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Register a new userTopological changes of the photospheric magnetic field inside active regions: a prelude to flares
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The observations of magnetic field variations as a signature of flaring activity is one of the main goal in solar physics. Some efforts in the past give apparently no unambiguous observations of changes. We observed that the scaling laws of the current helicity inside a given flaring active region change clearly and abruptly in correspondence with the eruption of big flares at the top of that active region. Comparison with numerical simulations of MHD equations, indicates that the change of scaling behavior in the current helicity, seems to be associated to a topological reorganization of the footpoint of the magnetic field loop, namely to dissipation of small scales structures in turbulence. It is evident that the possibility of forecasting in real time high energy flares, even if partially, has a wide practical interest to prevent the effects of big flares on Earth and its environment.
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Continuum emission, also called white-light emission (WLE), and permanent changes of the magnetic field ($Delta{B}_{{rm{LOS}}}$) are often observed during solar flares. But their relation and their precise mechanisms are still unknown. We study statistically the relationship between $Delta{B}_{{rm{LOS}}}$ and WLE during 75 solar flares of different strengths and locations on the solar disk. We analyze SDO/HMI data and determine for each pixel in each flare if it exhibited WLE and/or $Delta{B}_{{rm{LOS}}}$. We then investigate the occurrence, strength, and spatial size of the WLE, its dependence on flare energy, and its correlation to the occurrence of $Delta{B}_{{rm{LOS}}}$. We detected WLE in 44/75 flares and $Delta{B}_{{rm{LOS}}}$ in 59/75 flares. We find that WLE and $Delta{B}_{{rm{LOS}}}$ are related, and their locations often overlap between 0-60%. Not all locations coincide, thus potentially indicating differences in their origin. We find that the WL area is related to the flare class by a power law and extend the findings of previous studies, that the WLE is related to the flare class by a power law, to also be valid for C-class flares. To compare unresolved (Sun-as-a-star) WL measurements to our data, we derive a method to calculate temperatures and areas of such data under the black-body assumption. The calculated unresolved WLE areas improve, but still differ to the resolved flaring area by about a factor of 5-10 (previously 10-20), which could be explained by various physical or instrumental causes. This method could also be applied to stellar flares to determine their temperatures and areas independently.
Abrupt and permanent changes of photospheric magnetic fields have been observed during solar flares. The changes seem to be linked to the reconfiguration of magnetic fields, but their origin is still unclear. We carried out a statistical analysis of permanent line-of-sight magnetic field ($B_{rm LOS}$) changes during 18 X-, 37 M-, 19 C- and 1 B-class flares using data from Solar Dynamics Observatory/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager. We investigated the properties of permanent changes, such as frequency, areas, and locations. We detected changes of $B_{rm LOS}$ in 59/75 flares. We find that strong flares are more likely to show changes, with all flares $ge$ M1.6 exhibiting them. For weaker flares, permanent changes are observed in 6/17 C-flares. 34.3% of the permanent changes occurred in the penumbra and 18.9% in the umbra. Parts of the penumbra appeared or disappeared in 23/75 flares. The area where permanent changes occur is larger for stronger flares. Strong flares also show a larger change of flux, but there is no dependence of the magnetic flux change on the heliocentric angle. The mean rate of change of flare-related magnetic field changes is 20.7 Mx cm$^{-2}$ min$^{-1}$. The number of permanent changes decays exponentially with distance from the polarity inversion line. The frequency of the strength of permanent changes decreases exponentially, and permanent changes up to 750 Mx cm$^{-2}$ were observed. We conclude that permanent magnetic field changes are a common phenomenon during flares, and future studies will clarify their relation to accelerated electrons, white light emission, and sunquakes to further investigate their origin.
Sequences of line-of-sight (LOS) magnetograms recorded by the Michelson-Doppler Imager are used to quantitatively characterize photospheric magnetic structure and evolution in three active regions that rotated across the Suns disk during the Whole Heliosphere Interval (WHI), in an attempt to relate the photospheric magnetic properties of these active regions to flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Several approaches are used in our analysis, on scales ranging from whole active regions, to magnetic features, to supergranular scales, and, finally, to individual pixels. We calculated several parameterizations of magnetic structure and evolution that have previously been associated with flare and CME activity, including total unsigned magnetic flux, magnetic flux near polarity inversion lines, amount of cancelled flux, the proxy Poynting flux, and helicity flux. To catalog flare events, we used flare lists derived from both GOES and RHESSI observations. By most such measures, AR 10988 should have been the most flare- and CME-productive active region, and AR 10989 the least. Observations, however, were not consistent with this expectation: ARs 10988 and 10989 produced similar numbers of flares, and AR 10989 also produced a few CMEs. These results highlight present limitations of statistics-based flare and CME forecasting tools that rely upon line-of-sight photospheric magnetic data alone.
Ground level events (GLEs) occupy the high-energy end of gradual solar energetic particle (SEP) events. They are associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and solar flares, but we still do not clearly understand the special conditions that produce these rare events. During Solar Cycle 23, a total of 16 GLEs were registered, using ground-based neutron monitor data. We first ask if these GLEs are clearly distinguishable from other SEP events observed from space. Setting aside possible difficulties in identifying all GLEs consistently, we then try to find observables which may unmistakably isolate these GLEs by studying the basic properties of the associated eruptions and the active regions (ARs) that produced them. It is found that neither the magnitudes of the CMEs and flares nor the complexities of the ARs give sufficient conditions for GLEs. It is possible to find CMEs, flares or ARs that are not associated with GLEs but that have more extreme properties than those associated with GLEs. We also try to evaluate the importance of magnetic field connection of the AR with Earth on the detection of GLEs and their onset times. Using the potential field source surface (PFSS) model, a half of the GLEs are found to be well-connected. However, the GLE onset time with respect to the onset of the associated flare and CME does not strongly depend on how well-connected the AR is. The GLE onset behavior may be largely determined by when and where the CME-driven shock develops. We could not relate the shocks responsible for the onsets of past GLEs with features in solar images, but the combined data from the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) and the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) have the potential to change this for GLEs that may occur in the rising phase of Solar Cycle 24.
Flares and eruptions from solar active regions are associated with atmospheric electrical currents accompanying distortions of the coronal field away from a lowest-energy potential state. In order to better understand the origin of these currents and their role in M- and X-class flares, I review all active-region observations made with SDO/HMI and SDO/AIA from 2010/05 through 2014/10 within approximately 40 degrees from disk center. I select the roughly 4% of all regions that display a distinctly nonpotential coronal configuration in loops with a length comparable to the scale of the active region, and all that emit GOES X-class flares. The data for 41 regions confirm, with a single exception, that strong-field, high-gradient polarity inversion lines (SHILs) created during emergence of magnetic flux into, and related displacement within, pre-existing active regions are associated with X-class flares. Obvious nonpotentiality in the active region-scale loops occurs in 6 of 10 selected regions with X-class flares, all with relatively long SHILs along their primary polarity inversion line, or with a long internal filament there. Nonpotentiality can exist in active regions well past the flux-emergence phase, often with reduced or absent flaring. I conclude that the dynamics of the flux involved in the compact SHILs is of preeminent importance for the large-flare potential of active regions within the next day, but that their associated currents may not reveal themselves in active region-scale nonpotentiality. In contrast, active region-scale nonpotentiality, which can persist for many days, may inform us about the eruption potential other than those from SHILs which is almost never associated with X-class flaring.
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