Predictions of Energy and Helicity in Four Major Eruptive Solar Flares

In order to better understand the solar genesis of interplanetary magnetic clouds (MCs), we model the magnetic and topological properties of four large eruptive solar flares and relate them to observations. We use the three-dimensional Minimum Current Corona model (Longcope, 1996, Solar Phys. 169, 91) and observations of pre-flare photospheric magnetic field and flare ribbons to derive values of reconnected magnetic flux, flare energy, flux rope helicity, and orientation of the flux-rope poloidal field. We compare model predictions of those quantities to flare and MC observations, and within the estimated uncertainties of the methods used find the following: The predicted model reconnection fluxes are equal to or lower than the reconnection fluxes inferred from the observed ribbon motions. Both observed and model reconnection fluxes match the MC poloidal fluxes. The predicted flux-rope helicities match the MC helicities. The predicted free energies lie between the observed energies and the estimated total flare luminosities. The direction of the leading edge of the MC’s poloidal field is aligned with the poloidal field of the flux rope in the AR rather than the global dipole field. These findings compel us to believe that magnetic clouds associated with these four solar flares are formed by low-corona magnetic reconnection during the eruption, rather than eruption of pre-existing structures in the corona or formation in the upper corona with participation of the global magnetic field. We also note that since all four flares occurred in active regions without significant pre-flare flux emergence and cancelation, the energy and helicity that we find are stored by shearing and rotating motions, which are sufficient to account for the observed radiative flare energy and MC helicity.     

The Influence of Solar Flares on the Lower Solar Atmosphere: Evidence from the Na D Absorption Line Measured by GOLF/SOHO

Solar flares presumably have an impact on the deepest layers of the solar atmosphere and yet the observational evidence for such an impact is scarce. Using ten years of measurements of the Na D₁ and Na D₂ Fraunhofer lines, measured by GOLF onboard SOHO, we show that this photospheric line is indeed affected by flares. The effect of individual flares is hidden by solar oscillations, but a statistical analysis based on conditional averaging reveals a clear signature. Although GOLF can only probe one single wavelength at a time, we show that both wings of the Na line can nevertheless be compared. The varying line asymmetry can be interpreted as an upward plasma motion from the lower solar atmosphere during the peak of the flare, followed by a downward motion.     

Global Acoustic Resonance in a Stratified Solar Atmosphere

The upward propagation of linear acoustic waves in a gravitationally stratified solar atmosphere is studied. The wave motion is governed by the Klein?–?Gordon equation, which contains a cutoff frequency introduced by stratification. The acoustic cutoff may act as a potential barrier when the temperature decreases with height. It is shown that waves trapped below the barrier could be subject to a resonance that extends into the entire unbounded atmosphere of the Sun. The parameter space characterizing the resonance is explored.     

On the maximum energy release in flux-rope models of Eruptive Flares

We determine the photospheric boundary conditions which maximize the magnetic energy released by a loss of ideal-MHD equilibrium in two-dimensional flux-rope models. In these models a loss of equilibrium causes a transition of the flux rope to a lower magnetic energy state at a higher altitude. During the transition a vertical current sheet forms below the flux rope, and reconnection in this current sheet releases additional energy. Here we compute how much energy is released by the loss of equilibrium relative to the total energy release. When the flux-rope radius is small compared to its height, it is possible to obtain general solutions of the Grad-Shafranov equation for a wide range of boundary conditions. Variational principles can then be used to find the particular boundary condition which maximizes the magnetic energy released for a given class of conditions. We apply this procedure to a class of models known as cusp-type catastrophes, and we find that the maximum energy released by the loss of equilibrium is 20.8% of the total energy release for any model in this class. If the additional restriction is imposed that the photospheric magnetic field forms a simple arcade in the absence of coronal currents, then the maximum energy release reduces to 8.6%.     

