous view of an AFS over nearly 4 hr. Line-of-sight (LOS) velocities derived from the Mg I b 2 line reveal three episodic plasma-flow events characterized by strong downflows reaching up to ∼17 km s −1 at the AFS footpoints and enhanced upflows near the loop tops. Although this pattern agrees with the classical emergence and draining scenario, the strongest upflows and downflows occur nearly simultaneously. Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) 304 and 171 Å observations reveal transient extreme-UV (EUV) brightenings in the surrounding emerging system; some occur during episodes of enhanced LOS velocities, while others do not, indicating that the temporal correspondence is not systematic. Multiline spectropolarimetric inversions reveal temperatures between ∼4000 and ∼10,000 K and a smooth variation of the magnetic field inclination along a representative AFS loop. Non-force-free-field extrapolations provide the large-scale magnetic context of the low-lying AFS loops and surrounding coronal structures. Together, the observations reveal a spatially and temporally complex evolution of the emerging system without establishing a direct causal connection between the local plasma-flow enhancements and the EUV brightenings.
Authors: Sergio Javier González Manrique, Juan Carlos Trelles Arjona, Christoph Kuckein, Azaymi L. Siu-Tapia, Fernando Moreno-Insertis, Samrat Sen, Sami K. Solanki, Adur Pastor Yabar, Andrés Asensio Ramos, Daniel Nóbrega-Siverio, Manuel Collados, David Orozco Suárez, María Helena Rivero González, Sara Esteban Pozuelo, Jose Carlos del Toro Iniesta, Maria Balaguer Jiménez, Esteban Sanchis Kilders, Ignacio Torralbo, Yukio Katsukawa, Yusuke Kawabata, Hirohisa Hara, Toshifumi Shimizu, Takayoshi Oba, Andreas Lagg, Achim Gandorfer, Pietro Bernasconi, Thomas Berkefeld, Alex Feller, Tino L. Riethmüller, Alberto Álvarez-Herrero, Masahito Kubo, H. N. Smitha, Bianca Grauf, Michael Carpenter, Alexander Bell, Valentín Martínez Pillet, Francisco Javier Bailén, Julian Blanco Rodríguez, Juan Sebastián Castellanos Durán, Edvarda Harnes, Johannes Hoelken, Francisco A. Iglesias, Ryohtaroh T. Ishikawa, Takuma Matsumoto, Hanna Strecker, Dušan Vukadinović
Institutions: Universidad de La Laguna, Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía, Indian Institute of Geomagnetism, Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Stockholm University, University of Oslo, Universitat de València, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, The University of Tokyo, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Kanazawa University, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Institut für Sonnenphysik, Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, University of Mendoza, National Institute for Fusion Science, Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, University of Graz
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,400
Funders: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Consejería de Economía, Conocimiento, Empresas y Universidad, Junta de Andalucía, Max-Planck-Förderstiftung, Consejería de Transformación Económica, Industria, Conocimiento y Universidades, European Commission, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Vetenskapsrådet, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Norges Forskningsråd, Junta de Andalucía, Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía, Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, European Regional Development Fund, Agencia Estatal de Investigación, European Social Fund
Awards: G1092424111, G1105844351, G1171257612, G1568027266, G1622782223, G1660683788, G1735320636, G2065685387, G2124616825, Constraining triggering conditions and chromospheric energy deposition in solar flares, G2257393230, G278595929, G3007883777, G3027482783, SUMMARY SUNRISE IS A BALLOON-BORNE SOLAR OBSERVATORY DEDICATED TO THE INVESTIGATION OF THE PHYSICS GOVERNING THE EVOLUTION OF THE MAGNETIC FIELD AND THE CONVECTIVE PLASMA FLOWS IN THE LOWER SOLAR ATMOSPHERE. THESE PROCESSES ARE CRUCIAL FOR OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE MAGNETIC ACTIVITY OF THE SUN AND OF THE OUTWARD TRANSPORT OF ENERGY TO HEAT ITS OUTER ATMOSPHERE AND TO FUEL THE ERUPTIONS AND CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS