Dynamics and internal structure of an eruptive prominence

The kinematics and the development of the internal structure in the eruptive prominence of August 16, 1988 are described. The prominence exposed helical structure, and the pitch of the fine structure filaments was measured. The evolution of the pitch was measured in the legs of the prominence and at its summit from the pre-eruptive phase up to the late phases of the eruption. The pitch angle was decreasing in the legs as well as at the summit. However, the observations indicate that the integral twist remained constant. The prominence was twisted more at the summit where it was wider than in the legs. The effective twist at the prominence summit was approximately 20 and in the legs it amounted to about 8 . Such a ratio did not change during the eruption, i.e., no redistribution of the twist was observed within the accuracy of measurements. The nature of the instability causing the eruption is discussed and the energetics of the process is considered.     

An eruptive prominence of June 10, 1973

An eruptive prominence of June 10, 1973, showing ascending and expanding motions, has been recorded spectroscopically at Oslo Solar Observatory.The Ca ii H line yields broadening velocities ranging from 5 km s^-1 to 20 km s^-1. An extreme ratio of 1/30 was measured for line-broadening to expansion velocity.Flare activity succeeded the start of the observed disparition brusque phase of the prominence. The eruption is related to coronal disturbances recorded approximately 1 hr later by ATM, Skylab.     

Coronal heating by prominence turbulence

The generation of magnetohydrodynamic waves in the corona by the observed random motions in prominences is considered. The associated energy input into the corona may be a significant source of heating for the coronal loops overlying prominences, especially during the onset of flares. Some relevant observations are discussed.     

An eruptive prominence and associated cm-mm emission outside the solar limb

We present radio maps at 22 and 44 GHz which show the emission before and after the eruption of a quiescent prominence located at the west limb. The observed radiation following the eruption is not consistent with thermal bremsstrahlung mechanism. It can be interpreted as due to gyrosynchrotron emission of nonthermal electrons. Our observations appear to be similar to the microwave radiation observed in post-flare loops; this radiation is due to nonthermal electrons trapped in the closed magnetic structures formed after the prominence eruption.     

Simultaneous multifrequency observations of an eruptive prominence at millimeter wavelengths

Radio images and spectra of an eruptive prominence were obtained from simultaneous multifrequency observations at 36 GHz, 89 GHz, and 110 GHz on May 28, 1991 with the 45-m radio telescope at Nobeyama Radio Observatory (NRO), the National Astronomical Observatory, Japan (NAOJ). The radio spectra indicated that the optical depth is rather thick at 36 GHz whereas it is thin at 89 and 110 GHz. The H data, taken at Norikura Solar Observatory, NAOJ, suggest that the eruption of an active region filament was triggered by an H flare. The shape and position of the radio prominence generally coincided with those of H images. The radio emission is explained with an isothermal cool thread model. A lower limit for the electron temperature of the cool threads is estimated to be 6100 K. The range of the surface filling factors of the cool threads is 0.3–1.0 after the H flare, and 0.2–0.5 in the descending phase of the eruptive prominence. The column emission measure and the electron number density are estimated to be of the order of 10²⁸ cm^–5 and 10¹⁰ cm^–3, respectively. The physical parameters of a quiescent prominence are also estimated from the observations. The filling factors of the eruptive prominence are smaller than those of the quiescent prominence, whereas the emission measures and the electron densities are similar. These facts imply that each cool thread of the prominence did not expand after the eruption, while the total volume of the prominence increased.     

A remarkable eruptive prominence on the solar disk on January 29, 1968

Observations of a remarkable dynamic H phenomenon in projection on the solar disk are reported. An eruptive prominence in the shape of large loops was ejected to a great distance from the point of origin.     

The growth of electric current in the eruptive prominence of June 8, 1974

The observed twisting of bright threads during the eruption of a limb prominence is described in terms of the transfer of energy from the large-scale to the small-scale magnetic field. Modeling the process by means of an inductive circuit, the time constant for the growth of current along the bundle of threads appears to be consistent with the observed rate of twisting.Visiting astronomer on leave from the Department of Astro-Geophysics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, U.S.A.     

