  Solar magnetized "tornadoes", a phenomenon discovered in the solar
atmosphere, appear as tornado-like structures in the corona but root in the
photosphere. Like other solar phenomena, solar tornadoes are a feature of
magnetized plasma and therefore differ distinctly from terrestrial tornadoes.
Here we report the first analysis of solar "tornadoes" {Two papers which
focused on different aspect of solar tornadoes were published in the
Astrophysical Journal Letters (Li et al. 2012) and Nature (Wedemeyer-B\"ohm et
al. 2012), respectively, during the revision of this Letter.}. A detailed case
study of two events indicates that they are rotating vertical magnetic
structures probably driven by underlying vortex flows in the photosphere. They
usually exist as a group and relate to filaments/prominences, another important
solar phenomenon whose formation and eruption are still mysteries. Solar
tornadoes may play a distinct role in the supply of mass and twists to
filaments. These findings could lead to a new explanation to filament formation
and eruption.
