Disconnection and Reconnection in Plasma Bubbles Observed by OI 630 nm Airglow Images From Cariri Observatory

We use OI 630 nm airglow images obtained with the All-sky imager installed at Sao Joao do Cariri (7.4 degrees S, 36.5 degrees W) to report the very rare phenomenon of disconnection and reconnection between adjacent plasma bubbles. We report here for the first time observations of the phenomenon at Cariri. These observations show that the phenomenon is independent of the solar flux and occurs between September and December in the Brazilian sector. The phenomenon consists first in separating a part of the bubble followed by its capture by other adjacent bubbles via electrostatic potential fields. Statistically, the phenomenon is of very low occurrence and its probability varies between 1/120 and 1/165 per year, and on certain occasions it is zero.