Peter Gomory

ACCELERATION IN FAST HALO CMEs AND SYNCHRONIZED FLARE HXR BURSTS

We study two well-observed, fast halo CMEs, covering the full CME kinematics including the initiation and impulsive acceleration phase, and their associated flares. We find a close synchronization between the CME acceleration profile and the flare energy release as indicated by the RHESSI hard X-ray flux onsets, as well as peaks occur simultaneously within 5 minutes. These findings indicate a close physical connection between both phenomena and are interpreted in terms of a feedback relationship between the CME dynamics and the reconnection process in the current sheet beneath the CME.

Solar Magnetized Tornadoes: Rotational Motion in a Tornado-like Prominence

Su et al. proposed a new explanation for filament formation and eruption, where filament barbs are rotating magnetic structures driven by underlying vortices on the surface. Such structures have been noticed as tornado-like prominences when they appear above the limb. They may play a key role as the source of plasma and twist in filaments. However, no observations have successfully distinguished rotational motion of the magnetic structures in tornado-like prominences from other motions such as oscillation and counter-streaming plasma flows. Here we report evidence of rotational motions in a tornado-like prominence. The spectroscopic observations in two coronal lines were obtained from a specifically designed Hinode/EIS observing program. The data revealed the existence of both cold and million-degree-hot plasma in the prominence leg, supporting the so-called prominence-corona transition region. The opposite velocities at the two sides of the prominence and their persistent time evolution, together with the periodic motions evident in SDO/AIA dark structures, indicate a rotational motion of both cold and hot plasma with a speed of similar to 5 km s(-1).

The three-dimensional structure of sunspots I. The height dependence of the magnetic field

Aims. We investigate the height dependence of the magnetic field of a sunspot, which has been until now a controversial issue. Methods. Full-Stokes profiles of a sunspot, derived from infrared spectro-polarimetric measurements, were investigated. The magnetic field strength, inclination and azimuth were obtained using an inversion code. The results from two different spectral lines deliver the height dependence of the magnetic vector field. Vertical current densities and helicities as well as the vertical derivative of the vertical component of the magnetic field strength are calculated using Maxwell’s equations. Results. Inside the spot, the total magnetic field strength decreases with height, even in the outer penumbra, where the opposite trend was reported by other investigators. Outside the spot, the field strength increases with height apart from at a few small locations. This result is interpreted in terms of magnetic canopies. Magnetic field lines are less inclined in higher layers everywhere in the field of view. In the umbra, the vertical component of the magnetic field decreases by values in the range 0.5–2.2 G km −1 , depending on the applied method. Mean values in the inner penumbra are smaller than in the umbra. In the outer penumbra, the vertical magnetic component increases independently of the local intensity distribution. A pore close to the spot exhibits a more rapid decrease with height than the spot itself. The electric current densities and helicities depend on the fine structure of the sunspots. Typical values of the current densities vary in the range ±40 mA m −2 . The mean values are −11 mA m −1 for the umbra and − 2m A m −1 for the penumbra, respectively, but the propagated errors are of the same order as the mean values. There are indications that the radial structure of the penumbra is related to enhanced current densities, but at the present resolution we are unable to establish a correlation with local intensity fluctuations. Conclusions. If the spatial resolution is sufficiently high, electric current densities and helicities could be applied as reliable diagnostic tools for understanding penumbral fine structure.

