Breakout/Interchange Reconnection as a Driver of Jets, Fast Coronal Mass Ejection, and Solar Energetic Particles
6 affiliations
- 1American University
- 2NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
- 3University of California
- 4Durham University
- 5University of Michigan
- 6The Catholic University of America
Abstract
Understanding how energetic particles are accelerated and released from the low corona into the interplanetary medium during solar eruptions is crucial for space weather research. Here, we present multiwavelength observations of a solar eruption that are consistent with breakout reconnection playing an important role in driving a fast coronal mass ejection (CME) and the associated solar energetic particle (SEP) event. Extreme-ultraviolet and radio observations reveal evidence of breakout reconnection within a fan-spine topology. The filament eruption begins after the pre-eruption opening, accompanied by quasiperiodic jets and associated downflows near the null point, as well as recurrent faint Type III radio bursts during the ongoing slow breakout reconnection. Furthermore, the observations also reveal the formation of pre-eruption coronal rain via slow interchange reconnection near the null point, a process with important implications for coronal heating and the origin of the solar wind. A large-scale circular ribbon, along with simultaneous four hard X-ray footpoint sources and intense Type III radio bursts, was observed during the explosive breakout reconnection that enabled opening of field lines and allowed energetic particles to escape into interplanetary space. In situ measurements by Parker Solar Probe and Wind confirm the prompt injection of electron beams consistent with the timing of the explosive breakout reconnection. A fast shock associated with the erupting flux rope during interchange reconnection played a major role in producing the gradual SEP event. These observations highlight the key role of breakout reconnection in producing a fast CME/shock with the SEP release and acceleration process. These results have broader implications for particle acceleration and release processes in multiscale null-point topologies, which produce a continuum of eruptions ranging from small-scale jets to large-scale CMEs.
Versions
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BibTeX
@article{kumar2026breakoutinterchange,
title = {{Breakout/Interchange Reconnection as a Driver of Jets, Fast Coronal Mass Ejection, and Solar Energetic Particles}},
author = {Pankaj Kumar and Judith T. Karpen and David Lario and Benjamin J. Lynch and Peter F. Wyper and Spiro K. Antiochos and P. K. Manoharan},
journal = {The Astrophysical Journal},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3847/1538-4357/ae9e28},
url = {https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/ae9e28},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Breakout/Interchange Reconnection as a Driver of Jets, Fast Coronal Mass Ejection, and Solar Energetic Particles
AU - Pankaj Kumar
AU - Judith T. Karpen
AU - David Lario
AU - Benjamin J. Lynch
AU - Peter F. Wyper
AU - Spiro K. Antiochos
AU - P. K. Manoharan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/13
JO - The Astrophysical Journal
DO - 10.3847/1538-4357/ae9e28
UR - https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/ae9e28
AB - Understanding how energetic particles are accelerated and released from the low corona into the interplanetary medium during solar eruptions is crucial for space weather research. Here, we present multiwavelength observations of a solar eruption that are consistent with breakout reconnection playing an important role in driving a fast coronal mass ejection (CME) and the associated solar energetic particle (SEP) event. Extreme-ultraviolet and radio observations reveal evidence of breakout reconnection within a fan-spine topology. The filament eruption begins after the pre-eruption opening, accompanied by quasiperiodic jets and associated downflows near the null point, as well as recurrent faint Type III radio bursts during the ongoing slow breakout reconnection. Furthermore, the observations also reveal the formation of pre-eruption coronal rain via slow interchange reconnection near the null point, a process with important implications for coronal heating and the origin of the solar wind. A large-scale circular ribbon, along with simultaneous four hard X-ray footpoint sources and intense Type III radio bursts, was observed during the explosive breakout reconnection that enabled opening of field lines and allowed energetic particles to escape into interplanetary space. In situ measurements by Parker Solar Probe and Wind confirm the prompt injection of electron beams consistent with the timing of the explosive breakout reconnection. A fast shock associated with the erupting flux rope during interchange reconnection played a major role in producing the gradual SEP event. These observations highlight the key role of breakout reconnection in producing a fast CME/shock with the SEP release and acceleration process. These results have broader implications for particle acceleration and release processes in multiscale null-point topologies, which produce a continuum of eruptions ranging from small-scale jets to large-scale CMEs.
SN - 0004-637X
SN - 1538-4357
ER -