Hα surges and associated Soft X-ray loops

A recurrent H surge was observed on 7 October, 1991 on the western solar limb with the Meudon MSDP spectrograph. The GOES satellite recorded X-ray subflares coincident with all three events. During two of the surges high-resolutionYohkoh Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT) images have been taken. Low X-ray loops overlying the active region where the surges occurred were continuously restructuring. A flare loop appeared at the onset of each surge event and somewhat separated from the footpoint of the surge. The loops are interpreted as causally related to the surges. It is suggested that surges are due to magnetic reconnection between a twisted cool loop and open field lines. Cold plasma bubbles or jets squeezed among untwisting magnetic field lines could correspond to the surge material. No detection was made of either X-ray emission along the path of the surges or X-ray jets, possibly because of the finite detection threshold of theYohkoh SXT.     

OPTICAL AND RADIO SPECTRAL ANALYSIS OF A RECURRENT SURGE

Coordinated observations obtained at Meudon (MSDP) and at Ondejov provide surge spectra in optical range (H, H, H, Hµ, Ca H and K lines) and in radio range. The MSDP data allowed us to follow the time evolution of the surge. The spectra of Balmer lines were used to derive the electron density of the expelled cool material. The radio bursts indicate that the acceleration of electrons took place in the low and dense atmosphere, giving a good argument for a reconnection near the transition region.     

Production of a short-lived filament by a surge

A large surge was observed on September 17, 1971, part of which, after travelling 200 000 km through the corona, returned to the surface to form a filament. The filament lasted about 30 min, then rose up and returned to the source of the surge. We interpret this as the filling of a semi-stable magnetic trap.The energetics of radio, X-ray, and surge expulsion are estimated. The radio spectrum and flux correspond to a thermal source of area 4 (arcmin)², T 190 000 K, N _e ² V 7 × 10⁴⁸, which is optically deep at 8800 MHz.The soft X-ray source has T 12 × 10⁶ K, N _e ² V 3 × 10⁴⁸; and if an equal mass is expelled in the surge, the kinetic energy of the surge is similar to the thermal energy of the X-ray source.     

Extreme-ultraviolet observations of a surge

A flare surge at the limb was observed in CIII 977 Å by the Harvard OSO 6 spectroheliometer. The kinematic behavior of the surge is the same in CIII and in H. The amount of CIII emission is consistent with a model in which the CIII ions occupy sheaths with thickness 100 km surrounding the cooler H-emitting threads. The mass of the material containing CIII ions is about 10^–2 times that emitting H.Now at California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California.     

Dynamics and localization of surges in the chromosphere

The dynamics of small surges has been studied using filter and spectral observations in the H line. The surge evolution allows the division into two stages which follows from the observational results. The first stage includes an abrupt H line broadening and the upward acceleration of the surge material. The second one is the inertial motion of the surge plasma along the magnetic force lines. Surges are probably produced by the plasma raking-up which is connected with the growth of the local magnetic field.     

The recurrent surges in McMATH 9760 and associated surge brightenings

The unique surge activity that occurred in McMath 9760 region during November 7 to November 16, 1968 is described and discussed. The surge activity was unusually intense; over 70 surges were observed, some of which were very highly energetic. Some surges were accompanied by surge brightenings; the latter caused a marked sharp increase in the velocity of the ejected matter. The region was studied at H -0.5 Å. In spite of the enhanced activity, the region appeared to be highly stable.     

Possible mechanism of surge formation in the solar atmosphere

The possibility of surge formation as a result of plasma raking-up, the latter being associated with the growth of the local magnetic field in the solar atmosphere, is considered in this paper. The question is treated numerically in the MHD approximation for the case of the dipolar magnetic field. It is shown that the field growth results in the appearance of relatively dense condensations stretched along the axis of a dipole. Simultaneously the plasma acquires the upward velocity along force lines which leads to the formation of a surge. Some properties of this surge model are discussed.     

The equilibrium shape of slender flux tubes in a linear force-free magnetic field

In this paper we extend previous work of Browning and Priest (1984, 1986) by studying the equilibrium path of twisted and untwisted thin flux tubes in a stratified, isothermal atmosphere using as the ambient field a linear force-free field. When an untwisted flux tube is considered, we find that shearing the magnetic arcade provides a different form to change the parameter which characterizes the external atmosphere, but at the same time this introduces a limitation in the width allowed for the external arcade. Also, the critical width found for the different analytical cases considered is always greater than one arch of the ambient arcade which prevents an eruption inside the arcade. In the case of twisted flux tubes, an analytical solution can be found for the critical _c , which separates regimes of strong and weak gravity, and the shape of the flux tube is now dependent on , a parameter which represents the magnetic field enhancement of the loop at the photosphere.     

