The Origin of Underdense Plasma Downflows Associated with Magnetic Reconnection in Solar Flares

Abstract

Magnetic reconnection is a universal process that powers explosive energy release events such as solar flares, geomagnetic substorms, and some astrophysical jets. A characteristic feature of magnetic reconnection is the production of fast reconnection outflow jets near the plasma Alfvén speeds [1,2]. In eruptive solar flares, dark, finger-shaped plasma downflows moving toward the flare arcade have been commonly regarded as the principal observational evidence for such reconnection-driven outflows [3,4]. However, they often show a speed much slower than that expected in reconnection theories [5,6] , challeng-1