Sun  ID: 4766

IRIS views Nano-Flares on the Sun

Nanoflares, energy releases powered by small magnetic reconnection events in the solar coronal loops, have long been hypothesized as one of the sources for heating the solar corona to million-degree temperatures. Much of the evidence for this has been indirect, and difficult to distinguish from other hypothesized mechanisms.

In these visualizations, we present observational evidence of the IRIS imager detecting nanoflares in a coronal loop. In the IRIS imager, overlaid on AIA 304 angstrom imagery, the events stand out as jet-like protrusions roughly perpendicular to the curve of the coronal loop.

In this data, we see several strong nano-flare events near the 14:43 timestamp.
 

Used Elsewhere In


Visualization Credits

Tom Bridgman (Global Science and Technology, Inc.): Lead Visualizer
Patrick Antolin (Northumbria University): Scientist
Joy Ng (USRA): Lead Producer
Laurence Schuler (ADNET Systems, Inc.): Technical Support
Ian Jones (ADNET Systems, Inc.): Technical Support
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio

Science Paper:
Reconnection Nanojets in the Solar Corona

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https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4766

Missions:
IRIS: Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph
SDO

Data Used:
SDO/AIA/304 Filter also referred to as: AIA 304
JOINT SCIENCE OPERATIONS CENTER - 2014-04-03T12:34UT - 2014-04-03T14:53UT
SDO/AIA/171 Filter also referred to as: AIA 171
JOINT SCIENCE OPERATIONS CENTER - 2014-04-03T12:34UT - 2014-04-03T14:53UT
IRIS/Imager/SJI also referred to as: Slit-Jaw Imager
Observed Data - LMSAL - 2014-04-03T13:16UT - 2014-04-03T14:53UT
Note: While we identify the data sets used in these visualizations, we do not store any further details nor the data sets themselves on our site.

Keywords:
SVS >> Coronal Loop
SVS >> Hyperwall
SVS >> Ultraviolet Imagery
NASA Science >> Sun
SVS >> Nanoflare
SVS >> Far Ultraviolet Imaging