Modeling and Measuring the Flux Reconnected and Ejected by the Two-Ribbon Flare/CME Event on 7 November 2004

Observations of the large two-ribbon flare on 7 November 2004 made using SOHO and TRACE data are interpreted in terms of a three-dimensional magnetic field model. Photospheric flux evolution indicates that ?1.4×10⁴³ Mx² of magnetic helicity was injected into the active region during the 40-hour buildup prior to the flare. The magnetic model places a lower bound of 8×10³¹ ergs on the energy stored by this motion. It predicts that 5×10²¹ Mx of flux would need to be reconnected during the flare to release the stored energy. This total reconnection compares favorably with the flux swept up by the flare ribbons, which we measure using high-time-cadence TRACE images in 1?600 Å. Reconnection in the model must occur in a specific sequence that would produce a twisted flux rope containing significantly less flux and helicity (10²¹ Mx and ?3×10⁴² Mx², respectively) than the active region as a whole. The predicted flux compares favorably with values inferred from the magnetic cloud observed by Wind. This combined analysis yields the first quantitative picture of the flux processed through a two-ribbon flare and coronal mass ejection.     

RHESSI Microflares: I. X-Ray Properties and Multiwavelength Characteristics

We study the general X-ray and multiwavelength characteristics of microflares of GOES class A0.7 to B7.4 (background subtracted) detected by the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) on 26 September 2003 comparing them with the properties of regular flares. All the events for which X-ray imaging was feasible originated in one active region and were accumulated in areas with intermixed magnetic polarities. During the events’ rise and peak phase, the RHESSI X-ray spectra show a steep nonthermal power-law component (4?γ?10) for energies ??10 keV. Further evidence for the presence of electron beams is provided by the association with radio type III bursts in 5 out of 11 events where AIP radio spectra were available. The strongest event in our sample shows radio signatures of a type II precursor. The thermally emitting flare plasma observed by RHESSI is found to be hot, 11?T?15 MK, with small emission measures, 10⁴⁶?EM?10⁴⁷ cm^?3, concentrated in the flare loop. In the EUV (TRACE 171 Å), the UV (TRACE 1600 Å) and Kanzelhöhe Solar Observatory Hα, impulsive brightenings at both ends of the RHESSI 3?–?6 keV X-ray loop source are observed, situated in opposite magnetic polarity fields. During the decay phase, a postflare loop at the location of the RHESSI loop source is observed in the TRACE 171 Å? channel showing plasma that is cooled from ??10 MK to ≈?1 MK. Correlations between various thermal and nonthermal parameters derived from the RHESSI microflare spectra compared to the same correlations obtained for a set of small and large flares by Battaglia et al. (Astron. Astrophys. 439, 737, 2005) indicate that the RHESSI instrument gives us a spectrally biased view since it detects only hot (T?10 MK) microflares, and thus the correlations between RHESSI microflare parameters have to be interpreted with caution. The thermal and nonthermal energies derived for the RHESSI microflares are \(\bar{E}_{\mathrm{th}}=7\times 10^{27}\) ergs and \(\bar{E}_{\mathrm{nth}}=2\times 10^{29}\) ergs, respectively. Possible reasons for the order-of-magnitude difference between the thermal and nonthermal microflare energies, which was also found in previous studies, are discussed. The determined event rate of 3.7 h^?1 together with the average microflare energies indicate that the total energy in the observed RHESSI microflares is far too small to account for the heating of the active region corona in which they occur.     

Different spatial structures between network regions and active regions indicated by TRACE 171 Å observation

By comparing TRACE 171 Å observations with photospheric magnetograms, we find that the root of TRACE 171 Å emission is centered in magnetic elements in simultaneous Huairou photospheric magnetogram and the luminosity of TRACE 171 Å emission is not always in proportion to the strength of the corresponding photospheric magnetic field. While TRACE emission from an active region shows an obvious upward extension as a whole, fibril-like emissions from network elements show little extension along the structure from the root of each emission to 40′′ higher up in the solar atmosphere. Together with previous studies by Zhang and Zhang (1999, 2000), it is suggested that the magnetic fields in active regions and quiet-Sun regions present different spatial structures from the solar photosphere to the chromosphere and maybe even in the corona.     

