Different manifestations of a loop-like transient brightening in solar atmospheres

¹ Institute of Space Physics, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang 471934, PR China
² Yunnan Key Laboratory of the Solar physics and Space Science, Kunming 650216, PR China
³ Henan Key Laboratory of Electromagnetic Transformation and Detection, Luoyang Normal University, Luoyang 471934, PR China
⁴ Research Center for Novel Solar-Blind Ultraviolet and Infrared Photoelectronic Detectors of Henan province, Luoyang 471934, PR China
⁵ Key Laboratory of Solar Activity and Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, PR China
⁶ Yunnan Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650216, PR China

^⋆ Corresponding author; fenghq9921@163.com

Received: 30 January 2024
Accepted: 6 October 2024

Abstract

Context. Small-scale transient brightenings that are the consequence of magnetic reconnection play pivotal roles in the heating process of solar atmospheres. These phenomena contain key information about the dynamic evolution of the solar magnetic field. The fine-scale structures triggered by instabilities in these brightenings are intimately connected with the release of magnetic energy.

Aims. To better understand the conversion and release of magnetic energy in small-scale heating events, we investigated the thermal-dynamical behaviors of a loop-like transient brightening (LTB) with plasma blobs.

Methods. We used the spectroscopic and slit-jaw imaging observations taken from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph and the extreme-ultraviolet images taken from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory to analyze the plasma properties of an LTB that occurred on February 28, 2014. The space-time maps were created to present the spatial evolution of the LTB, and the light curves were calculated to illustrate the heating process. Additionally, we employed the differential emission measure (DEM) method to compute the temperature and emission measure of the LTB. In order to investigate the plasma motion along the line-of-sight direction, a double-Gaussian function was used to fit the Si IV spectral profiles.

Results. The spectrum and DEM analysis indicate that the LTB was constituted by multithermal plasma with temperatures reaching up to 5.4 × 10⁶ K. The space-time maps of the emission and the Gaussian-fitting results of the Si IV line demonstrate that the LTB not only exhibited bidirectional flows, but was also twisted. Several plasma blobs were identified in the spine of the LTB, suggesting the potential presence of a tearing-mode instability. The low-temperature bands peaked approximately one minute prior to the high-temperature bands, suggesting the occurrence of a heating process driven by magnetic reconnection. The appearance of plasma blobs closely coincided with the sudden increase in the velocity and the quick rise of light curves, providing evidence that plasma blobs facilitate the release of magnetic energy during solar activity.

Conclusions. Based on these findings, we speculate that the LTB was a complex structure that occurred in the upper chromosphere-transition region. These results clearly demonstrate that plasma blobs are important for the conversion and release processes of magnetic energy.