Role of Tearing Instability in Chromospheric Magnetic Reconnection
Role of Tearing Instability in Chromospheric Magnetic Reconnection
Role of Tearing Instability in Chromospheric Magnetic Reconnection
5.1 INTRODUCTION
It is now well established that the temperature of the Sun’s chromosphere and the corona is
much higher than the underlying photospheric temperature. In the solar atmosphere, there are
mainly three possible mechanisms of energy loss namely, radiation, conduction, and mass
flow. In the chromospheric region of the Sun, the source of energy loss is radiation whereas
the corona loses energy through radiation, conduction, and mass flow (solar wind flow)
Withbroe and Noyes (1977). To prevent these hot regions from rapidly cooling down to the
photospheric boundary temperature some source of heating must be present. Many heating
mechanisms have been proposed to explain the chromospheric and coronal heating
(Osterbrock, 1961; Parker, 1988; Ulmschneider et al. 1991; Narain & Ulmschneider, 1990,
1996; Gomez, 1990, 2000; Zirker, 1993; Priest, 2000; Aschwanden, 2004a; Kumar et al. 2006;
Kumar and Kumar, 2006), including damping of acoustic and MHD waves, resistive
dissipation and reconnection in coronal fields. It has been assumed that the chromosphere and
the corona are mainly heated by current dissipation following myriad magnetic reconnection
occurring throughout the outer solar atmosphere in the form of flare and nano-flare activity.
change their topology. The study of magnetic reconnection in the solar atmosphere is more
important to understand the solar activity and space weather. More than 60 years ago,
Giovanelli (1946, 1947) first suggested the concept of magnetic reconnection in cosmic
plasma, such as in the Sun and ten years later the first quantitative model of magnetic
1
reconnection was proposed by Sweet (1958) and Parker (1957) known as Sweet-Parker model.
Since the reconnection rate predicted by Sweet-Parker model was too slow to explain the
explosive events (UV brightens, EUV jets and solar flares) therefore, the attention has shifted
to Petschek’s model (1964) and other models based on the standing shock waves (Sonnerup,
1970; Priest & Forbes, 1986), which predicted faster reconnection rates.
Magnetic reconnection provides the most plausible mechanism for releasing the energy stored
in the magnetic field to plasma kinetic and thermal energies. Probably magnetic reconnection
plays an important role as an energy source for the heating of chromosphere and the corona
(Parker, 1972; Rosner et al. 1978; Sturrock, 1996, 1999; Dere, 1996; Litvinenko, 1999; Roald
et al. 2000; Linton & Priest, 2003; Pandey et al. 2003; Simnett, 2004; Galsgaard & Parnell,
2004), as a mechanism for solar flares (Gold & Hoyle, 1960; Shibata et al. 1995; Priest, 2000;
Isobe et al. 2005; & Miklenic et al. 2007), in the initiation of coronal mass ejections (Gosling,
1975; Mikič & Linker, 1994; Antiochos et al. 1999), in the interaction of the interplanetary
magnetic field with the magnetosphere (Dungey, 1961; Aubrey et al. 1970), and in the
generation of magnetic substorms (Hones, 1973). Most of the current theories of coronal
heating deal with different mechanisms to speed up dissipation (Parker 1972, 1983; Heyvaerts
& Priest 1983). It is accepted that Ohmic dissipation is a natural candidate for the energy
dissipation in the solar atmosphere. Parker (1972) indicated that a large-scale magnetic field
develops tangential discontinuities (current sheets) between regions of dissimilar twisting, and
suggested that the Joule heating and magnetic reconnection occur at these sheets. In particular,
Parker (1988) pointed out that the corona is heated by small flare-like events called “nano-
flares”. Parker noted that photospheric motions result in currents in the magnetic field, and the
dissipation of these currents leads to Joule heating of the plasma. The reconnection of these
current sheets could result in nanoflares that heat the corona. Sturrock (1999) suggested that
2
when two different bipoles (current elements) of opposite magnetic polarity are brought
together in a network region, reconnection can occur. This reconnection event in the
chromosphere leads to the generation of high frequency waves that propagate into the corona
causing chromospheric and coronal heating. In the numerical simulation of line-tied magnetic
reconnection, Forbes & Priest (1982) and Priest (1986) suggested that when the central current
sheet in an “impulsive bursty regime” grows too long, it becomes unstable and begins to tear
and coalesce. The impulsive bursty regime exhibits a more rapid energy release in a series of
bursts as the islands coalesce. Chae et al. (2003) observed that magnetic reconnection occur
frequently in the photosphere and chromosphere as well as in the solar corona. They pointed
out that the chromospheric activities such as UV explosive events and EUV jets occurring in
the upper atmosphere may be produced by magnetic reconnection. They also found that there
chromospheric activities including transition region explosive events have been observed by
Our main objective of the present study is to determine the rate of magnetic reconnection in
small in the partially ionized plasma, so we adopt the Sweet-Parker model current sheet that
will be able to describe the reconnection. We use the data of VAL-C model for the input
opposite polarity magnetic flux tube due to tearing-mode instability. The layout of the present
chapter is as follows. In Section 5.2, we briefly describe the theoretical details of the tearing
mode instability. The relevant formulation of the reconnection theory in current sheet and the
data used for the photospheric-chromospheric region are given in Section 5.3. The results
obtained exhibited in Section 5.4 and finally conclusions are drawn in Section 5.5.