Prominence mass ejections and their effects on the corona

Skylab soft X-ray observations of two lower coronal limb events and corresponding H observations (Skylab and ground-based) are analyzed. We discuss the morphology and evolution of an eruptive prominence occurring on 21 August 1973, beginning (in H) at about 1300 UT and of a surge on 4 December 1973, beginning at about 1758 UT. For the eruptive prominence, measured X-ray flux is used in the determination of line-of-sight temperatures, emission measures, and electron densities. A peak temperature of 8.5 × l0⁶ K and densities to 3.5 × l0⁹ cm^-3 are derived. A time-dependent, two-dimensional, single-fluid magnetohydrodynamic computer code has been used to simulate the coronal response to these prominences. We find that the coronal response to the observed eruptive prominence may be simulated with a density-dominated pressure pulse at the base of the corona ( 30000 km above photosphere), while a temperature pulse of short duration will simulate the coronal response to the surge. Approximately 10³¹ ergs and 10⁴⁰ particles (or 10¹⁶ g) were deposited into the corona during the eruptive prominence event, while about 10²⁹ ergs and 10³⁸ particles (or 10¹⁴ g) were injected during the surge event. A shock wave formed ahead of the ejected material at about 70000 km above the photosphere in the eruptive prominence event and had a velocity of 275 km s^-1 at 1.5 r above the limb.Presently at NASA / Marshall Space Flight Center.     

Loss of equilibrium in coronal loops

The loss of equilibrium in coronal magnetic field structures is a possible source of energy for coronal heating and solar flares. We investigate whether such a loss of equilibrium occurs when a coronal loop is progressively twisted by photospheric motions. In studies of 2-D cylindrical equilibria, long loops have been found to be of constant cross-sectional area along most of their length, with axial variations being confined to narrow boundary layers. We use this information to develop a 1-D line-tied model, for a 2-D coronal loop. We specify the twist in terms of the azimuthal field and more physically, in terms of the photospheric footpoint displacement. In the former case we find a loss of equilibrium, but not in the latter. We also examine a twisted loop with a non-zero plasma pressure. The loss of equilibrium is only found at high-plasma . It is conjectured that such high- can occur in flare loops and prior to a prominence eruption. However, when the plasma evolves adiabatically, there is no loss of equilibrium.     

A low β coronal loop model

A localized force-free current is proposed as a model for the observed coronal loops.An upper limit for the growth rate of kink instabilities in this model is found by solving numerically, in cylinder symmetry, the MHD equation of motion, with the boundary condition = 0 outside the loop.For various current densities a spectrum of kinks is found. These instabilities will disrupt the loops that are long or strongly twisted, on a time scale of a few seconds.The kinks in short or barely twisted loops are too long to fit.     

Stability of prominences exposing helical-like patterns

The internal structure of prominences appearing as twisted tubes was studied. The sample embraced 15 stable and 13 eruptive prominences, exposing patterns which possibly reflect a helical configuration. The equivalent pitch angles () of twisted fine structure features were measured. In some cases the evolution of the internal structure was followed and 49 independent measurements of the parameter were performed in total. The results are presented in the plane relating the parameter and the normalized prominence height. The eruptive prominences occupy the region characterized by > 50° and h > 0.8d, where h and d are the prominence height and the footpoint half-separation, respectively. All prominences characterized by h < 0.6d or by < 35° were stable. Such a result is in good agreement with an order of magnitude treatment of the forces acting in a curved magnetic tube, anchored at both ends in the photosphere.     

THE BRIGHT SURGE-LIKE SPIKE AT THE SOLAR LIMB SEPTEMBER 24, 1991

The 1N/M6.1 limb-flare-associated surge-spike phenomenon of 24 September, 1991 is investigated using H filtergrams taken at Kandilli Observatory. The kinematics and the morphological features of the moving plasma are discussed. Radio and soft X-ray bursts, ionospheric, and magnetic disturbances are detected in the oscillatory motions during the surge phenomenon.     

Studies on a very flare-active δ group: Peculiar δ spot evolution and inferred subsurface magnetic rope structure