I.E. PHENOMENA THAT DRIVE SPACE WEATHER. THE SUNRISE OBSERVATORY IS DESIGNED FOR OPERATION IN THE STRATOSPHERE (AT HEIGHTS AROUND 36 KM) TO AVOID THE IMAGE DEGRADATION DUE TO TURBULENCE IN THE EARTH S LOWER ATMOSPHERE AND TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE UV WAVELENGTHS DOWN TO 200NM. A 1-M-DIAMETER TELESCOPE (THE LARGEST SOLAR TELESCOPE FLOWN TO-DATE) FEEDS AN UV IMAGER AND AN IMAGING FILTER MAGNETOGRAPH. SUNRISE WAS FLOWN TWICE IN JUNE 2009 AND JUNE 2013 DURING PERIODS OF VERY LOW AND HIGH SOLAR ACTIVITY RESPECTIVELY AND THE OBSERVATIONS RESULTED IN OVER 60 PEERREVIEWED PUBLICATIONS SO FAR. THE 3RD FLIGHT PROPOSED HERE WILL INCLUDE SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SUNRISE INSTRUMENTATION A NEW HIGHLY STABLE GONDOLA AND A SET OF STRONG SCIENCE OBJECTIVES TO ADDRESS ALL THREE OF NASA S HELIOPHYSICS SCIENCE GOALS IN THE 2014 SCIENCE PLAN. OBJECTIVES THE FIRST TWO SCIENCE FLIGHTS OF SUNRISE HAVE BEEN HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL. HOWEVER THESE RESULTS HAVE BEEN MAINLY RESTRICTED TO THE SOLAR PHOTOSPHERE AND BEG THE QUESTION OF WHAT INFLUENCE THE DYNAMICAL AND MAGNETIC PHENOMENA STUDIED IN THE EARLIER SUNRISE FLIGHTS HAVE ON THE HIGHER ATMOSPHERE IN PARTICULAR THE CHROMOSPHERE. THIS WILL CHANGE WITH THE THIRD SUNRISE FLIGHT WHICH WILL CARRY INSTRUMENTS TO SAMPLE THE CHROMOSPHERE IN A MULTITUDE OF SPECTRAL LINES OVER A BROAD WAVELENGTH RANGE (300 860 NM). THE INVESTIGATION WILL FOCUS ON THE FOLLOWING SCIENCE OBJECTIVES: WHAT IS THE STRUCTURE OF THE CHROMOSPHERIC MAGNETIC FIELD IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOLAR REGIONS? HOW WELL IS THIS MAGNETIC STRUCTURE REPRODUCED BY FORCE-FREE EXTRAPOLATIONS FROM THE PHOTOSPHERE? WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT FOR HEATING THE SUN'S UPPER ATMOSPHERE FIELD LINE BRAIDING OR (MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC) WAVE FLUX? HOW IS MAGNETIC FLUX REMOVED FROM THE SURFACE OF THE SUN? HOW IMPORTANT IS MAGNETIC RECONNECTION IN THIS RESPECT? METHODOLOGY FOR ITS THIRD FLIGHT SUNRISE WILL CARRY TWO NEW INSTRUMENTS AND A MAJOR UPGRADE OF ONE OF ITS CURRENT INSTRUMENTS. THE NEW INSTRUMENTS ARE A NOVEL UV SPECTROPOLARIMETER (TO BE BUILT BY MPS) TO EXPLORE AND EXPLOIT THE EXCITING BUT DUE TO ITS POOR ACCESSIBILITY FROM THE GROUND VERY POORLY STUDIED SPECTRAL RANGE BETWEEN 300 AND 420 NM AND A VISIBLE-INFRARED SPECTROPOLARIMETER TO BE BUILT JOINTLY BY NAOJ AND ISAS IN JAPAN MPS AND IAA IN SPAIN. THE IMAGING MAGNETOGRAPH IMAX WILL BE UPGRADED TO GREATLY INCREASE ITS SPEED AND TO ALLOW IT TO ACCESS MULTIPLE SPECTRAL LINES (COMPARED WITH A SINGLE ONE SO FAR). THE BALLOON WILL BE LAUNCHED FROM ESRANGE SPACE CENTER IN KIRUNA SWEDEN WITH EXPECTED FLIGHT DURATION OF 7 DAYS AROUND THE SUMMER SOLSTICE IN 2020. THE MISSION IS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN APL (USA) MPS (GERMANY) NAOJ (JAPAN) AND IAA (SPAIN). THIS PROPOSAL WILL FUND THE USA CONTRIBUTION TO THE SUNRISE COLLABORATION. THIS CONTRIBUTION INCLUDES: BUILDING AND FLYING THE STABLE OBSERVING PLATFORM (THE GONDOLA AND ALL ITS SUBSYSTEMS) PROVIDE COORDINATION FOR A JOINT OBSERVING CAMPAIGN WITH THE 4-M APERTURE DKIST GROUND BASED SOLAR TELESCOPE AND THE USA PARTICIPATION IN SCIENCE OBJECTIVES DEFINITIONS AND OBSERVATIONS PLANNING AS WELL AS POST FLIGHT DATA ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION AND RESULTS PUBLICATIONS., G3273706125, G3696727022, G3735656590, G373897614, G3817602061, G3874399491, G3975875632, G410571670, G4212894969, G451917667, G4613259628, G463062595, G4835732130, G491712853, G5037504474, G5049803760, G5195188938, G523076202, Integrating High Resolution Solar Physics, 気象, 気候を変動させる因子としてのエアゾルその他の物質の研究, G5356375154, G5404395142, G5539308778, G5635532810, G5788856422, G5881647929, G5894067328, G593054264, G5965985481, G5967599077, G6033112984, G6162676347, G6218905885, G624877701, G6298273575, G6359581693, G6413632674, Infrastructure for solar physics: the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope (SST), G7127239378, G717256432, G724704087, G7395345766, 古代説話における諸寺縁起の研究, G7805626310, G7863371703, G8096386515, G8098805767, G8181105605, G8497050386, G856857239, G8605206908, G8667377315, G8777606647, G8888022036, G9000451760, G929308097
OpenAlex ID: W7223188812