The Dynamics of Magnetic Reconnection in the Solar Atmosphere

Magnetic reconnection is widely believed to play the central role in the interaction between matter and magnetic field in the Sun's corona and, therefore, to underlie most solar activity. Direct plasma heating due to reconnection has been proposed as the process that produces both the quasi-steady and the flare hot corona. Reconnection-driven flows have been proposed as the explanation for transient dynamic phenomena ranging from the smallest spicule to giant surges and sprays. Reconnection has also been proposed as the origin of the electron beams in flares, and numerous authors have argued that it is the mechanism responsible for the origin of coronal mass ejections and prominence/filament eruptions. In fact, it is difficult to find a solar phenomenon that has not been blamed on magnetic reconnection! On the other hand, there is surprisingly scarce direct evidence for reconnection in coronal observations. In this talk, I will present both the latest observations and 3D models for reconnection-driven dynamics in the corona and attempt to reconcile the data with theory.