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5.2 THEORY OF TEARING MODE INSTABILITY
The tearing mode instability, which is a particular type of resistive instability, was
quantitatively studied by Furth et al. (1963). Tearing instability arises from the decoupling of
Consider the interface between two plasmas containing magnetic fields of different
orientations as shown in figure 5.1. Magnetic field varies only in the X-direction, and point
only in the Y-direction. For x<0, the field is directed in the negative Y direction while for x>0
it is directed along +Y direction as shown in figure 5.1. The interface is situated at x = 0, and
any sudden reversal of the field direction across the interface gives rise to a z-directed current
sheet at x = 0. In the absence of plasma resistivity, the magnetic field configuration shown in
figure 1 represents a stable equilibrium state because of the normal pressure balance across the
interface. But, when we take resistivity into account the field configuration does not remain
stable and instability develops relaxing the configuration to one possessing lower magnetic
energy. Furth et al. (1963) pointed out that this type of relaxation process inevitably entails the
breaking and reconnection of magnetic field lines, and is, therefore, termed magnetic
reconnection. The magnetic energy released during the reconnection process eventually
4
appears as plasma kinetic and thermal energies. Thus, the magnetic reconnection via tearing
formation of islands (thin current sheet) between two magnetic flux regions. When two
magnetic flux regions or magnetic elements from two different bipoles are brought into
contact, the tearing instability forms magnetic islands as shown in figure 5.2. Furth et al.
(1963) analyzed the stability of a simple, static current sheet and found that a sheet whose
length is at least 2π times greater than its width will spontaneously reconnect to from magnetic
islands due to tearing instability. It is a generic instability which has been discussed to explain
reconnection rates associated with solar flares (Bulanov et al. 1979; Dere, 1996; Glukhov,
1996). Tearing modes have been applied to solar flares in a number of theoretical studies
(Sturrock, 1966; Heyvaerts et al. 1977; Kliem, 1990). As a result of magnetic reconnection,
the tearing mode releases there energy through ohmic dissipation during the process of islands
formation. Thus, there will be plasma heating in the outer solar atmosphere. It has been
assumed by Sturrock (1994, 1999) that magnetic reconnection would occur preferentially
In this section, we describe the different time scales in relation to chromospheric magnetic
reconnection. The theoretical time scales are functions of several physical parameters that can
be measured using the data of earlier atmospheric model. These parameters include
temperature, number density of electron, proton and neutral hydrogen and the magnetic field
strength in the partially ionized hydrogenic plasma. The reconnection events will be
characterized simply by length and time scales. In principle, magnetic reconnection can occur
5
at any height in the chromosphere. Therefore we examine the magnetic reconnection rate as a
function of height.
We consider a thin current sheet or reconnection layer of thickness δ and width w formed in
between two oppositely directed chromospheric magnetic flux tubes as shown in figure 5.3.
To describe the reconnection process in the thin current sheet, we use the equation of
∂ρ
+ ρ (∇.v ) = 0,
∂t
(5.1)
(5.2)
∂B
= λ∇ 2 B ,
∂t
j
E +v ×B = ,
σ
(5.3)
where E, j, and σ are the uniform constant electric field, current density, and electrical
conductivity respectively.
