Intriguing coronal upflow at the edge of a sunspot - what causes it and can it become part of the solar wind?

HARRA, L.K.; BARCZYNSKI, K.; MANDRINI, C.H.; BROOKS, D.H.; CRISTIANI, G.D.

Belfast

Workshop; Solar Orbiter 8th Workshop; 2022

During the Solar Orbiter perihelion on March 7 2022, Solar Orbiter observed an active region (NOAA 12960) with EUI high resolution imagers (HRI) and the Hinode EUV Imaging Spectrometer. During the high cadence HRI observations, there was a persistent blue-shifted upflow area in the active region. Similar upflows are often seen at the edges of active regions in the plage areas, and can contribute to the slow solar wind. In the case of AR12960, the upflow region is located unusually close to the strong magnetic field of the sunspot umbra, dominantly in the penumbra region. We analyse both imaging and spectroscopy data, and carry out magnetic modelling to determine if it is possible that this upflow region can make its way into the slow solar wind. The 2 second cadence, high spatial resolution HRI data allow us to explore all the small scale features and dynamics within the upflow region including small loops and small scale transients ‘dots’.