Scientists of the National Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences found an unknown type of coronal rain in the sun. The opening is reported in the article published in The Astrophysical Journal, briefly describes it in a press release on Phys.org.
Coronal rain usually occurs when the hot plasma is cooled and condensation in the closed lines of the magnetic field, after which the substance begins to fall back to the surface of the Sun. This phenomenon is divided into two categories: the rain caused by the flash, and calm rain. The new variety of coronal rain occurs along the open structures of the magnetic field when rebooting the magnetic lines.
Higher open magnetic field structures are connected to the underlying closed loops, forming a magnetic failure, which rushes plasma. An increase in plasma density in failure causes thermal instability, after which cooling and condensation occurs. Cold condensate falls to the surface of the sun in the form of coronal rain.
No flashes in the process of reconnect and condensation are not detected, so the new phenomenon refers to the category of calm coronal rain.