太阳耀斑研究进展和展望

简要回顾了近年来对太阳耀斑研究在某些方面所取得的进展，这些领域空间和地面观测，耀斑光谱研究，耀斑的动力学模型和MHD数值模拟等，并对耀斑研究的前景作一简短的展望。     

Flux-Rope Twist in Eruptive Flares and CMEs: Due to Zipper and Main-Phase Reconnection

The nature of three-dimensional reconnection when a twisted flux tube erupts during an eruptive flare or coronal mass ejection is considered. The reconnection has two phases: first of all, 3D “zipper reconnection” propagates along the initial coronal arcade, parallel to the polarity inversion line (PIL); then subsequent quasi-2D “main-phase reconnection” in the low corona around a flux rope during its eruption produces coronal loops and chromospheric ribbons that propagate away from the PIL in a direction normal to it. One scenario starts with a sheared arcade: the zipper reconnection creates a twisted flux rope of roughly one turn (\(2\pi \) radians of twist), and then main-phase reconnection builds up the bulk of the erupting flux rope with a relatively uniform twist of a few turns. A second scenario starts with a pre-existing flux rope under the arcade. Here the zipper phase can create a core with many turns that depend on the ratio of the magnetic fluxes in the newly formed flare ribbons and the new flux rope. Main phase reconnection then adds a layer of roughly uniform twist to the twisted central core. Both phases and scenarios are modeled in a simple way that assumes the initial magnetic flux is fragmented along the PIL. The model uses conservation of magnetic helicity and flux, together with equipartition of magnetic helicity, to deduce the twist of the erupting flux rope in terms the geometry of the initial configuration. Interplanetary observations show some flux ropes have a fairly uniform twist, which could be produced when the zipper phase and any pre-existing flux rope possess small or moderate twist (up to one or two turns). Other interplanetary flux ropes have highly twisted cores (up to five turns), which could be produced when there is a pre-existing flux rope and an active zipper phase that creates substantial extra twist.     

Predicting Flares and Solar Energetic Particle Events: The FORSPEF Tool

A novel integrated prediction system for solar flares (SFs) and solar energetic particle (SEP) events is presented here. The tool called forecasting solar particle events and flares (FORSPEF) provides forecasts of solar eruptive events, such as SFs with a projection to occurrence and velocity of coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and the likelihood of occurrence of an SEP event. In addition, the tool provides nowcasting of SEP events based on actual SF and CME near real-time data, as well as the SEP characteristics (e.g. peak flux, fluence, rise time, and duration) per parent solar event. The prediction of SFs relies on the effective connected magnetic field strength (\(B_{\mathrm{eff}}\)) metric, which is based on an assessment of potentially flaring active-region (AR) magnetic configurations, and it uses a sophisticated statistical analysis of a large number of AR magnetograms. For the prediction of SEP events, new statistical methods have been developed for the likelihood of the SEP occurrence and the expected SEP characteristics. The prediction window in the forecasting scheme is 24 hours with a refresh rate of 3 hours, while the respective prediction time for the nowcasting scheme depends on the availability of the near real-time data and ranges between 15?–?20 minutes for solar flares and 6 hours for CMEs. We present the modules of the FORSPEF system, their interconnection, and the operational setup. Finally, we demonstrate the validation of the modules of the FORSPEF tool using categorical scores constructed on archived data, and we also discuss independent case studies.     

Constraints on the Regimes of Electron Acceleration in Solar Flares

Astronomy Letters - Based on the observations of microwave impulsive bursts recorded at the Nobeyama Radio Observatory, we have obtained constraints on the regimes of electron acceleration in solar...     

Evidence of Magnetic Reconnection in Solar Flares and a Unified Model of Flares

The solar X-ray observing satellite Yohkoh has discovered various new dynamic features in solar flares and corona, e.g., cusp-shaped flare loops, above-the-loop-top hard X-ray sources, X-ray plasmoid ejections from impulsive flares, transient brightenings (spatially resolved microflares), X-ray jets, large scale arcade formation associated with filament eruption or coronal mass ejections, and so on. It has soon become clear that many of these features are closely related to magnetic reconnection. We can now say that Yohkoh established (at least phenomenologically) the magnetic reconnection model of flares. In this paper, we review various evidence of magnetic reconnection in solar flares and corona, and present unified model of flares on the basis of these new Yohkoh observations. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

太阳耀斑研究的新进展(英)

近年来对太阳耀斑的研究取得了重要的进展。一些新的发现主要来自高分辨率的观测，特别是来自"阳光"卫星的结果。综述的范围包括太阳耀斑中磁重联的新证据、硬X射线源（包括所谓的超热源）的分类、X射线喷流的发现、环－环相互作用的证据以及对耀斑大气动力学过程的新认识等。基于这些新的知识，讨论了有关耀斑模型的一些问题。     

The Association of Solar Flares with Coronal Mass Ejections During the Extended Solar Minimum

