Natural Generation of Alfvén Waves from Three-dimensional Bursty Interchange Magnetic Reconnection in the Solar Corona

Abstract

Alfvén waves play a significant role in solar coronal heating, solar wind acceleration, and Alfvénic turbulence formation. As a fundamental process, magnetic reconnection has long been credited as a crucial source of Alfvén waves. However, how magnetic reconnection triggers Alfvén waves remains unclear. Here, employing high-resolution simulations of three-dimensional bursty interchange magnetic reconnection in the solar corona, we unveil that Alfvén waves are spontaneously excited in the reconnecting current sheet and propagate bidirectionally, mainly along unreconnected magnetic fields. Generated by the transient reconnection events, flux ropes with enhanced total pressure persistently displace the magnetic fields in their surrounding, launching the observed large-amplitude and quasi-linearly polarized Alfvén waves, which carry substantial energy for heating the quiet corona and accelerating the solar wind. Our findings underscore the natural association between Alfvén waves and intermittent magnetic reconnection, which can be generalized to various plasma systems in astrophysical and laboratorial environments.