Click for movie.
The classic jet
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The bright little wishbone circled in the picture above is a classic example of a jet. Jets are often found at the poles, but can also be seen in active regions, such as this one. Jets happen when a small region of magnetic flux emerges where there is an existing overlying magnetic field. When these to regions meet , reconnection happens, meaning that the two magnetic fields break and connect with each other, such as in this schematic. This reconnection releases kinetic and thermal energy, which is why the cusp brightens in the movie. Click on the picture to see a movie of the jet in action.You can then trace the heated material as it follows the magnetic field line in an arch shape before it dissipates. Keywords: Jet, AR Tracking Filters: Al_poly |
(Prepared by Nicole Schanche)
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