We study the association of solar flares with coronal mass ejections (CMEs) during the deep, extended solar minimum of 2007?–?2009, using extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) and white-light (coronagraph) images from the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO). Although all of the fast (v>900 km?s^?1), wide (θ>100^°) CMEs are associated with a flare that is at least identified in GOES soft X-ray light curves, a majority of flares with relatively high X-ray intensity for the deep solar minimum (e.g. ?1×10^?6 W?m^?2 or C1) are not associated with CMEs. Intense flares tend to occur in active regions with a strong and complex photospheric magnetic field, but the active regions that produce CME-associated flares tend to be small, including those that have no sunspots and therefore no NOAA active-region numbers. Other factors on scales similar to and larger than active regions seem to exist that contribute to the association of flares with CMEs. We find the possible low coronal signatures of CMEs, namely eruptions, dimmings, EUV waves, and Type III bursts, in 91 %, 74 %, 57 %, and 74 %, respectively, of the 35 flares that we associate with CMEs. None of these observables can fully replace direct observations of CMEs by coronagraphs.     

The Evolution of Quasi-Separatrix Layer in Two Solar Eruptive Events

Quasi-separatrix layer, also called as QSL, is a region where magnetic connectivity changes drastically, and mostly well coincides with the location of flare ribbons in observations. The research on the relations of this topological structure with the 3-dimensional magnetic reconnection, and solar flares has attracted more and more attention. In this paper, using the theory of QSL we investigate a C5.7 classical two-ribbon solar flare (event 1) which occurred at AR11384 on 2011 December 26, and an M6.5 solar flare (event 2) which occurred at AR12371 on 2015 June 22, respectively. Combining the multi-wavelength data of AIA (Atmospheric Imaging Assembly) and vector magnetogrames of HMI (Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager) onboard SDO (Solar Dynamics Observatory), we extrapolate the coronal magnetic field using the PF (Potential Field) and NLFFF (Nonlinear Force Free Field) models, and calculate the evolution of the AR (Active Region) magnetic free energy. Then, we calculate the logarithmic distribution of Q-factors (magnetic squashing factor) at different heights above the solar photosphere with the results of the PF and NLFFF extrapolations, in order to determine the location of QSL. Afterward, we investigate the evolutionary relation between the QSLs at different heights above the solar photosphere and the flare ribbons observed at the corresponding heights. Finally, we study the multi-wavelength evolution features of the 2 flare events, and obtain by calculation the mean slip velocities of magnetic lines in the event 2 at 304 Å and 335 Å to be 4.6 km s^-1 and 6.3 km s^-1, respectively. We find that the calculated location of QSL in the chromosphere and corona is in good agreement with the location of flare ribbons at the same height, and the QSLs at different heights have almost the same evolutionary behavior in time as the flare ribbons of the corresponding heights, which highlights the role of QSL in the research of 3D magnetic reconnection and solar flare, and we suggest that the energy release in the flare of event 2 may be triggered by the magnetic reconnection at the place of QSL. We also suggest that the QSL is very important for us to study the essential relation between the 3D and 2D magnetic reconnections.     

The Morphology of Decimetric Emission from Solar Flares: GMRT Observations

Observations of a solar flare at 617 MHz with the Giant Meter-wave Radio Telescope (GMRT) are used to study the morphology of flare radio emission at decimetric wavelengths. There has been very little imaging in the 500 – 1000 MHz frequency range, but it is of great interest, since it corresponds to densities at which energy is believed to be released in solar flares. This event has a very distinctive morphology at 617 MHz: the radio emission is clearly resolved by the 30″ beam into arc-shaped sources seeming to lie at the tops of long loops, anchored at one end in the active region in which the flare occurs, with the other end lying some 200 000 km away in a region of quiet solar atmosphere. Microwave images show fairly conventional behaviour for the flare in the active region: it consists of two compact sources overlying regions of opposite magnetic polarity in the photosphere. The decimetric emission is confined to the period leading up to the impulsive phase of the flare, and does not extend over a wide frequency range. This fact suggests a flare mechanism in which the magnetic field at considerable height in the corona is destabilized a few minutes prior to the main energy release lower in the corona. The radio morphology also suggests that the radiating electrons are trapped near the tops of magnetic loops, and therefore may have pitch angles near 90˚.     