Magnetic diffusivity (λ) of the fully ionized hydrogen plasma given by (Spitzer 1962, Priest
1982), is
(5.4)
ηc 2
6
where η is the coulomb resistivity, and c is the speed of light in vacuum. The coulomb
logarithm log (Λ) has a weak dependence on temperature and density of the medium and its
value range from 5.0 to 20.0. For partially hydrogenic plasma with neutral hydrogen density
(5.5)
τ ei
λ =5.2 ×1011 log(Λ) T -3/2 (1+ ) cm 2 s -1,
τ eH
where (τei and τeH are the effective electron-ion and electron-neutral
τ ei 5.2 × 10 -11nH T 2
=
τ eH ne log( ∆)
collision time respectively), and and are the number density of electrons and neutral
ne nH ,
hydrogen.
If VR is the reconnection speed (inflow speed) and Vo is the outflow speed, in steady state
conservation of mass implies that the incoming matter from both sides of the sheet must
VR w = Vo δ. (5.6)
Since the magnetic force accelerates the plasma to the Alfvén speed so, outflow speed Vo can
vA = B/(4πρ)1/2. (5.7)
7
Here ρ is the mass density related with and as . By Ohm’s law in
ne nH , ρ = ( ne + nH ,) mp
steady state magnetic field diffuses up stream with a velocity equal to with respect to
ηc 2
4πδ
VR= (5.8)
ηc2
.
4πδ
(5.9)
v Aη c 2 v
VR = .= A ,
4π w S
and
w
δ= ,
S
The reconnection inflow speed can be used to compute the Alfvén Mach number
VR
M= ,
vA
8
Furth et al. (1963) pointed out that the diffusion of the magnetic field in the reconnecting
region can drive three resistive instabilities namely, gravitational, rippling, and tearing mode.
These instabilities occur when the current sheet is wide enough that > , where
τD τA
(5.10)
4π w2
τD = ,
ηc2
is the resistive diffusion time which is enormously large for solar coronal length scale (≈ 107
(5.11)
w
τA = ,
vA
is the characteristic time for propagation of an Alfvén wave across the sheet at the Alfvén
speed.
The tearing mode possibly is the most important since it has long wavelength and requires
neither a gravitational force nor a restivity gradient to be excited. It may be important for
magnetospheric substorms, chromospheric and coronal heating, and solar flares (Shivamoggi,
1985). Furth et al. (1963) found that the tearing instability in the sheet exists only when
where k is the wavenumber of the tearing mode. The fastest growing mode has growth time
(5.13)
τ G = 1.66S −1/ 2
τD,
9
and the corresponding wave number is,
Equation (13) indicates that the growth rate of the tearing mode depends upon the width w of
the reconnecting region between two flux tubes. The width of the current sheet should be
smaller than the atmospheric pressure scale height otherwise the flow and magnetic field
patterns in different parts of the sheet will not match and it will break down. Therefore, we
assume that the width of the current sheet and pressure scale height are related to each other
by the relation,
(5.15)
w = εΛ ( z ),
where is a dimensionless parameter, and pressure scale height Λ(z) is the function of height
ε
z, which represents the vertical distance over which the pressure falls by a factor e, is given by
(Priest, 1982)
cm. (5.16)
r 2
Λ( z ) = 50 × 10 T ( )
2
Re
Here r = , is the Sun’s radius and z is the height above the surface of the Sun. The
Re + z Re
value of the parameter can be obtained by estimating the length over which the magnetic
ε
field will diffuse over a timescale characteristic of changes in the photosphere. If we use the
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mean lifetime 10 minutes of photospheric granules, we obtain = 0.007362, corresponding to
ε
The tearing instability leads to the formation of many small scale magnetic loops (islands)
which allow the rapid diffusion of the magnetic field. For the fastest growing mode the island
. (5.17)
X TM = 10 0.18
S − 1/ 4
w
The tearing region is in a dynamic state in which inhomogeneities move with Alfvén speed
(5.18)
vA
ν TM = .
X TM
The dependence of upon height of the reconnection region has been shown in figure 5.12.
ν TM
There is a general consensus that the energy supply for the corona lies in the work that the
photospheric motions perform on the footpoints of coronal loops. Sturrock & Uchida (1981)
and Parker (1988) have considered the twisting of a simple coronal loop in order to
quantitatively verify this approach. The average energy dissipation rate in the reconnection
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(5.19)
B 2 wL2
Et = ,
8πτ R
where L is the longitudinal length scale of the order of 103 km and , the reconnection time
τR
(5.20)
τ R = τ A2 / 5τ D3/ 5 .
