JET-CME · Solar dynamic phenomena as an astrophysical laboratory: Jets and Coronal Mass Ejections

Magnetic fields are produced in differentially rotating and convecting environments, such as in the interior of the sun, other convective stars and also in accretion disks. The produced magnetic fields emerge in the outer atmospheric layers because of magnetic buoyancy producing a plethora of explosive events. This Emergence of Magnetic Flux (EMF) is a fundamental astrophysical phenomenon and the possible driver of the observed, ubiquitous activity in astrophysical plasmas. In the case of the Sun, the Rosette Stone of Astrophysics, EMF is a key process, ultimately linked to the formation of active regions (ARs) at the solar surface (photosphere). Moreover, it is thought that flux emergence contributes considerably to the driving of spectacular phenomena as solar and astrophysical jets, and the Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). Therefore, the main aim of this proposal is to understand the coupling between EMF and fundamental aspects of solar/astrophysical dynamic events. Among the related outstanding questions are the nature of jets and the basic physics behind the onset of dynamic eruptions (e.g. CMEs) in regions of EMF. More precisely, in this work we propose to investigate in a self-consistent manner (i) the acceleration mechanism of jets associated with EMF, (ii) their impact on heating the solar corona and driving the solar wind, (iii) the onset of CME-like eruptions, especially when they originate from within sigmoidal regions and (iv) the relation between CMEs, jets and EMF. While the existing observational evidence of the formation of jets and CMEs is phenomenologically consistent with theoretical models, more quantitative agreement is missing and deeper understanding of the processes at work is still elusive.The proposed research will be carried out using state-of-the-art 3D MHD simulations and high-resolution observations with the aim to provide essentially a first-principle investigation of the relevant physics of the phenomena under study.""