J. Dudík

SLIPPING MAGNETIC RECONNECTION DURING AN X-CLASS SOLAR FLARE OBSERVED BY SDO/AIA

We present SDO/AIA observations of an eruptive X-class flare of July 12, 2012, and compare its evolution with the predictions of a 3D numerical simulation. We focus on the dynamics of flare loops that are seen to undergo slipping reconnection during the flare. In the AIA 131A observations, lower parts of 10 MK flare loops exhibit an apparent motion with velocities of several tens of km/s along the developing flare ribbons. In the early stages of the flare, flare ribbons consist of compact, localized bright transition-region emission from the footpoints of the flare loops. A DEM analysis shows that the flare loops have temperatures up to the formation of Fe XXIV. A series of very long, S-shaped loops erupt, leading to a CME observed by STEREO. The observed dynamics are compared with the evolution of magnetic structures in the standard solar flare model in 3D. This model matches the observations well, reproducing both the apparently slipping flare loops, S-shaped erupting loops, and the evolution of flare ribbons. All of these processes are explained via 3D reconnection mechanisms resulting from the expansion of a torus-unstable flux rope. The AIA observations and the numerical model are complemented by radio observations showing a noise storm in the metric range. Dm-drifting pulsation structures occurring during the eruption indicate plasmoid ejection and enhancement of reconnection rate. The bursty nature of radio emission shows that the slipping reconnection is still intermittent, although it is observed to persist for more than an hour.

MAGNETIC TOPOLOGY OF BUBBLES IN QUIESCENT PROMINENCES

We study a polar-crown prominence with a bubble and its plume observed in several coronal filters by the SDO/AIA and in Hα by the MSDP spectrograph in Bialkow (Poland) to address the following questions: what is the brightness of prominence bubbles in EUV with respect to the corona outside of the prominence and the prominence coronal cavity? What is the geometry and topology of the magnetic field in the bubble? What is the nature of the vertical threads seen within prominences? We find that the brightness of the bubble and plume is lower than the brightness of the corona outside of the prominence, and is similar to that of the coronal cavity. We constructed linear force-free models of prominences with bubbles, where the flux rope is perturbed by inclusion of parasitic bipoles. The arcade field lines of the bipole create the bubble, which is thus devoid of magnetic dips. Shearing the bipole or adding a second one can lead to cusp-shaped prominences with bubbles similar to the observed ones. The bubbles have complex magnetic topology, with a pair of coronal magnetic null points linked by a separator outlining the boundary between the bubble and the prominence body. We conjecture that plume formation involves magnetic reconnection at the separator. Depending on the viewing angle, the prominence can appear either anvil-shaped with predominantly horizontal structures, or cusp-shaped with predominantly vertical structuring. The latter is an artifact of the alignment of magnetic dips with respect to the prominence axis and the line of sight.

SOLAR TRANSITION REGION LINES OBSERVED BY THE INTERFACE REGION IMAGING SPECTROGRAPH: DIAGNOSTICS FOR THE O IV AND Si IV LINES

The formation of the transition region O IV and Si IV lines observable by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) is investigated for both Maxwellian and non-Maxwellian conditions characterized by a κ-distribution exhibiting a high-energy tail. The Si IV lines are formed at lower temperatures than the O IV lines for all κ. In non-Maxwellian situations with lower κ, the contribution functions are shifted to lower temperatures. Combined with the slope of the differential emission measure, it is possible for the Si IV lines to be formed at very different regions of the solar transition region than the O IV lines; possibly close to the solar chromosphere. Such situations might be discernible by IRIS. It is found that photoexcitation can be important for the Si IV lines, but is negligible for the O IV lines. The usefulness of the O IV ratios for density diagnostics independently of κ is investigated and it is found that the O IV 1404.78 A/1399.77 A ratio provides a good density diagnostics except for very low T combined with extreme non-Maxwellian situations.