Fitting peculiar spectral profiles in HeI10830 Å absorption features: Fitting peculiar spectral profiles in HeI10830 Å absorption features

The new generation of solar instruments provides better spectral, spatial, and temporal resolution for a better understanding of the physical processes that take place on the Sun. Multiple-component profiles are more commonly observed with these instruments. Particularly, the He I 10830 A triplet presents such peculiar spectral profiles, which give information on the velocity and magnetic fine structure of the upper chromosphere. The purpose of this investigation is to describe a technique to efficiently fit the two blended components of the He I 10830 A triplet, which are commonly observed when two atmospheric components are located within the same resolution element. The observations used in this study were taken on 2015 April 17 with the very fast spectroscopic mode of the GREGOR Infrared Spectrograph (GRIS) attached to the 1.5-meter GREGOR solar telescope, located at the Observatorio del Teide, Tenerife, Spain. We apply a double-Lorentzian fitting technique using Levenberg-Marquardt least-squares minimization. This technique is very simple and much faster than inversion codes. Line-of-sight Doppler velocities can be inferred for a whole map of pixels within just a few minutes. Our results show sub- and supersonic downflow velocities of up to 32 km/s for the fast component in the vicinity of footpoints of filamentary structures. The slow component presents velocities close to rest.

Spectropolarimetric observations of an arch filament system with the GREGOR solar telescope

Arch filament systems occur in active sunspot groups, where a fibril structure connects areas of opposite magnetic polarity, in contrast to active region filaments that follow the polarity inversion line. We used the GREGOR Infrared Spectrograph (GRIS) to obtain the full Stokes vector in the spectral lines Si I 1082.7 nm, He I 1083.0 nm, and Ca I 1083.9 nm. We focus on the near-infrared calcium line to investigate the photospheric magnetic field and velocities, and use the line core intensities and velocities of the helium line to study the chromospheric plasma. The individual fibrils of the arch filament system connect the sunspot with patches of magnetic polarity opposite to that of the spot. These patches do not necessarily coincide with pores, where the magnetic field is strongest. Instead, areas are preferred not far from the polarity inversion line. These areas exhibit photospheric downflows of moderate velocity, but significantly higher downflows of up to 30 km/s in the chromospheric helium line. Our findings can be explained with new emerging flux where the matter flows downward along the fieldlines of rising flux tubes, in agreement with earlier results.

Broadband microwave sub-second pulsations in an expanding coronal loop of the 2011 August 10 flare

We studied the characteristic physical properties and behavior of broadband microwave sub-second pulsations observed in an expanding coronal loop during the GOES C2.4 solar flare on 2011 August 10. We found sub-second pulsations and other different burst groups in the complex radio spectrum. The broadband (bandwidth about 1 GHz) sub-second pulsations (temporal period range 0.07-1.49 s, no characteristic dominant period) lasted 70 s in the frequency range 4-7 GHz. These pulsations were not correlated at their individual frequencies, had no measurable frequency drift, and zero polarization. In these pulsations, we found the signatures of fast sausage magnetoacoustic waves with the characteristic periods of 0.7 and 2 s. The other radio bursts showed their characteristic frequency drifts in the range of -262-520 MHz/s. They helped us to derive average values of 20-80 G for the coronal magnetic field strength in the place of radio emission. It was revealed that the microwave event belongs to an expanding coronal loop with twisted sub-structures observed in the 131, 94, and 193 A SDO/AIA channels. Their slit-time diagrams were compared with the location of the radio source at 5.7 GHz to realize that the EUV intensity of the expanding loop increased just before the radio source triggering. We reveal two EUV bidirectional flows that are linked with the start time of the loop expansion. Their positions were close to the radio source and propagated with velocities within a range of 30-117 km/s. We demonstrate that periodic regime of the electron acceleration in a model of the quasi-periodic magnetic reconnection might be able to explain physical properties and behavior of the sub-second pulsations. The depolarization process of the microwave emission might be caused by a plasma turbulence in the radio source. Finally, the observed EUV flows might be linked with reconnection outflows.

