A reconnection driven magnetic flux cancellation and a quiet Sun Ellerman bomb
Abstract
The focus of this investigation is to quantify the conversion of magnetic to thermal energy initiated by a quiet Sun cancellation event and to explore the resulting dynamics from the interaction of the opposite polarity magnetic features. We used imaging spectroscopy in the Hα line, along with spectropolarimetry in the FeI 6173~ and CaII 8542~ lines from the Swedish Solar Telescope (SST) to study a reconnection-related cancellation and the appearance of a quiet Sun Ellerman bomb (QSEB). We observed, for the first time, QSEB signature in both the wings and core of the FeI 6173~ line. We also found that, at times, the FeI line-core intensity reaches higher values than the quiet Sun continuum intensity. From FIRTEZ-dz inversions of the Stokes profiles in FeI and CaII lines, we found enhanced temperature, with respect to the quiet Sun values, at the photospheric (τc = -1.5; 1000 K) and lower chromospheric heights (τc = -4.5; 360 K). From the calculation of total magnetic energy and thermal energy within these two layers it was confirmed that the magnetic energy released during the flux cancellation can support heating in the aforesaid height range. Further, the temperature stratification maps enabled us to identify cumulative effects of successive reconnection on temperature pattern, including recurring temperature enhancements. Similarly, Doppler velocity stratification maps revealed impacts on plasma flow pattern, such as a sudden change in the flow direction.