To compute the numerical values of the parameters associated with the reconnection in thin
current sheet such as growth time of the instability, Alfvén transit time, reconnection rate,
reconnection or inflow speed, frequency of wave generated in the reconnection region, and
energy dissipation rate, we need a model for the solar atmosphere that gives the input
parameters such as number densities and temperature as function of height z. In the present
study, we employ the quiet Sum VAL-C (model C of Vernazza et al. 1981) and Fontenla-C
(model C of Fontenla et al. 1993) models. For the data of VAL-C and Fontenla-C models, the
variation of temperature, number density of electrons and hydrogen, pressure length scale, and
Alfvén speed as function of height z has been shown in Figures 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, and 5.7
respectively. These figures clearly demonstrate that the magnitude of temperature, number
densities, pressure length scale, and Alfvén speed slightly differ in these two atmospheric
models. We, therefore use data of VAL-C atmosphere model in rest of the analysis.
Using Equation (5.6) and data of Figures 5.4 and 5.5, we have calculated the resistivity η(z)
which is listed in Column (6) of Table 5.1. The resistivity of the plasma is greatest around the
rate of the relevant instability is greatest. Sturrock (1994) pointed out that the growth rate of
the tearing-mode instability will be fastest where the electrical resistivity of the plasma is
greatest. Therefore, we see that the reconnection process is most efficient at the Tmin region.
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14
15
The growth time of the most rapidly growing mode is listed in Column (7) of Table 5.1 and
also plotted as function of height z in Figure 5.8. It can be seen from Figure 5.9 that the
growth rate of the tearing mode is fastest around the temperature minimum region. Figure 5.9
also exhibits that the growth rate (inverse of the growth time) of the tearing mode increases
with height and attains the maximum value at z = 650 km (Point P in Fig.(5.9)), thereafter it
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starts to decrease in the lower chromosphere. In the upper chromosphere growth rate again
increases with height upto z = 1900 km and then decreases sharply onwards. The growth time
17
The resulting inflow or reconnection speed given by Equation (5.9) for constant magnetic
VR
field B = 200G is plotted as function of height z in Figure 5.10. It is evident from Figure 5.10
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that photospheric reconnection is fastest ( ≈200 m/s) around the Tmin region at height z ≈
VR
650 km. From Figure 5.10 it can also be seen that starts increasing again in the upper
VR
chromosphere and the transition region. Reconnection speed shows a sharp decrease at height
z ≈ 1900 km onwards. The behaviour of the inflow speed changes below and above the point
A due to varying behaviour of plasma density and resistivity below and above the point A.
Because of high density of the partially ionized plasma below the point A (Tmin) magnetic force
is incapable to drive out matter rapidly enough to balance the inflow mass flux. Thus current
sheet does not form below the point A. Above the point A (Tmin) temperature increases and the
thickness (See, Eq. (5.9)). This decrease in the current sheet thickness results in the minimum
inflow flux and speed. Thus the reconnection process is most efficient where the temperature
goes through a minimum and the electrical resistivity reaches a maximum. Since the locations
of the maximum of and the minimum of T(z) do not coincide exactly, hence from
VR (z )
Equation (5.9) it is clear that the variation in both number densities and temperature will
determine the inflow speed. Again in the upper chromosphere and transition region, the
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plasma density is low so that the magnetic force can significantly compress the inflowing
The Alfvén Mach number or dimensionless reconnection rate M has been computed
numerically using Equation (5.9) along with Equation (5.7). Reconnection rate M(z) is plotted
as function of height z in Figure 5.11 for magnetic field B = 200G. Figure 11 depicts that
reconnection rate M(z) peaks at z ≈ 200 km whereas peaks at z ≈ 650 km (See, Fig.
VR ( z )
(5.6)). Reconnection rate M(z) decreases very rapidly above the point Q (See, Fig. (11))
because of the increasing Alfvén speed. Column (9) of Table 5.1 indicates that the island
length scale has its lowest value around z = 2000 km. It means that the minimum of the islands
length scales obtained in the upper chromosphere. Since the energy dissipation is more
efficient in smaller length scales compared to large length scales hence there will be plasma
heating in the upper chromospher. Aschwanden, (2001) also pointed out that the shortest
length scales are desirable feature for all coronal heating mechanisms.
