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Lei Ni

Publications and source records attributed to Lei Ni.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
arXiv2024

Unraveling the Trigger Mechanism of Explosive Reconnection in Partially Ionized Solar Plasma

Plasmoid instability is usually accounted for the onset of fast reconnection events observed in astrophysical plasmas. However, the measured reconnection rate from observations can be one order of magnitude higher than that derived from MHD simulations. In this study, we present the results of magnetic reconnection in the partially ionized low solar atmosphere based on 2.5D magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulations. The whole reconnection process covers two different fast reconnection phases. In the first phase, the slow Sweet-Parker reconnection transits to the plasmoid-mediated reconnection, and the reconnection rate reaches about 0.02. In the second phase, a faster explosive reconnection appears, with the reconnection rate reaching above 0.06. At the same time, a sharp decrease in plasma temperature and density at the principle X-point is observed which is associated with the strong radiative cooling, the ejection of hot plasma from the local reconnection region or the motion of principle X-point from hot and denser region to cool and less dense one along the narrow current sheet. This causes gas pressure depletion and the increasing of magnetic diffusion at the main X-point, resulting in the local Petschek-like reconnection and a violent and rapid increase in the reconnection rate. This study for the first time reveals a common phenomenon that the plasmoid dominated reconnection transits to an explosive faster reconnection with the rate approaching the order of 0.1 in partially ionized plasma in the MHD scale.

astro-ph.SR↗
arXiv2024

A classification of locally Chern homogeneous Hermitian manifolds

We apply the algebraic consideration of holonomy systems to study Hermitian manifolds whose Chern connection is Ambrose-Singer and prove structure theorems for such manifolds. The main result (Theorem 1.2) asserts that the universal cover of such a Hermitian manifold must be the product of a complex Lie group and Hermitian symmetric spaces, which was previously proved up to complex dimension four by the authors. This in some sense is the Hermitian version of Cartan's classification of Hermitian symmetric spaces. We also obtain results on Hermitian manifolds whose Bismut connection is Ambrose-Singer when the complex dimension $n\le 4$. Furthermore we discuss a project of classifying such manifolds via Alekseevskiĭ and Kimel\!\'{}\!fel\!\'{}\!d type theorems, which we establish for the family of the Gauduchon connections on a compact Hermitian manifold except for the Bismut connection.

math.DG↗
arXiv2024

Evidence for Plasmoid-mediated Magnetic Reconnection during a Small-scale Flare in the Partially Ionized Low Solar Atmosphere

Magnetic reconnection plays a crucial role in the energy release process for different kinds of solar eruptions and activities. The rapid solar eruption requires a fast reconnection model. Plasmoid instability in the reconnecting current sheets is one of the most acceptable fast reconnection mechanisms for explaining the explosive events in the magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) scale, which is also a potential bridge between the macroscopic MHD reconnection process and microscale dissipations. Plenty of high resolution observations indicate that the plasmoid-like structures exist in the high temperature solar corona, but such evidences are very rare in the lower solar atmosphere with partially ionized plasmas. Utilizing joint observations from the Goode Solar Telescope (GST) and the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), we discovered a small-scale eruptive phenomenon in NOAA AR 13085, characterized by clear reconnection cusp structures, supported by Nonlinear Force-Free Field (NLFFF) extrapolation results. The plasmoid-like structures with a size about 150 km were observed to be ejected downward from the current sheet at a maximum velocity of 24 km$\cdot$s$^{-1}$ in the H$α$ line wing images, followed by enhanced emissions at around the post flare loop region in multiple wave lengths. Our 2.5D high-resolution MHD simulations further reproduced such a phenomenon and revealed reconnection fine structures. These results provide comprehensive evidences for the plasmoid mediated reconnection in partially ionized plasmas, and suggest an unified reconnection model for solar flares with different length scales from the lower chromosphere to corona.

astro-ph.SR↗
arXiv2024

A magnetic reconnection model for the hot explosion with both ultraviolet and Hα wing emissions