Magnetic Causes of the Eruption of a Quiescent Filament

During the JOP178 campaign in August 2006, we observed the disappearance of our target, a large quiescent filament located at S25°, after an observation time of three days (24 August to 26 August). Multi-wavelength instruments were operating: THEMIS/MTR (“MulTi-Raies”) vector magnetograph, TRACE (“Transition Region and Coronal Explorer”) at 171 Å and 1600 Å and Hida Domeless Solar telescope. Counter-streaming flows (+/?10 km?s^?1) in the filament were detected more than 24 hours before its eruption. A slow rise of the global structure started during this time period with a velocity estimated to be of the order of 1 km?s^?1. During the hour before the eruption (26 August around 09:00 UT) the velocity reached 5 km?s^?1. The filament eruption is suspected to be responsible for a slow CME observed by LASCO around 21:00 UT on 26 August. No brightening in Hα or in coronal lines, no new emerging polarities in the filament channel, even with the high polarimetry sensitivity of THEMIS, were detected. We measured a relatively large decrease of the photospheric magnetic field strength of the network (from 400 G to 100 G), whose downward magnetic tension provides stability to the underlying stressed filament magnetic fields. According to some MHD models based on turbulent photospheric diffusion, this gentle decrease of magnetic strength (the tension) could act as the destabilizing mechanism which first leads to the slow filament rise and its fast eruption.     

Horizontal flows concurrent with an X2.2 flare in the active region NOAA 11158

Horizontal proper motions were measured with local correlation tracking (LCT) techniques in active region NOAA 11158 on 2011 February 15 at a time when a major (X2.2) solar flare occurred. The measurements are based on continuum images and magnetograms of the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory. The observed shear flows along the polarity inversion line were rather weak (a few 100 m s^–1). The counter‐streaming region shifted toward the north after the flare. A small circular area with flow speeds of up to 1.2 km s^–1 appeared after the flare near a region of rapid penumbral decay. The LCT signal in this region was provided by small‐scale photospheric brigthenings, which were associated with fast traveling moving magnetic features. Umbral strengthening and rapid penumbral decay was observed after the flare. Both phenomena were closely tied to kernels of white‐light flare emission. The white‐light flare only lasted for about 15 min and peaked 4 min earlier than the X‐ray flux. In comparison to other major flares, the X2.2 flare in active region NOAA 11158 only produced diminutive photospheric signatures (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Magnetic field, helicity and the 2000 July 14 flare in solar active region 9077

In this paper we analyse the non-potential magnetic field and the relationship with current (helicity) in the active region NOAA 9077 in 2000 July, using photospheric vector magnetograms obtained at different solar observatories and also coronal extreme-ultraviolet 171-Å images from the TRACE satellite.
We note that the shear and squeeze of magnetic field are two important indices for some flare-producing regions and can be confirmed by a sequence of photospheric vector magnetograms and EUV 171-Å features in the solar active region NOAA 9077. Evidence on the release of magnetic field near the photospheric magnetic neutral line is provided by the change of magnetic shear, electric current and current helicity in the lower solar atmosphere. It is found that the 'Bastille Day' 3B/5.7X flare on 2000 July 14 was triggered by the interaction of the different magnetic loop systems, which is relevant to the ejection of helical magnetic field from the lower solar atmosphere. The eruption of the large-scale coronal magnetic field occurs later than the decay of the highly sheared photospheric magnetic field and also current in the active region.     

Is Pre-Eruptive Null Point Reconnection Required for Triggering Eruptions?

We study the magnetic field evolution and topology of the active region NOAA 10486 before the 3B/X1.2 flare of October 26, 2003, using observational data from the French–Italian THEMIS telescope, the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) onboard Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), the Solar Magnetic Field Telescope (SMFT) at Huairou Solar Observation Station (HSOS), and the Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE). Three dimensional (3D) extrapolation of photospheric magnetic field, assuming a potential field configuration, reveals the existence of two magnetic null points in the corona above the active region. We look at their role in the triggering of the main flare, by using the bright patches observed in TRACE 1600 Å images as tracers at the solar surface of energy release associated with magnetic reconnection at the null points. All the bright patches observed before the flare correspond to the low-altitude null point. They have no direct relationship with the X1.2 flare because the related separatrix is located far from the eruptive site. No bright patch corresponds to the high-altitude null point before the flare. We conclude that eruptions can be triggered without pre-eruptive coronal null point reconnection, and the presence of null points is not a sufficient condition for the occurrence of flares. We propose that this eruptive flare results from the loss of equilibrium due to persistent flux emergence, continuous photospheric motion and strong shear along the magnetic neutral line. The opening of the coronal field lines above the active region should be a byproduct of the large 3B/X1.2 flare rather than its trigger.     

