  The outer solar atmosphere, i.e., the corona and the chromosphere, is replete
with small energy-release events, which are accompanied by transient
brightening and jet-like ejections. These events are considered to be magnetic
reconnection events in the solar plasma, and their dynamics have been studied
using recent advanced observations from the Hinode spacecraft and other
observatories in space and on the ground. These events occur at different
locations in the solar atmosphere, and vary in their morphology and amount of
the released energy. The magnetic field configurations of these reconnection
events are inferred based on observations of magnetic fields at the
photospheric level. Observations suggest that these magnetic configurations can
be classified into two groups. In the first group, two anti-parallel magnetic
fields reconnect to each other, yielding a 2D emerging flux configuration. In
the second group, helical or twisted magnetic flux tubes are parallel or at a
relative angle to each other. Reconnection can occur only between anti-parallel
components of the magnetic flux tubes and may be referred to as component
reconnection. The latter configuration type may be more important for the
larger class of small-scale reconnection events. The two types of magnetic
configurations can be compared to counter-helicity and co-helicity
configurations, respectively, in laboratory plasma collision experiments.