The dependence of frequencies of the MHD waves upon height of the reconnecting region,
generated as a result of the reconnection in the current sheet has been displayed in Figure 5.12.
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Figure 5.12 depicts that the frequency of the MHD waves increases with height because of the
increasing Alfvén speed. These results are similar to those obtained by Sturrock(1999) and
Pandey et al. (2003). The frequency of MHD waves generated in the reconnecting region (Tmin
region) is of the order of 100 Hz. These high-frequency waves may play a role in heating the
Due to twisting of individual flux bundle around the current sheet, we calculate numerically,
the energy dissipation rate using equation (5.19) for B = 200 G, L = 103 km, the width w of
reconnecting region (Column (6) of Table 5.1), and reconnection time (Column (8) of
τR
Table 5.1). The energy dissipation rate has been displayed in Figure 5.13 as function of height.
Figure 5.13 shows that the rate of energy dissipation increases with height upto z = 1900 km
and falls onwards. From Figure 5.13 it can be easily seen that the energy dissipation rate Et has
value greater than 4×1024 erg s-1 in the chromosphere. Since the maximum of both energy
dissipation rate and growth rate of tearing-mode instability occur at the same height of z =
1900 km in the chromosphere hence growth rate is the indicator of plasma heating in the solar
atmosphere.
5.5 CONCLUSIONS
In this chapter, we have calculated numerically the growth rate of the tearing-mode, inflow or
reconnection speed, magnetic reconnection rate, frequency of MHD waves generated in the
reconnecting region, and energy dissipation rate associated with the reconnection process in
current sheet. It is found that the growth rate of the relevant instability is the indicator of
energy dissipation in the upper chromosphere and corona. The main conclusions that can be
speed is a noticeable fraction of the Alfven speed. Therefore, it should not to be surprising that
2. In the chromospheric region, reconnection rates range from 0.005 to 0.01 and the energy
dissipation rates are greater than 4×1024 erg s-1. However, a typical nanoflare produced by the
associated tangential discontinuity has an energy below this value of energy dissipation rate.
3. It is found that the reconnection is inhibited both below the Tmin region because of the high
plasma density and above the Tmin region because of the low electric resistivity. Wang & Shi
(1993) pointed out that slow reconnection takes place continuously in the photosphere
whereas bursts of rapid reconnection occur in the transition region or in the lower corona
4. The magnetic Reynolds number is a measure of the coupling between flow and the
magnetic field (Column (10) of Table 5.1). Higher value of Reynolds number means better
order of 106, i.e. the coupling between flow and magnetic field is quite strong. However, as
distinct from the case of the corona the photospheric Reynolds number is very low of the order
of 103.
generate quite high-frequency MHD waves. Since the high-frequency waves may dissipate
more rapidly than the low frequency waves hence the heating in the chromosphere and corona
6. The length scale of islands formed by tearing instability has lowest value in the upper
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Finally, it is concluded that high-frequency waves generated in the reconnecting region will
carry sufficient amount of hot plasma from below to heat the chromosphere and corona. Since
the frequency of waves is very high hence it can be concluded that these waves might be
Table 5.1 Temperature, number densities of electrons and neutral hydrogen, resisitivity of the
plasma, width of the reconnecting region, growth time , reconnection time , island length
τG τR
23
z T ne nh η (s) w(cm XTM Reynold
τG τR
×10-12 ) s
(km (K) (cm-3) (cm-3) (cm)
×106 Number
) (s) (s)
210 1230 3.306e 4.092e 0.068 0.45 18.2 2.10 1108 0.14977
9 0 10 10 20 56 3 5 3. e8
210 1070 3.535e 4.673e 0.084 0.39 13.6 1.64 1065 0.10033
7 0 10 10 05 62 8 3 7. e8
210 9500 3.705e 5.239e 0.100 0.35 10.6 1.32 1030 0.71416
4 10 10 46 18 9 9 1. e7
8440
209 3.799e 6.127e 0.119 0.31 8.40 1.08 9983 0.50417
8180
0 10 10 96 25 6 2 .9 e7
7940
208 3.780e 6.541e 0.125 0.30 7.91 1.02 9915 0.45721
0 7660 10 10 74 29 2 8 .1 e7
25
26