Failed Eruption of a Filament as a Driver for Vertical Oscillations of Coronal Loops

We present observations of a failed eruption of a magnetic flux rope recorded during the M6.2 flare of 14 July 2004. The observations were mainly made with TRACE 171 Å and 1600 Å filters. The flare was accompanied by a destabilization of a magnetic structure observed as a filament eruption. After an initial acceleration, the eruption slowed down and finally was stopped by the overlying coronal loops. The observations suggest that the whole event is well described by the quadrupole model of a solar flare. The failed eruption stretched the overlying loops, and they were then observed to be oscillating. We were able to observe clear vertical polarization of the oscillatory motion in the TRACE images. The derived parameters of the oscillatory motion are an initial amplitude of 9520 km, a period of 377 s, and an exponential damping time of 500 s. Differences between the existing models and the observations have been found. The analyzed event is the second sample for global vertical kink waves found besides the first by Wang and Solanki (Astrophys. J. Lett. 421, 33, 2004).     

Evolution of a Coronal Loop System

The temporal variation of a loop system that appears to be changing rapidly is examined. The analyzed data were obtained on 15 May 1999, with the Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE) during an observing campaign and consist of observations in the Fe ix/Fe x 171?Å and Fe xii 195?Å passbands taken at a cadence of ～10 min. The special interest in this loop system is that it looks like one expanding loop; however, careful examination reveals that the loop consists of several strands and that new loop strands become visible successively at higher altitudes and lower loop strands fade out during the one hour of our observations. These strands have different widths, densities, and temperatures and are most probably consisting of, at least, a few unresolved thinner threads. Several geometric and physical parameters are derived for two of the strands and an effort is made to determine their 3D structure based on the extrapolation of the magnetic field lines. Electron density estimates allow us to derive radiative and conductive cooling times and to conclude that these loop strands are cooling by radiation.     

Magnetic and velocity fields of active regions

We have observed about 15 active regions on the Sun, with the Advanced Stokes Polarimeter and Dick Dunn Telescope at NSO/SP to map the Stokes parameters in the photospheric Fe 6302.5 Å and chromospheric Mg I 5173 Å lines, during 1999‐2002. The observations are corrected for dark current, gain, instrumental polarization and cross‐talk using ASP pipeline. The wavelength calibration is carried out using the O₂ telluric line 6302 Å which is also present in the observations. The photospheric and chromospheric longitudinal magnetograms are made from the Stokes V profiles, which were intercalibrated with the Kitt Peak magnetograms. The plasma motions are inferred from the line bisector measurements at different positions of the spectral line. In this paper we present the height dependence of Doppler velocity scatter plots of a sunspot in the photospheric Fe I 6302 Å line.     

Evolution of Magnetic Flux Rope in the Active Region NOAA 9077 on 14 July 2000

The finite energy force-free magnetic fields of the active region NOAA 9077 on 14 July 2000 above the photosphere were reconstructed. We study the evolution of the 3D magnetic field structures in AR 9077 and compare the reconstructed field lines with TRACE EUV 171 Å flare loops during the flare maximum, which confirms the process that flaring loops extended from lower sheared level to higher arcades. We also demonstrate the 3D magnetic field evolution before the 3B/X5.7 flare on 14 July and the magnetic structure after the flare on 15 July. This shows that the helical magnetic structures were significantly changed, suggesting that the flux rope was indeed erupted during the energetic flare at 10:24 UT on 14 July.     

Themis,BBSO, MDI and trace observations of a filament eruption

We describe a filament destabilization which occurred on 5 May 2001 in NOAA AR 9445, before a flare event. The analysis is based on Hα data acquired by THEMIS operating in IPM mode, Hα data and magnetograms obtained at the Big Bear Solar Observatory, MDI magnetograms and 171 Å images taken by TRACE. Observations at 171 Å show that ～ 2.5 hours before the flare peak, the western part of the EUV filament channel seems to split into two parts. The bifurcation of the filament in the Hα line is observed to take place ～ 1.5 hours before the flare peak, while one thread of the filament erupts ～10 min before the peak of the flare. Our analysis of longitudinal magnetograms shows the presence of a knot of positive flux inside a region of negative polarity, which coincides with the site of filament bifurcation. We interpret this event as occurring in two steps: the first step, characterized by the appearance of a new magnetic feature and the successive reconnection in the lower atmosphere between its field lines and the field lines of the old arcade sustaining the filament, leads to a new filament channel and to the observed filament bifurcation; the second step, characterized by the eruption of part of the filament lying on the old PIL, leads to a second reconnection, occurring higher in the corona.     