Ellerman bombs (EBs) with significant H$α$ wing emissions and ultraviolet bursts (UV bursts) with strong Si IV emissions are two kinds of small transient brightening events that occur in the low solar atmosphere.We numerically investigated the magnetic reconnection process between the emerging arch magnetic field and the lower atmospheric background magnetic field. We aim to find out if the hot UV emissions and much colder H$α$ wing emissions can both appear in the same reconnection process and how they are located in the reconnection region. The open-source code NIRVANA was applied to perform the 2.5D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation. We developed the related sub-codes to include the more realistic radiative cooling process for the photosphere and chromosphere and the time-dependent ionization degree of hydrogen. The initial background magnetic field is 600 G, and the emerged magnetic field in the solar atmosphere is of the same magnitude, meaning that it results in a low- $β$ magnetic reconnection environment. We also used the radiative transfer code RH1.5D to synthesize the Si IV and H$α$ spectral line profiles based on the MHD simulation results. Magnetic reconnection between emerged and background magnetic fields creates a thin, curved current sheet, which then leads to the formation of plasmoid instability and the nonuniform density distributions. The mix of hot tenuous and much cooler dense plasmas in the turbulent reconnection region can appear at about the same height, or even in the same plasmoid. The turbulent current sheet is always in a dense plasma environment with an optical depth larger than 6.5$\times$10$^{-5}$ due to the emerged magnetic field pushing high-density plasmas upward.

astro-ph.SR↗
arXiv2023

High $β$ magnetic reconnection at different altitudes in the cool low solar atmosphere

We numerically studied magnetic reconnection in a high $β$ hydrogen-helium plasma at different altitudes from the photosphere to the upper chromosphere. The time dependent ionization degrees were included to get more realistic diffusivities and viscosity, and appropriate radiative cooling models were applied. Our numerical results indicate that the plasmoid instability always plays a vital role in speeding up magnetic reconnection at different atmospheric layers. In addition, both the strong radiative cooling and the magnetic diffusion caused by the electron-neutral collision ($η_{en}$) can significantly accelerate magnetic reconnection below the middle chromosphere. On the other hand, both the ambipolar diffusion and the viscosity result in higher temperature and plasma pressure in the reconnection region in the upper chromosphere, which then hinder the fast reconnection process from developing. The local compression heating triggered by turbulent reconnection mediated with plasmoids is the dominant heating mechanism in the unstable reconnection stage at different atmospheric layers, but the viscous heating and the ambipolar diffusion heating are equally important in the upper chromosphere. The Joule heating contributed by $η_{en}$ dominates during the early quasi-steady reconnection stage below the middle chromosphere, the strong radiative cooling also leads to much stronger compression heating and more generation of thermal energy in this region. Though the plasma $β$ is the same in all the simulation cases at different altitudes, the temperature increase is more significant in the upper chromosphere with much lower density and weaker radiative cooling.

astro-ph.SR↗
arXiv2023

A Schur's theorem via a monotonicity and the expansion module

In this paper we present a monotonicity which extends a classical theorem of A. Schur comparing the chord length of a convex plane curve with a space curve of smaller curvature. We also prove a Schur's Theorem for spherical curves, which extends the Cauchy's Arm Lemma.

math.DG↗
arXiv2022

An effective estimate on Betti numbers

We provide an effective estimate on the Betti numbers of the loop space of a compact manifold which admits a finite Grauert tube. It implies the polynomial estimate in \cite{Chen} after taking the radius of the tube to infinity.

