Speaker
Description
Magnetic null points are natural ‘weaknesses’ in the magnetic topology of the solar atmosphere. When perturbed, they facilitate time-dependent magnetic reconnection, leading to the reconfiguration of magnetic field lines and plasma heating. This work employs advanced three-dimensional, nonlinear magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations to investigate wave-generating, time-dependent reconnection around a magnetic null point. The system is initialized in a stable equilibrium before being perturbed by a localized magnetoacoustic pulse. This perturbation triggers oscillatory reconnection at the null, producing self-sustained oscillations propagating throughout the spine and fan plane. We analyze the system’s response, tracking three distinct types of wave (slow, fast and Alfven) as well as the associated energy propagation. Our results include the generation of slow magnetoacoustic waves that propagate along the spine, the excitation of fast magnetoacoustic waves propagating away from the null point, and Alfvén disturbances in the fan plane. We demonstrate that 3D null points can act as natural wave sources, generating periodic oscillations even when driven by non-periodic perturbations. These findings provide new insights into wave dynamics in the solar atmosphere and their implications for energy transport and dissipation.
| Sessions | Wave generation, energy transport, dissipation and heating |
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