The complex subsurface magnetic rope structure of a very flare-active isolated group (McMath 13043, July 1974) is studied by means of high-resolution evolutionary data from BBSO magnetic and velocity data. This group showed unusually fast evolution accompanied by a number of intense flares occurring on the neutral line of a spot, and provided an excellent opportunity to study the inherent relation of flare occurrence to changes of the magnetic configuration. We first examine the abnormal evolution of this group started by formation of a large, compact, reversed spot by squeezing of multipoles. The configuration was deformed by penetration into the opposite polarity umbra and its subsequent disappearance, decaying by rapid shear motions. Strong transverse fields over 4000 G were detected in the penumbrae and some umbral components.Combining these data with the August 1972 region, the evolution of these isolated groups is shown to decompose into two flare-associated elementary modes: (A) shearing produced by spot growth and (B) reduction of shear as spots disappear. We propose a model of an emerging twisted magnetic knot to explain the two modes and apply realistically to the present evolution. The inferred magnetic topological structure of this region consists of tightly twisted (sheet-like) knots and a long-winding twisted rope with an internally reversed loop and a hooked bottom struture. Their consecutive emergences are suggested to explain the abnormal evolution of this 5 group. This result indicates that the origin of the concentrated flare activity in these isolated groups may be traced to internal magnetic activity responsible for forming anomalous magnetic ropes.The author died on January 2, 1990. This paper, prepared for publication at the time of his death, was edited by Professor H. Zirin.     

Evolution of helically twisted prominence structures of March 11, 1979

Helical structures are generally associated with many eruptive solar prominences. Thus, study of their evolution in the solar atmosphere assumes importance. We present a study of a flare-associated erupting prominence of March 11, 1979, with conspicuous helically twisted structure, observed in H line center. We have attempted to understand the role played by twisted force-free magnetic fields in this event. In the analysis, we have assumed that the helical structures visible in H outline the field lines in which prominence tubes are embedded. Untwisting of observed prominence tubes and later, formation of open prominence structures provide evidence of restructuring of the magnetic field configuration over the active region during the course of prominence eruption. Temporal evolution of the force-free parameter is obtained for two main prominence tubes observed to be intertwined in a rope-like structure. Axial electric currents associated with the prominence tubes are estimated to be of the order of 10¹¹ A which decreased with time. Correspondingly, it is estimated that the rate of energy release was 10²⁸ erg s^–1 during the prominence eruption.     

The physical relationship between flares and surges observed in the extreme ultraviolet

A search was made for EUV surges among the EUV flares recorded by the Harvard spectroheliometer on ATM. Out of a large set of partial observations of such flares, a subset of 24 complete events was chosen. More than 24 associated surges were found, many of them multiple events. The flare-surge correlation is therefore considerably higher in the EUV than in H, presumably because EUV surges generally appear in emission, and in high contrast compared to H. In over 70% of the cases, the surges were found to grow out of the flare structure. Making reasonable assumptions, it was possible to infer the magnitude of the gas pressure gradient from the flare core into the surge by using the EUV intensity gradient. The inferred pressure gradient appears sufficient to drive the surge, although higher resolution observations will be required to corroborate this, and rule out the importance of magnetic Lorentz force.     

Effect of photospheric twisting motions on a confined toroidal loop

In this paper we investigate the effect of twisting motions at the photosphere on a curved loop confined by overlying field lines. We find that the twisting motions form a twisted loop along which a current builds up. However, the toroidal curvature of the loop appears to have a stabilising effect as there is no sign of the kink instability for a twist of 3.4  whereas in a straight cylinder for the same twist profile the critical twist is approximately 2.5 . When we include resistivity in the simulation there are indications that reconnection occurs and releases a substantial proportion of the free magnetic energy.     

Dynamics of Helically Twisted Prominence of January 22, 1979

We have studied the dynamics of a macroscopically twisted helical prominence observed in H line on January 22, 1979 from Udaipur Solar Observatory. The analysis carried out is similar to that of March 11, 1979 event (Srivastava et al., 1991) wherein we had studied the role of twisted force-free magnetic fields in the prominence system. In the present study, it is found that of the two helically braided prominence tubes, one was dynamically more active. We have examined the temporal evolution of force-free parameter , and the axial currents associated with the prominence system that decreased with time. We find that the magnitude of the electric currents and also the rate of energy release during the untwisting of the prominence was of comparatively higher order 10³⁰ ergs s^-1 than that of March 11, 1979 event, in agreement with the physical dimensions of the two prominences.     

Production of the solar magnetic fine-structure by convection

Motion of the gas in supergranular convection will produce twisted flux tubes. A simple energy calculation shows that for a wide variety of assumptions a tube of field strength 100 G will be given about one twist and will have a diameter 1000–2000 km. This agrees with observations of magnetic fine-structure on the sun.     

Magnetic field changes associated with a sub-flare and surge

A sub-flare and surge were observed on June 13, 1990, with the Marshall Space Flight Center vector magnetograph and coaligned H telescope. This activity occurred at the site of a parasitic polarity near a large, mature sunspot. Analysis of the vector magnetic field showed that while flux emergence and other field changes occurred sporadically throughout a period of 4 days, the sub-flare and surge only took place after an increase in magnetic shear in the field of the parasitic polarity. This event also provided an example of relaxation of magnetic shear following the flare and surging.