Eruptive Instability of the Magnetic-Flux Rope: Gravitational Force and Mass-Unloading

We investigate the coronal imaging capabilities of the Solar UltraViolet Imager (SUVI) on board the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R series spacecraft. Nominally Sun-pointed, SUVI provides solar images in six extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths. On-orbit data indicated that SUVI had sufficient dynamic range and sensitivity to image the corona to the largest heights above the Sun to date while simultaneously imaging the Sun. We undertook a campaign to investigate the existence of the EUV signal well beyond the nominal Sun-centered imaging area of the solar EUV imagers. We off-pointed the SUVI line of sight by almost one imaging area around the Sun. We present the details of the campaign we conducted when the solar cycle was at near the minimum and some results that confirm that EUV emission is present to beyond three solar radii.

     

Statistical Properties of Ribbon Evolution and Reconnection Electric Fields in Eruptive and Confined Flares

A statistical study of the chromospheric ribbon evolution in H\(\alpha\) two-ribbon flares was performed. The data set consists of 50 confined (62%) and eruptive (38%) flares that occurred from June 2000 to June 2015. The flares were selected homogeneously over the H\(\alpha\) and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) classes, with an emphasis on including powerful confined flares and weak eruptive flares. H\(\alpha\) filtergrams from the Kanzelhöhe Observatory in combination with Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) and Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) magnetograms were used to derive the ribbon separation, the ribbon-separation velocity, the magnetic-field strength, and the reconnection electric field. We find that eruptive flares reveal statistically larger ribbon separation and higher ribbon-separation velocities than confined flares. In addition, the ribbon separation of eruptive flares correlates with the GOES SXR flux, whereas no clear dependence was found for confined flares. The maximum ribbon-separation velocity is not correlated with the GOES flux, but eruptive flares reveal on average a higher ribbon-separation velocity (by ≈?10 km?s^?1). The local reconnection electric field of confined (\(cc=0.50 \pm0.02\)) and eruptive (\(cc=0.77 \pm0.03\)) flares correlates with the GOES flux, indicating that more powerful flares involve stronger reconnection electric fields. In addition, eruptive flares with higher electric-field strengths tend to be accompanied by faster coronal mass ejections.     

检验行星潮汐对太阳耀斑的影响

第19太阳周内6．5年中的1119个≥2-级太阳耀斑，相对于木星和金星的日面经度观测分布为Pj（L）和Pv（L）．五种理论分布假设为：（1）均匀随机分布；（2)均匀随机十横向潮汐力分布；（3）均匀随机十竖向潮汐力分布；（4）均匀随机十潮汐力模量分布；（5）均匀随机十横向潮汐力和竖向潮汐力分布．观测和理论分布的X2拟合优度检验表明：在较严格的显著性水平上（α＜0.01），五种理论分布假设都能接受；但到α≈0.35（木星）和α≈0．175（金星）；则拒绝第1种假设，而应接受第2－5种假设，尤以第5种理论分布假设为佳.Pj和Pv中难于避免许多重要干扰但仍可检测出.所以，行星潮汐影响太阳因素；故其中，可检测的行星潮汐成分只能较小；活动，仍是种显著的效应．     

太阳活动区卫星黑子与高能耀斑

对十个活动区出现的卫星黑子进行分析,据它们不同的形态、发展状况及在耀斑活动中的作用大致分成三种类型。结果表明,高能耀斑与卫星黑子有密切关系。随着卫星黑子的出现,发展在活动区中可经常产生耀斑。如果卫星黑子是静止的,通常没有耀斑爆发。     

电离层TEC对小耀斑的响应

利用国际GPS观测网(IGS)提供的多个台站的观测数据,分析了M级别以下的小、暗太阳耀斑对向阳面电离层TEC的影响．利用传统分析方法的结果表明,从单条视线(LOS)观测数据得到的电离层TEC及其时间变化率曲线来看,由于它们的波动水平和正常情况下的背景电离层变化相当,使此类小耀斑的信息完全淹没在背景噪声中,不能够显示和分辨出耀斑的发生．利用相干求和的数据处理方法,选用向阳面18个GPS台站的观测数据研究了一次C级SF耀斑引起的电离层TEC增加,结果发现,这种方法能有效地消除背景电离层变化噪声,电离层对耀斑的响应非常清楚和明显,这通常只能在X级别的大耀斑中看到．和GOES卫星X射线数据相比,电离层TEC变化的时间特征和耀斑爆发的开始、最大和结束时间均有很好的符合,其最大平均TEC增量在0．1TECU以下,和X级别的大耀斑相比有一个或多个量级上的差别．