Extremely energetic 4B/X17.2 flare and associated phenomena

We observed 4B/X17.2 flare in Hα from super-active region NOAA 10486 at ARIES, Nainital. This is one of the largest flares of current solar cycle 23, which occurred near the Sun’s center and produced extremely energetic emission almost at all wavelengths from γ-ray to radio-waves. The flare is associated with a bright/fast full-halo earth directed CME, strong type II, type III and type IV radio bursts, an intense proton event and GLE. This flare is well observed by SOHO, RHESSI and TRACE. Our Hα observations show the stretching/de-twisting and eruption of helically twisted S shaped (sigmoid) filament in the south-west direction of the active region with bright shock front followed by rapid increase in intensity and area of the gigantic flare. The flare shows almost similar evolution in Hα, EUV and UV. We measure the speed of Hα ribbon separation and the mean value is ∼ 70 km s^-1. This is used together with photospheric magnetic field to infer a magnetic reconnection rate at three HXR sources at the flare maximum. In this paper, we also discuss the energetics of active region filament, flare and associated CME.     

Damped Oscillations of Coronal Loops

A mechanism of damped oscillations of a coronal loop is investigated. The loop is treated as a thin toroidal flux rope with two stationary photospheric footpoints, carrying both toroidal and poloidal currents. The forces and the flux-rope dynamics are described within the framework of ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). The main features of the theory are the following: i) Oscillatory motions are determined by the Lorentz force that acts on curved current-carrying plasma structures and ii) damping is caused by drag that provides the momentum coupling between the flux rope and the ambient coronal plasma. The oscillation is restricted to the vertical plane of the flux rope. The initial equilibrium flux rope is set into oscillation by a pulse of upflow of the ambient plasma. The theory is applied to two events of oscillating loops observed by the Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE). It is shown that the Lorentz force and drag with a reasonable value of the coupling coefficient (c _d ) and without anomalous dissipation are able to accurately account for the observed damped oscillations. The analysis shows that the variations in the observed intensity can be explained by the minor radial expansion and contraction. For the two events, the values of the drag coefficient consistent with the observed damping times are in the range c _d ≈2 – 5, with specific values being dependent on parameters such as the loop density, ambient magnetic field, and the loop geometry. This range is consistent with a previous MHD simulation study and with values used to reproduce the observed trajectories of coronal mass ejections (CMEs).     

Multiwavelength Study of the M8.9/3B Solar Flare from AR NOAA 10960

We present a multiwavelength analysis of a long-duration, white-light solar flare (M8.9/3B) event that occurred on 04 June 2007 from AR NOAA 10960. The flare was observed by several spaceborne instruments, namely SOHO/MDI, Hinode/SOT, TRACE, and STEREO/SECCHI. The flare was initiated near a small, positive-polarity, satellite sunspot at the center of the active region, surrounded by opposite-polarity field regions. MDI images of the active region show a considerable amount of changes in the small positive-polarity sunspot of δ configuration during the flare event. SOT/G-band (4305 Å) images of the sunspot also suggest the rapid evolution of this positive-polarity sunspot with highly twisted penumbral filaments before the flare event, which were oriented in a counterclockwise direction. It shows the change in orientation, and also the remarkable disappearance of twisted penumbral filaments (≈35?–?40%) and enhancement in umbral area (≈45?–?50%) during the decay phase of the flare. TRACE and SECCHI observations reveal the successive activation of two helically-twisted structures associated with this sunspot, and the corresponding brightening in the chromosphere as observed by the time-sequence of SOT/Ca?ii H line (3968 Å) images. The secondary, helically-twisted structure is found to be associated with the M8.9 flare event. The brightening starts six?–?seven minutes prior to the flare maximum with the appearance of a secondary, helically-twisted structure. The flare intensity maximizes as the secondary, helically-twisted structure moves away from the active region. This twisted flux tube, associated with the flare triggering, did not launch a CME. The location of the flare activity is found to coincide with the activation site of the helically-twisted structures. We conclude that the activation of successive helical twists (especially the second one) in the magnetic-flux tubes/ropes plays a crucial role in the energy build-up process and the triggering of the M-class solar flare without a coronal mass ejection (CME).     

