Heliophysics Science Division
Sciences and Exploration Directorate - NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

July 14, 2017, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

July 14, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Coronal Plumes: Formation, Evolution, and Plasma Dynamics



Nour Raouafi (JHU/APL)

Coronal plumes are large-scale episodic structures, presumably tracing open magnetic field lines. They are pervasive in polar coronal holes (CHs), but can also form within equatorial CHs and can be traced up to several tens of solar radii in the corona. They are controversial on many respects. It is not clear how do they form and how can such structures be continuously maintained at coronal temperatures (~1 MK) for long periods (i.e., hours, days, and in some cases weeks). Their contribution to the solar wind is also a matter of debate. Recent X-ray, EUV and magnetic field observations suggest a tendency for plumes to dependent on the occurrence of small-scale, short-lived jets (i.e., jetlets) resulting from low-rate magnetic reconnection. I will present an overview on the role of small-scale, transient magnetic activity in the formation and evolution of coronal plumes. I will also present model predictions of plasma dynamics within plumes in the low to mid corona, which are relevant to future missions such as Solar Probe Plus and Solar Orbiter.