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Register a new userFlare Energy Release at the Magnetic Field Polarity Inversion Line During M1.2 Solar Flare of 2015 March 15. II. Investigation of Photospheric Electric Current and Magnetic Field Variations Using HMI 135-second Vector Magnetograms
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This work is a continuation of Paper I [Sharykin et al., 2018] devoted to analysis of nonthermal electron dynamics and plasma heating in the confined M1.2 class solar flare SOL2015-03-15T22:43 revealing energy release in the highly sheared interacting magnetic loops in the low corona, above the polarity inversion line (PIL). The scope of the present work is to make the first extensive quantitative analysis of the photospheric magnetic field and photospheric vertical electric current (PVEC) dynamics in the confined flare region near the PIL using new vector magnetograms obtained with the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) with high temporal resolution of 135 s. Data analysis revealed sharp changes of the magnetic structure and PVEC associated with the flare onset near the PIL. It was found that the strongest plasma heating and electron acceleration were associated with the largest increase of the magnetic reconnection rate, total PVEC and effective PVEC density in the flare ribbons. Observations and non-linear force-free field (NLFFF) extrapolations showed that the magnetic field structure around the PIL is consistent with the tether-cutting magnetic reconnection (TCMR) geometry. We gave qualitative interpretation of the observed dynamics of the flare ribbons, magnetic field and PVEC, and electron acceleration, within the TCMR scenario.
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We present the study of SOL2015-03-15 M1.2 flare, revealing acceleration of electrons and plasma heating in the sheared twisted magnetic structure in the polarity inversion line (PIL). The scope is to make the analysis of nonthermal electrons dynamics and plasma heating in the highly stressed magnetic loops interacting in the PIL by using X-ray, microwave, ultraviolet, and optical observations. It is found that the most probable scenario for the energy release in the PIL is the tether-cutting magnetic reconnection between the low-lying (3 Mm above the photosphere) magnetic loops within a twisted magnetic flux rope. Energetic electrons with the hardest spectrum were appeared at the onset of plasma heating up to the super-hot temperature of 40 MK. These electrons are localized in a thin magnetic channel with width of around 0.5 Mm with high average magnetic field of about 1200 G. The plasma beta in the super-hot region is less than 0.01. The estimated density of accelerated electrons is about 10^9 cm^-3 that is much less than the super-hot plasma density. The energy density flux of non-thermal electrons is estimated up to 3x10^12 ergs cm^-2s^-1 that is much higher than in the currently available radiative hydrodynamic models. These results revealed that one need to develop new self-consisting flare models reproducing 3D magnetic reconnection in the PIL with strong magnetic field, spatial filamentation of energy release, formation of high energy density populations of nonthermal electrons and appearance of the super-hot plasma.
We study flare processes in the solar atmosphere using observational data for a M1-class flare of June 12, 2014, obtained by New Solar Telescope (NST/BBSO) and Helioseismic Magnetic Imager (HMI/SDO). The main goal is to understand triggers and manifestations of the flare energy release in the photosphere and chromosphere using high-resolution optical observations and magnetic field measurements. We analyze optical images, HMI Dopplergrams and vector magnetograms, and use Non-Linear Force-Free Field (NLFFF) extrapolations for reconstruction of the magnetic topology and electric currents. The NLFFF modelling reveals interaction of two magnetic flux ropes with oppositely directed magnetic field in the PIL. These flux ropes are observed as a compact sheared arcade along the PIL in the high-resolution broad-band continuum images from NST. In the vicinity of PIL, the NST H alpha observations reveal formation of a thin three-ribbon structure corresponding to a small-scale photospheric magnetic arcade. The observational results evidence in favor of location of the primary energy release site in the chromospheric plasma with strong electric currents concentrated near the polarity inversion line. In this case, magnetic reconnection is triggered by the interacting magnetic flux ropes forming a current sheet elongated along the PIL.
In this paper, we present a multi-wavelength analysis of an eruptive white-light M3.2 flare which occurred in active region NOAA 10486 on November 1, 2003. Excellent set of high resolution observations made by RHESSI and TRACE provide clear evidence of significant pre-flare activities for ~9 minutes in the form of an initiation phase observed at EUV/UV wavelengths followed by the X-ray precursor phase. During the initiation phase, we observed localized brightenings in the highly sheared core region close to the filament and interactions among short EUV loops overlying the filament which led to the opening of magnetic field lines. The X-ray precursor phase is manifested in RHESSI measurements below ~30 keV and coincided with the beginning of flux emergence at the flaring location along with early signatures of the eruption. From the RHESSI observations, we conclude that both plasma heating and electron acceleration occurred during the precursor phase. The main flare is consistent with the standard flare model. However, after the impulsive phase, intense HXR looptop source was observed without significant footpoint emission. More intriguingly, for a brief period the looptop source exhibited strong HXR emission with energies up to 100 keV and significant non-thermal characteristics. The present study indicates a causal relation between the activities in the preflare and main flare. We also conclude that pre-flare activities, occurred in the form of subtle magnetic reorganization along with localized magnetic reconnection, played a crucial role in destabilizing the active region filament leading to solar eruptive flare and associated large-scale phenomena.
The Very Fast Inversion of the Stokes Vector (VFISV) is a Milne-Eddington spectral line inversion code used to determine the magnetic and thermodynamic parameters of the solar photosphere from observations of the Stokes vector in the 6173 A Fe I line by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). We report on the modifications made to the original VFISV inversion code in order to optimize its operation within the HMI data pipeline and provide the smoothest solution in active regions. The changes either sped up the computation or reduced the frequency with which the algorithm failed to converge to a satisfactory solution. Additionally, coding bugs which were detected and fixed in the original VFISV release, are reported here.
We investigate the dynamics of a closed corona cartesian reduced magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model where photospheric vortices twist the coronal magnetic field lines. We consider two corotating or counter-rotating vortices localized at the center of the photospheric plate, and additionally more corotating vortices that fill the plate entirely. Our investigation is specifically devoted to study the fully nonlinear stage, after the linear stage during which the vortices create laminar and smoothly twisting flux tubes. Our main goal is to understand the dynamics of photospheric vortices twisting the field lines of a coronal magnetic field permeated by finite amplitude broadband fluctuations. We find that depending on the arrangement and handedness of the photospheric vortices an inverse cascade storing a significant amount of magnetic energy may occur or not. In the first case a reservoir of magnetic energy available to large events such as destabilization of a pre-CME configuration develops, while in the second case the outcome is a turbulent heated corona. Although our geometry is simplified our simulations are shown to have relevant implications for coronal dynamics and CME initiation.
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