math.DG↗
arXiv2022

Plausibility of ultraviolet burst generation in the low solar chromosphere

Ultraviolet (UV) bursts and Ellerman bombs (EBs) are small-scale magnetic reconnection events taking place in the highly stratified, low solar atmosphere. It is still not clear whether UV bursts have to be generated at a higher atmospheric layer than EBs or whether both UV bursts and EBs can occur in the low chromosphere. We numerically studied the low $β$ magnetic reconnection process around the solar temperature minimum region (TMR). The time-dependent ionization degrees of hydrogen and helium are included in the MHD code, which lead to a more realistic magnetic diffusion caused by electron-neutral collision and ambipolar diffusion. A more realistic radiative cooling model from Carlsson & Leenaarts 2012 is included in the simulations. Our results in high resolution indicate that the plasmas in the reconnection region are heated up to more than $20,000$ K if the reconnecting magnetic field is as strong as $500$ G, which suggests that UV bursts can be generated in the dense low chromosphere. The dominant mechanism for producing the UV burst in the low chromosphere is heating, as a result of the local compression in the reconnection process. The thermal energy occurring in the reconnection region rapidly increases after the turbulent reconnection mediated by plasmoids is invoked. The average power density of the generated thermal energy in the reconnection region can reach over $1000$ erg cm$^{-3}$ s$^{-1}$, which is comparable to the average power density accounting for a UV burst. With the strength of the reconnecting magnetic field exceeding $900$ G, the width of the synthesized Si IV 1394 A line profile with multiple peaks can reach up to $100$ km s$^{-1}$, which is consistent with observations.

astro-ph.SR↗
arXiv2021

The Ellerman bomb and Ultraviolet burst triggered successively by an emerging magnetic flux rope

Ellerman bombs (EBs) and Ultraviolet (UV) bursts are common brightening phenomena which are usually generated in the low solar atmosphere of emerging flux regions. In this paper, we have investigated the emergence of an initial un-twisted magnetic flux rope based on three-dimensional (3D) magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) simulations. The EB-like and UV burst-like activities successively appear in the U-shaped part of the undulating magnetic fields triggered by Parker Instability. The EB-like activity starts to appear earlier and lasts for about 80 seconds. Six minutes later, a much hotter UV burst-like event starts to appear and lasts for about 60 seconds. Along the direction vertical to the solar surface, both the EB and UV burst start in the low chromosphere, but the UV burst extends to a higher altitude in the up chromosphere. The regions with apparent temperature increase in the EB and UV burst are both located inside the small twisted flux ropes generated in magnetic reconnection processes, which are consistent with the previous 2D simulations that most hot regions are usually located inside the magnetic islands. However, the twisted flux rope corresponding to the EB is only strongly heated after it floats up to an altitude much higher than the reconnection site during that period. Our analyses show that the EB is heated by the shocks driven by the strong horizontal flows at two sides of the U-shaped magnetic fields. The twisted flux rope corresponding to the UV burst is heated by the driven magnetic reconnection process.

astro-ph.SR↗
arXiv2020

A Magnetic Reconnection model for Hot Explosions in the Cool Atmosphere of the Sun

UV bursts and Ellerman bombs are transient brightenings observed in the low solar atmospheres of emerging flux regions. Observations have discovered the cospatial and cotemporal EBs and UV bursts, and their formation mechanisms are still not clear. The multi-thermal components with a large temperature span in these events challenge our understanding of magnetic reconnection and heating mechanisms in the low solar atmosphere. We have studied magnetic reconnection between the emerging and background magnetic fields. The initial plasma parameters are based on the C7 atmosphere model. After the current sheet with dense photosphere plasma is emerged to $0.5$ Mm above the solar surface, plasmoid instability appears. The plasmoids collide and coalesce with each other, which makes the plasmas with different densities and temperatures mixed up in the turbulent reconnection region. Therefore, the hot plasmas corresponding to the UV emissions and colder plasmas corresponding to the emissions from other wavelenghts can move together and occur at about the same height. In the meantime, the hot turbulent structures basically concentrate above $0.4$ Mm, whereas the cool plasmas extend to much lower heights to the bottom of the current sheet. These phenomena are consistent with the observations of Chen et al. 2019, ApJL. The synthesized Si IV line profiles are similar to the observed one in UV bursts, the enhanced wing of the line profiles can extend to about $100$ km s$^{-1}$. The differences are significant among the numerical results with different resolutions, which indicate that the realistic magnetic diffusivity is crucial to reveal the fine structures and realistic plasmas heating in these reconnection events. Our results also show that the reconnection heating contributed by ambipolar diffusion in the low chromosphere around the temperature minimum region is not efficient.

astro-ph.SR↗
arXiv2020

The fundamental group, rational connectedness and the positivity of Kaehler manifolds