SLIPPING MAGNETIC RECONNECTION, CHROMOSPHERIC EVAPORATION, IMPLOSION, AND PRECURSORS IN THE 2014 SEPTEMBER 10 X1.6-CLASS SOLAR FLARE

We investigate the occurrence of slipping magnetic reconnection, chromospheric evaporation, and coronal loop dynamics in the 2014 September 10 X-class flare. The slipping reconnection is found to be present throughout the flare from its early phase. Flare loops are seen to slip in opposite directions towards both ends of the ribbons. Velocities of 20--40 km,s

H TO Zn IONIZATION EQUILIBRIUM FOR THE NON-MAXWELLIAN ELECTRON κ-DISTRIBUTIONS: UPDATED CALCULATIONS

^{-1}

KAPPA: A PACKAGE FOR SYNTHESIS OF OPTICALLY THIN SPECTRA FOR THE NON-MAXWELLIAN κ-DISTRIBUTIONS BASED ON THE CHIANTI DATABASE

are found within time windows where the slipping is well resolved. The warm coronal loops exhibit expanding and contracting motions that are interpreted as displacements due to the growing flux rope that subsequently erupts. This flux rope existed and erupted before the onset of apparent coronal implosion. This indicates that the energy release proceeds by slipping reconnection and not via coronal implosion. The slipping reconnection leads to changes in the geometry of the observed structures at the textit{IRIS} slit position, from flare loop top to the footpoints in the ribbons. This results in variations of the observed velocities of chromospheric evaporation in the early flare phase. Finally, it is found that the precursor signatures including localized EUV brightenings as well as non-thermal X-ray emission are signatures of the flare itself, progressing from the early phase towards the impulsive phase, with the tether-cutting being provided by the slipping reconnection. The dynamics of both the flare and outlying coronal loops is found to be consistent with the predictions of the standard solar flare model in 3D.

EUV filter responses to plasma emission for the nonthermal κ-distributions

New data for the calculation of ionization and recombination rates have been published in the past few years, most of which are included in the CHIANTI database. We used these data to calculate collisional ionization and recombination rates for the non-Maxwellian ?-distributions with an enhanced number of particles in the high-energy tail, which have been detected in the solar transition region and the solar wind. Ionization equilibria for elements H to Zn are derived. The ?-distributions significantly influence both the ionization and recombination rates and widen the ion abundance peaks. In comparison with the Maxwellian distribution, the ion abundance peaks can also be shifted to lower or higher temperatures. The updated ionization equilibrium calculations result in large changes for several ions, notably Fe VIII-Fe XIV. The results are supplied in electronic form compatible with the CHIANTI database.

On the physical meaning of n-distributions in solar flares

The non-Maxwellian �-distributions have been detected in the solar transition region and flares. These distributions are characterized by a high-energy tail and a near-Maxwellian core and are known to have significant impact on the resulting optically thin spectra arising from collisionally dominated astrophysical plasmas. We developed the KAPPA package a for synthesis of such line and continuum spectra. The package is based on the freely available CHIANTI database and software, and can be used in a similar manner. Ionization and recombination rates together with the ionization equilibria are

The bound-bound and free-free radiative losses for the nonthermal distributions in solar and stellar coronae

The responses to plasma emission of the TRACE EUV filters are computed by integrating their spectral responses over the synthetic spectra obtained from the CHIANTI database. The filter responses to emission are functions of temperature, electron density, and the assumed electron distribution function. It is shown here that, for the nonthermal κ-distributions, the resulting responses to emission are more broadly dependent on T , and their maxima are flatter than for the Maxwellian electron distribution. The positions of the maxima can also be shifted. Filter reponses to T are density-dependent as well. The influence of the nonthermal κ-distributions on the diagnostics of T from the observations in all three EUV filters is discussed.

Signatures of the non-Maxwellian κ-distributions in optically thin line spectra - I. Theory and synthetic Fe IX–XIII spectra

Aims. We investigate the physical meaning of the n-distributions detected in solar flares. Methods. We consider a Maxwellian velocity distribution with a velocity drift. This distribution is analytically integrated to obtain the energy distribution, and its stability is investigated numerically using a fully electromagnetic particle-in-cell code. Results. It is shown that the derived moving Maxwellian energy distribution is very similar to the n-distribution, especially in their high-energy parts. Both these distributions are mutually fitted and a relation between their parameters found. Contrary to the ndistribution, the moving Maxwellian distribution has a simple physical meaning, e.g., the electron component of the return current in the beam-plasma system. However, for high drift velocities of such a component, the moving Maxwellian distribution is unstable. Therefore to keep the form of this distribution similar to the n-distribution, some stabilization processes are necessary. If so, then the high intensities of the Sixiid 5.56 A and 5.82 A satellite lines and their evolution in solar flares can be explained by moving Maxwellian distributions instead of then-distributions. Thus, our previous results connected with the n-distributions can be understood in a new, physically profound way.