X-ray jets in the solar North pole                                 

Hinode X-Ray Telescope (XRT)

Here we have the north polar region of the Sun as observed with the X-Ray Telescope aboard the Japanese Hinode satellite on November 23, 2006. The measurements were taken through the XRT Al_poly filter, to image very hot coronal plasma. This type of observations can only be performed from space.

The movie shows the evolution of this region over a period of about 6 hours. Clearly seen is the coronal hole permanently located in the North pole of the Sun. Coronal holes are large areas of the corona where the plasma is colder (hence darker) and has lower density than in the surroundings. They are regions of open magnetic field through which the fast solar wind emanates. Coronal holes can occur anywhere from the solar equator to the poles, and are more frequent during the declining phase of the solar cycle.

The polar region also shows many small-scale X-ray jets that grow, brighten and fade, launching hot plasma upward with apparent speeds of 200 km/s. They occur at a rate of about 10 events per hour. The jets have an inverted-Y shape, resembling an Eiffel tower. They are the result of magnetic reconnection of fields of opposite polarity, triggered by magnetic flux emergence, and contribute to the local heating of the corona.

To download the movie, click HERE

Movie credit: Joten Okamoto (NAOJ/JAXA)

Text credit: Luis Bellot Rubio (IAA-CSIC)

Observations: Hinode (ISAS/JAXA, NAOJ, NASA, STFC, ESA)

Source: Joten Okamoto's Solar Gallery

Original filename: XRT_061123_northpole.mpg