The dynamical process of a coronal transient associated with an eruptive prominence

The statistical correlation between an eruptive prominence and the coronal transient associated with this prominence implies that there should be a relationship between these two kinds of dynamical processes. This paper analyzes the dynamical effect of a plasma ‘piston’ in the corona, consisting of an eruptive prominence and/or a magnetic flux region (loop or arcade, or blob) in front of the prominence. Ahead of the piston, there is a compressed flow, which produces a shock front. This high-density region corresponds to the bright feature of the transient. Behind the piston, there is a rarefaction region, which corresponds to the dark feature of the transient. Therefore, both the bright and dark features of the transient may be explained at the same time by the dynamical process of the moving piston. Two local solutions, one perpendicular and one parallel to the direction of solar gravitational field, are discussed. The influence of gravity on the gas-dynamical process driven by the piston is discussed in terms of characteristic theory, and the flow field is given quantitatively. For a typical piston trajectory similar to the one for an eruptive prominence, the velocity of the shock front which locates ahead the transient front is nearly constant or slightly accelerated, and the width of the compressed flow region may be kept nearly constant or increased linearly, depending on the velocity distribution of the piston. Based on these results, the major features of the transient may be explained. Some of the fine structure of the transient is also shown, which may be compared in detail with observations.     

Kinematics and evolution of twist in the eruptive prominence of August 18, 1980

The prominence which erupted at the SE limb on August 18, 1980 is one of the best observed disparition brusque events: high-resolution monochromatic ground-based observations in the H line were supplemented by the SMM and Solwind satellite coronographic observations; the radio wavelength range was well covered by single-frequency and spectral observations, and the prominence magnetic fields were measured two days before the eruption.The prominence showed a helical-like internal structure from the pre-eruptive phase, up to the late phases of eruption. The pitch angles of the helical-like threads were measured at several positions 31 along the prominence axis, and the evolution of twist was followed during the eruption. These measurements provide an estimate of the parameters which are directly comparable with theoretical models. The pitch angles of the helical threads decreased during the eruption. A redistribution of twist along the prominence axis could not be detected within the accuracy of measurements, although there are indications that the twist was partly transformed into an external kink-type screw of the prominence axis. The value of the total twist did not change during the eruption within the accuracy of the measurements.The kinematics of the process was followed, and accompanying events in the radio-range and soft X-rays are listed. Measurements of the magnetic field vector in the prominence are reviewed briefly. The observations were compared with predictions of cylindrical models, considering the forces acting at the prominence summit. Observational implications and constraints are discussed, and the decrease of the axial electric current and the mass loss are inferred.     

Positional measurements on the eruptive loop prominence of 27 April 1981 and comparison with the X-ray sources

Using the Hα observational data from Yunnan Observatory, we have made position measurements on the eruptive loop prominence of 27 April 1981, and have compared the results with the positions of X-ray sources obtained by the hard X-ray telescope (SXT) on board the HINOTORI satellite. From the results of measurement and comparison, it is suggested that 1) The two mounds A and C at 0830 UT are extensions of two ribbons in the flare near the limb, which started before 0758 UT. 2) The central positions of two X-ray sources at 0756 UT are just situated at the top of the mound A and the mound C, respectively. The Hα footpoint corresponding to the main source of X-rays was behind the solar limb. The second source of X-rays corresponds to C₁ and C₂. 3) The X-ray sources were probably located near the footpoints of loops.     

