A. I. Podgorny

A model of a solar flare : Comparisons with observations of high-energy processes

New data for the energy and location of the hard-emission centers of a solar flare agree with an electrodynamic model of a solar flare based on the idea of the accumulation of free magnetic energy in the field of a current sheet. Three-dimensional MHD simulations are used to show that the energy stored in the preflare magnetic field of the current sheet is sufficient for the development of a flare and a coronal mass ejection. The flare and coronal mass ejection result from the explosive decay of the current sheet. The position of the brightness-temperature maximum of the radio emission during the flare coincides with the maximum of the current in the current sheet. The exponential spectrum of relativistic protons generated during the flare is consistent with acceleration by the electric field during the current-sheet decay.

Formation of Several Current Sheets Preceding a Series of Flares above the Active Region AR 0365

We have carried out 3D MHD modeling of the solar corona above the active region AR 0365 before a series of flares observed on May 26–27, 2003. Maps of the evolving photospheric magnetic fields preceding the flares were used as boundary conditions. An emergence of new flux equal to ∼1.5 × 1022 Maxwell preceded the observed series of X-ray flares. Modeling a large region 4 × 1010 cm in size demonstrates the formation of several current sheets in the vicinities of coronal Xlines, both already existing in the initial potential field and arising due to the emergence of the new magnetic flux. Each current sheet could be responsible for an elementary flare.

Magnetic flux in an active solar region and its correlation with flares

The correlation between the magnetic flux in an active solar region and associated powerful solar flares is studied. The behavior of the active regions AR 10486 and AR 10365 is considered. These regions produced a series of class X flares as they crossed the solar disk. The flares appeared when the magnetic flux exceeded 1022 Mx. The magnetic flux remained constant during all the flares except for one. During this flare, the flux decreased by about 10%; this impulsive decrease of the flux was also recorded in the absence of flares. No energy flux from the photosphere to the corona at the time of the flare was observed. The behavior of the photospheric field in AR 10486 and AR 10365 is consistent with a slow accumulation of energy in the corona and the explosive release of energy stored in the magnetic field of a current sheet above an active region during the flare.

The generation of hard X-rays and relativistic protons observed during solar flares

The flare source of thermal X-rays above a magnetic arch in the corona arises from the dissipation of the magnetic energy of the current sheet formed at the reconnection of magnetic-field lines. The sources of hard X-rays emitted from the footpoints of the magnetic arch are beams of electrons accelerated in field-aligned currents induced by the Hall electric field generated in the current sheet. Both the hard X-rays detected above the active region and the type III radio emission are radiated by electrons accelerated in the field-aligned currents induced by Alfven waves. The solar cosmic rays are emitted promptly at the instant of the flare. It is important that the Lorentz electric field accelerates protons along the singular magnetic X line. The relativistic protons propagate along the interplanetary magnetic field. These protons have exponential spectra, typical for acceleration occurring in current sheets. A mechanism that is relevant for the generation of delayed cosmic rays, which demonstrate significant anisotropy and a power-law spectrum with γ ∼5, is also discussed.

MHD simulations of current-sheet formation over a bipolar active region

We present the results of numerical simulations of the development of a current sheet in the solar corona over a bipolar region during the emergence of two new sunspots arranged collinearly with older spots. Two fronts of increased plasma density form at the boundary of the rising new magnetic flux. One of these is due to the generation of a current sheet, whose magnetic field accumulates energy for a flare. The other front is a branch of the density perturbation, and separates the old and new magnetic fluxes in a region where the magnetic field lines have the same direction on both sides of the boundary. The development of this perturbation is not associated with the energy accumulation in the corona, and hinders observation of the preflare state and complicates analysis of the results. This second front can be interpreted as the eruption of a filament before the onset of the flare. A scheme conservative with respect to magnetic flux was introduced in the Peresvet code that solves the MHD equations, in order to suppress numerical instabilities in regions of large magnetic-field gradients.

Dynamics of magnetic fields of active regions in pre-flare states and during solar flares

Solar flares observed in the active regions NOAA 10656, NOAA 11429, and NOAA 10930 are analyzed. The magnetic fluxes were constant to within 2% during these flares, as well as the distribution of the magnetic fields in the active regions. The analysis supports earlier conclusions that large (class X) solar flares arise when the magnetic fluxes of the active regions exceed 1022 Mx. The observation of a high magnetic flux in an active region is not sufficient for the appearance of a large flare: complex ßγδ field structures must also be observed before flares. Such active regions can generate singular lines of the magnetic field in the corona, in whose vicinities current sheets form. Magnetic-field lines above simple dipolar active regions have arched forms; singular lines are absent and no current sheets are created. Dipolar-type active regions do not generate flares. Imbalances in the magnetic flux of an active region and the growth rate of the magnetic flux are not any indications of the imminent appearance of a flare.

Acceleration of solar cosmic rays in a flare current sheet and their propagation in interplanetary space

Analyses of GOES spacecraft data show that the prompt component of high-energy protons arrive at the Earth after a time corresponding to their generation in flares in the western part of the solar disk, while the delayed component is detected several hours later. All protons in flares are accelerated by a single mechanism. The particles of the prompt component propagate along magnetic lines of the Archimedean spiral connectng the flare with the Earth. The prompt component generated by flares in the eastern part of the solar disk is not observed at the Earth, since particles accelerated by these flares do not intersect magnetic-field lines connecting the flare with the Earth. These particles arrive at the Earth via their motion across the interplanetary magnetic field. These particles are trapped by the magnetic field and transported by the solar wind, since the interplanetary magnetic field is frozen in the wind plasma, and these particles also diffuse across the field. The duration of the delay reaches several days.

Spectrum and mechanism of the acceleration of protons in a solar flare

Investigations based on neutron monitor data show that two components of relativistic cosmic rays are generated by a solar flare. The so-called prompt component comes from a flare with flight times and is characterized by an exponential spectrum with a parameter of E0 ≈ 0.5 Gev. Numerical simulation of the conditions in the flare current sheet of the Bastille flare demonstrated that such a spectrum is formed at a magnetic reconnection velocity of ∼107 cm s−1. The delayed component has a power law spectrum and is apparently formed during the diffusion of protons in the plasma of the interplanetary magnetic field.

Numerical MHD simulations of post-flare loop formation on the sun: Allowing for thermal-conductivity anisotropy

The process of post-flare loop formation, including the heating of flux tubes by hot chromospheric sources and their filling with plasma, is demonstrated by simulations in an MHD approximation. The loop is additionally heated at its apex by the interaction of oppositely directed plasma streams. Local coronal heating over the loop is also possible due to magnetic-field-line reconnection. A new version of the PERESVET code that can take into account anisotropy of the thermal conductivity of a plasma in a magnetic field was used for the computations.

X-ray bright points on the Sun

The possibility of forming X-ray bright points through local plasma heating near singular lines of the magnetic-field is considered. Reconnection is a plausible heating mechanism. Conductive heat losses should be impeded by the trap configuration of the magnetic field, which increases toward the periphery.