一个复杂太阳射电爆发及其微波源和远紫外冕环特征的初步研究

利用太阳射电宽带频谱仪(0．7-7．6GHz)于2001年10月19日观测到的复杂太阳射电大爆发，呈现出许多有趣的特征，结合NoRH(Nobeyama Radio Heliograph)的高空间分辨率射电成像观测及TRACE(Transition Region and Coronal Explorer)在远紫外(EUV)波段的高空间分辨率成像观测资料，分析了该爆发的射电频谱特征和微波射电源的演化以及它们与复杂的EUV日冕环系统的关系，该爆发是一个双带大耀斑的射电表征．前一部分以宽带(从厘米到米波)爆发为主，机制是回旋同步辐射，所对应的是环足源的辐射；后一部分以窄带(分米到米波)分米波爆发为主，机制是等离子体辐射和回旋共振辐射的联合，对应的是环顶源的辐射。     

On Solar Intermediate Drift Radio Bursts at Decimeter and Meter Wavelength

Fiber – or intermediate drift – bursts are a continuum fine structure in some complex solar radio events. We present the analysis of such bursts in the X17 flare on 28 Oct. 2003. Based on the whistler wave model of fiber bursts we derive the 3D magnetic field structures that carry the radio sources in different stages of the event and obtain insight into the energy release evolution in the main flare phase, the related paths of nonthermal particle propagation in the corona, and the involved magnetic field structures. Additionally, we test the whistler wave model of fiber bursts for the meter and the decimeter wave range. Radio spectral data (Astrophysikalisches Institut Potsdam, Astronomical Observatory Ond?ejov) show a continuum with fibers for ≈?6 min during the main flare phase. Radio imaging data (Nançay Radio Heliograph) yield source centroid positions of the fibers at three frequencies in the spectrometer band. We compare the radio positions with the potential coronal magnetic field extrapolated from SOHO/MDI data. Given the detected source site configuration and evolution, and the change of the fiber burst frequency range with time, we can also extract those coronal flux tubes where the high-frequency fiber bursts are situated even without decimeter imaging data. To this aim we use a kinetic simulation of whistler wave growth in sample flux tubes modeled by selected potential field lines and a barometric density model. The whistler wave model of fiber bursts accurately explains the observations on 28 Oct. 2003. A laterally extended system of low coronal loops is found to guide the whistler waves. It connects several neighboring active regions including the flaring AR 10486. For varying source sites the fiber bursts are emitted at the fundamental mode of the plasma frequency over the whole range (1200?–?300 MHz). The present event can be understood without assuming two different generation mechanisms for meter and decimeter wave fiber bursts. It gives new insight into particle acceleration and propagation in the low flare and post-CME corona.     

Observations of Unresolved Photospheric Magnetic Fields in Solar Flares Using Fe i and Cr i Lines

The structure of the photospheric magnetic field during solar flares is examined using echelle spectropolarimetric observations. The study is based on several Fe i and Cr i lines observed at locations corresponding to brightest Hα emission during thermal phase of flares. The analysis is performed by comparing magnetic-field values deduced from lines with different magnetic sensitivities, as well as by examining the fine structure of I±V Stokes-profiles’ splitting. It is shown that the field has at least two components, with stronger unresolved flux tubes embedded in weaker ambient field. Based on a two-component magnetic-field model, we compare observed and synthetic line profiles and show that the field strength in small-scale flux tubes is about 2?–?3 kG. Furthermore, we find that the small-scale flux tubes are associated with flare emission, which may have implications for flare phenomenology.     

Changes in the photospheric magnetic field associated with solar flares

The flare-related, persistent and abrupt changes in the photospheric magnetic field have been reported by many authors during recent years. These bewildering observational results pose a challenge to the current flare theories in which the photospheric magnetic field usually remains unchanged in the eruption. In this paper, changes in the photosphere magnetic field during the solar eruption are investigated based on the catastrophe model. The results indicate that the projection effect is an important source that yields the change in the observed photospheric magnetic field in the line-of-sight. Furthermore one may observe the change in the normal component of magnetic field if the spectrum line used to measure the photospheric magnetic field does not exactly come from the photospheric surface. Our results also show that the significance of selecting the correct spectral lines to study the photospheric field becomes more apparent for the magnetic configurations with complex boundary condition (or background field).     

A scenario of the X4.8 flare of 2002 July 23 based on RHESSI and TRACE observations

From an inter-comparison among TRACE, RHESSI, and Hα images of the X4.8 flare of 2002 July 23, we found it to be a typical two-ribbon flare. The Hα and TRACE 195Å images are all shown to have the two-ribbon pattern, while the TRACE 195Å images show also a loop-arch whose footpoints deviate slightly from the ribbons. The TRACE 195Å ribbons match well the higher energy hard X-ray images. During the impulsive phase, the hard X-ray images above 38 keV present a low-lying loop connecting the two ribbons of TRACE 195Å. Above the low-lying loop, there is a coronal low energy hard X-ray source. The spatial structure and evolutionary patterns as a whole are presented. Possible theoretical explanations are briefly discussed.