First we confirm a conjecture asserting that any compact Kähler manifold $N$ with $\Ric^\perp>0$ must be simply-connected by applying a new viscosity consideration to Whitney's comass of $(p, 0)$-forms. Secondly we prove the projectivity and the rational connectedness of a Kähler manifold of complex dimension $n$ under the condition $\Ric_k>0$ (for some $k\in \{1, \cdots, n\}$, with $\Ric_n$ being the Ricci curvature), generalizing a well-known result of Campana, and independently of Kollár-Miyaoka-Mori, for the Fano manifolds. The proof utilizes both the above comass consideration and a second variation consideration of \cite{Ni-Zheng2}. Thirdly, motivated by $\Ric^\perp$ and the classical work of Calabi-Vesentini \cite{CV}, we propose two new curvature notions. The cohomology vanishing $H^q(N, T'N)=\{0\}$ for any $1\le q\le n$ and a deformation rigidity result are obtained under these new curvature conditions. In particular they are verified for all classical Kähler C-spaces with $b_2=1$. The new conditions provide viable candidates for a curvature characterization of homogenous Kähler manifolds related to a generalized Hartshone conjecture.

math.DG↗
arXiv2020

Positivity and Kodaira embedding theorem

Kodaira embedding theorem provides an effective characterization of projectivity of a Kähler manifold in terms the second cohomology. Recently X. Yang [21] proved that any compact Kähler manifold with positive holomorphic sectional curvature must be projective. This gives a metric criterion of the projectivity in terms of its curvature. In this note, we prove that any compact Kähler manifold with positive 2nd scalar curvature (which is the average of holomorphic sectional curvature over 2-dimensional subspaces of the tangent space) must be projective. In view of generic 2-tori being non-abelian, this new curvature characterization is sharp in certain sense.

math.DG↗
arXiv2020

Magnetic reconnection in partially ionized plasmas

Magnetic reconnection has been intensively studied in fully ionized plasmas. However, plasmas are often partially ionized in astrophysical environments. The interactions between the neutral particles and ionized plasmas might strongly affect the reconnection mechanisms. We review magnetic reconnection in partially ionized plasmas in different environments from theoretical, numerical, observational and experimental points of view. We focus on mechanisms which make magnetic reconnection fast enough to compare with observations, especially on the reconnection events in the low solar atmosphere. The heating mechanisms and the related observational evidence of the reconnection process in the partially ionized low solar atmosphere are also discussed. We describe magnetic reconnection in weakly ionized astrophysical environments, including the interstellar medium and protostellar disks. We present recent achievements about fast reconnection in laboratory experiments for partially ionized plasmas.

physics.plasm-ph↗
arXiv2019

General Schwarz Lemmata and their applications

We prove estimates interpolating the Schwarz Lemmata of Royden-Yau and the ones recently established by the author. These more flexible estimates provide additional information on (algebraic) geometric aspects of compact Kähler manifolds with nonnegative holomorphic sectional curvature, nonnegative $\Ric_\ell$ or positive $S_\ell$.

math.DG↗
arXiv2019

Kähler manifolds and cross quadratic bisectional curvature

In this article we continue the study of the two curvature notions for Kähler manifolds introduced by the first named author earlier: the so-called cross quadratic bisectional curvature (CQB) and its dual ($^d$CQB). We first show that compact Kähler manifolds with CQB$_1>0$ or $\mbox{}^d$CQB$_1>0$ are Fano, while nonnegative CQB$_1$ or $\mbox{}^d$CQB$_1$ leads to a Fano manifold as well, provided that the universal cover does not contain a flat de Rham factor. For the latter statement we employ the Kähler-Ricci flow to deform the metric. We conjecture that all Kähler C-spaces will have nonnegative CQB and positive $^d$CQB. By giving irreducible such examples with arbitrarily large second Betti numbers we show that the positivity of these two curvature put no restriction on the Betti number. A strengthened conjecture is that any Kähler C-space will actually have positive CQB unless it is a ${\mathbb P}^1$ bundle. Finally we give an example of non-symmetric, irreducible Kähler C-space with $b_2>1$ and positive CQB, as well as compact non-locally symmetric Kähler manifolds with CQB$<0$ and $^d$CQB$<0$.

math.DG↗