The heating of the earth during its formation

The thermal state of the Earth accumulating from solid bodies is investigated. The conductivity equation is deduced for a growing spherically symmetrical planet which takes into account heating by impacts of bodies, by radioactivity, and by compression of its material. The cooling is produced mainly by impact mixing, which is approximated by extrapolating the parameters from known impact craters to larger sizes. The solution of a more simple conductivity equation for a uniformly heated plane parallel layer with moving boundaries is found. It can be considered as an approximate quasi-stationary solution for the temperature distribution in the outer parts of the growing Earth. The result depends substantially on the sizes of impacting bodies but almost not at all on the time scale of the accumulation. The latter only weakly affects the surface temperature and does not affect the temperature distribution in the layer. For bodies of small radii, r′ < r₁, where the size of the crater is not affected appreciably by gravitation (for the present mass of the Earth r₁ ≈ 1 km), the heating is small. For bodies with r′ > r₁, the heating of the layer is roughly proportional to the ratio $\text{r′}\text{r}{}_1$. Toward the end of the Earth's accumulation the melting point can be reached in the outer layer at r′_M ? 60 km, where r′_M is the radius of the largest body in the power law size spectrum of falling bodies. The estimates of the initial temperature of the Earth can vary within wide limits depending on the mass distribution of large protoplanetary bodies, which at the present time is not known correctly. The initial melting of an upper layer of the Earth a few hundred kilometers thick seems to be possible.     

Study of a large helical eruptive prominence associated with double CME on 21 April 2001

Here we present a preliminary analysis of a helical eruptive prominence at the east limb of the Sun on 21 April 2001. Unusually this eruption is associated with a double CME. We have tried to study the morphology of the event, energy budget of the prominence and associated CMEs. Our analysis shows that the prominence and first CME started simultaneously from the limb and prominence carries sufficient energy to feed both the CMEs. Moreover, it is also concluded that CMEs are magnetically driven and internally powered.     

Investigation of non-uniform heating during the decay phase of solar flares

We have analysed X-ray spectra of 13 solar flares as obtained by the Bent Crystal Spectrometer (BCS) on the Solar Maximum Mission. In particular, we have examined the observed ratio of T _Fe/T _Ca where T _Fe and T _Ca are the temperatures obtained from the Fexxv and Caxix spectra, respectively. In order to simplify the investigation we have analysed only flares which reach quasi-steady-state during the decay. It turned out that the observed ratios cannot be explained by a model consisting of a single, uniformly heated loop, with a constant or variable cross-sectional area. We propose that this problem may be solved by introducing some distribution of the heating function across the flaring loop. This model has been tested by detailed calculations.     

Magnetic field evolution during prominence eruptions and two-ribbon flares

Simple models for the MHD eruption of a solar prominence are presented, in which the prominence is treated as a twisted magnetic flux tube that is being repelled from the solar surface by magnetic pressure forces. The effects of different physical assumptions to deal with this magneto-hydrodynamically complex phenomenon are evaluated, such as holding constant the prominence current, radius, flux or twist or modelling the prominence as a current sheet. Including a background magnetic field allows the prominence to be in equilibrium initially with an Inverse Polarity and then to erupt due to magnetic non-equilibrium when the background magnetic field is too small or the prominence twist is too great. The electric field at the neutral point below the prominence rapidly increases to a maximum value and then declines. Including the effect of gravity also allows an equilibrium with Normal Polarity to exist. Finally, an ideal MHD solution is found which incorporates self-consistently a current sheet below the prominence and which implies that a prominence will still erupt and form a current sheet even if no reconnection occurs. When reconnection is allowed it is, therefore, driven by the eruption.     

First phase heating and particle acceleration during solar flares by fast tearing modes

We develop a simple, but physically consistent, model of heating and particle acceleration by fast tearing modes, for modeling compact loop flares or erupting prominences. It is shown that there is a slow preheating, over many e -foldings of the instability, after which a rapid heating takes place in approximately one e-folding. The role of anomalous resistivity excited by the induced electric field during tearing is discussed, and how both thermal conduction and plasma expansion may play a role in cooling. Estimates for the total number of thermal and non-thermal electrons generated by one fast tearing mode are given, and it is argued that collisional tearing modes give rise to a primarily thermal plasma.     

