The Photospheric Footpoints of Solar Coronal Hole Jets

We study the photospheric footpoints of a set of 35 coronal jets in a coronal hole as observed by Hinode/EIS. We use SDO/AIA data to coalign the spectroscopic EIS data with SDO/HMI line-of-sight magnetograms and calculate the plane-of-sky flow field using local correlation tracking (LCT) on SDO/HMI white light images. The jets are put into categories according to the changes observed in the photospheric magnetic flux at the footpoints of the coronal bright point where the jets originate: flux cancellation, complex flux changes (flux appearance/emergence and cancellation), and no flux changes. We also present three jets in detail. Observed magnetic flux evolution, LCT flow field structure and location of the jet footpoints at supergranular boundaries do not support the flux emergence scenario used in most jet simulations and are also not consistent with a rotational photospheric driver. Detailed numerical jet simulations using our observed photospheric features, in particular converging flows and flux cancellation do not currently exist, although such models would provide a realistic eruptive event scenario.

Automated summary

This study analyzes the photospheric footpoints of coronal jets observed by Hinode/EIS and finds that the observed magnetic flux evolution, flow field structure and footpoint locations do not support current jet simulation scenarios. More detailed numerical simulations using observed photospheric features are needed to provide a realistic eruptive event scenario.