The structure of the temperature minimum region in solar flares and its significance for flare heating mechanisms

We analyze Ca ii K-line profiles of one flare and EUV continuum observations of two other flares in order to infer values for the temperature enhancements (over active region values) produced in the upper photosphere around and above the temperature minimum region. The results, obtained through a partial redistribution calculation of the Ca ii K-line profiles and an LTE approach to the continuum observations, show that the flare temperature minimum is depressed some two scale heights below its preflare level, and that substantial temperature enhancements are produced even at this depth. Estimates for the energy release in these photospheric layers are given, and are found to be comparable with that released in chromospheric H and L emission.We then turn our attention to the investigation of possible heating mechanisms which might be responsible for the observed enhancements. Bombardment by both electrons and protons, and irradiation by soft X-rays, are each considered and found to be largely ineffective, due to the large attenuation of flux by photospheric depths, unless new ideas on the precise nature of these mechanisms are invoked, particularly if the same mechanism is also to explain the observed chromospheric emissions. We therefore conclude that it is most likely that some other mechanism must be advocated in order to explain the observed heating. Possibilities for this are (a) heating by EUV radiation, (b) proton beams with low dispersion energy spectra centered around 10–20 MeV, and (c) localized heating at temperature minimum levels.On leave from: Department of Astronomy, The University, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland, United Kingdom.     

Alfvén wave heating and acceleration of plasmas in the solar transition region producing jet-like eruptive activity

We present an analysis of observations and theory of selected transition-region phenomena, concentrating on small scale jet-like structures known as spicules and macrospicules. We examine a number of mechanisms that may be responsible for their formation and conclude that Alfvén waves could provide the necessary acceleration through the ponderomotive force and dissipation for heating forming a beam or jet like structure. In applying the Alfvén wave model we make no fundamental distinction between spicules and macrospicules. In this respect we consider them to be manifestations of the same phenomenon on different scales. We predict that the most effective Alfvén waves have frequencies around 1 Hz and amplitudes of 1 V m^–1. The resulting plasma jet sets up plasma conditions suitable for creating rotating structures which are also observed.     

The loop prominence of May 13, 1971 and its associated effects

A study is presented of the formation of a loop prominence system (LPS) on May 13, 1971. The development of the phenomenon is found to be consistent with the model of Jefferies and Orrall, and was associated with small radio bursts and several kind of SID. From the spectral analysis a temperature of 13200 K has been deduced and a density of hydrogen atoms n(H) 10¹⁰cm^-3 estimated. The existence of inclined emissions probably produced by rotatory motions is discussed. From the radio data analysis it was inferred that an impulsive and a thermal component were present; the length of the emitting plasma cloud was found to be about 56000 km. The LPS appeared, in accordance with previous results, in a region producing proton flares.     

On the regimes of heating during solar flares

We suggest a new differential method whereby we have detected the separation of a long-duration flare into intervals characterized by different regimes of plasma heating and cooling based on soft X-ray data. The rise phase of the flare is shown to consist of accelerated and decelerated heating regimes compared to an exponential law. Accelerated cooling takes place at the beginning of the decay phase, which is followed by decelerated one. The final part of the flare is a prolonged process of cooling according to a nearly exponential law.     

Two prominence eruptions and the problem of emission

Two flare unconnected eruptions on January 15 and 29, 1968, are discussed. The first is a filament which turns bright and erupts upward, reappearing an hour later. The second is a large eruptive arch seen against the disk. The arch is bright at the top of its trajectory, turns dark, but produces chromospheric emission at the point of impact. The emission at the top of the arch is ascribed to the velocity shift of the illuminating chromospheric Ha line. It is shown that such emission will occur only if the motion is transverse to the line of sight and the prominence is optically thin.This research was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant 1472, the Advanced Research Projects Agency under the Office of Naval Research Grant N00014-67-C-0140, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under Grant NGR 05 002 034.