Evidence of quiet-Sun chromospheric activity related to an emerging small-scale magnetic loop

Aims. We investigate the temporal evolution of magnetic flux emergence in the quiet-Sun atmosphere close to disk center. Methods. We combined high-resolution SoHO/MDI magnetograms with TRACE observations taken in the 1216 A channel to analyze the temporal evolution of an emerging small-scale magnetic loop and its traces in the chromosphere. Results. We find signatures of flux emergence very close to the edge of a supergranular network boundary located at disk center. The new emerging flux appeared first in the MDI magnetograms in form of an asymmetric bipolar element, i.e., the patch with negative polarity is roughly twice as weak as the corresponding patch with opposite polarity. The average values of magnetic flux and magnetic flux densities reached 1.6 × 10 18 Mx, −8.5 × 10 17 Mx, and 55 Mx cm −2 , –30 Mx cm −2 , respectively. The spatial distance between the opposite polarity patches of the emerged feature increased from about 2. 5t o 5. 0 during the lifetime of the loop, which was 36 min. A more precise lifetime-estimate of the feature was not possible because of a gap in the temporal sequence of the MDI magnetograms. The chromospheric response to the emerged magnetic dipole occurred ∼9 min later than in the photospheric magnetograms. It consisted of a quasi-periodic sequence of time-localized brightenings visible in the 1216 A TRACE channel for ∼14 min that were co-spatial with the axis connecting the two patches of opposite magnetic polarity. Conclusions. We identify the observed event as a small-scale magnetic loop emerging at photospheric layers that subsequently rose to the chromosphere. We discuss the possibility that the fluctuations detected in the chromospheric emission probably reflect magneticfield oscillations which propagate to the chromosphere in the form of waves.

Chromospheric evaporation flows and density changes deduced from Hinode/EIS during an M1.6 flare

We analyzed high-cadence sit-and-stare observations acquired with the Hinode/EIS spectrometer and HXR measurements acquired with RHESSI during an M-class flare. During the flare impulsive phase, we observe no significant flows in the cooler Fe XIII line but strong upflows, up to 80-150 km/s, in the hotter Fe XVI line. The largest Doppler shifts observed in the Fe XVI line were co-temporal with the sharp intensity peak. The electron density obtained from a Fe XIII line pair ratio exhibited fast increase (within two minutes) from the pre-flare level of 5.01x10^(9) cm^(-3) to 3.16x10^(10) cm^(-3) during the flare peak. The nonthermal energy flux density deposited from the coronal acceleration site to the lower atmospheric layers during the flare peak was found to be 1.34x10^(10) erg/s/cm^(2) for a low-energy cut-off that was estimated to be 16 keV. During the decline flare phase, we found a secondary intensity and density peak of lower amplitude that was preceded by upflows of 15 km/s that were detected in both lines. The flare was also accompanied by a filament eruption that was partly captured by the EIS observations. We derived Doppler velocities of 250-300 km/s for the upflowing filament material.The spectroscopic results for the flare peak are consistent with the scenario of explosive chromospheric evaporation, although a comparatively low value of the nonthermal energy flux density was determined for this phase of the flare. This outcome is discussed in the context of recent hydrodynamic simulations. It provides observational evidence that the response of the atmospheric plasma strongly depends on the properties of the electron beams responsible for the heating, in particular the steepness of the energy distribution.

Generation Mechanisms of Quasi-parallel and Quasi-circular Flare Ribbons in a Confined Flare

We analyze a confined multiple-ribbon M2.1 flare (SOL2015-01-29T11:42) that originated from a fan-spine coronal magnetic field configuration, within active region NOAA 12268. The observed ribbons form in two steps. First, two primary ribbons form at the main flare site, followed by the formation of secondary ribbons at remote locations. We observe a number of plasma flows at extreme-ultraviolet temperatures during the early phase of the flare (as early as 15 min before the onset) propagating towards the formation site of the secondary ribbons. The secondary ribbon formation is co-temporal with the arrival of the pre-flare generated plasma flows. The primary ribbons are co-spatial with RHESSI hard X-ray sources, whereas no enhanced X-ray emission is detected at the secondary ribbons sites. The (E)UV emission, associated with the secondary ribbons, peaks ~1 min after the last RHESSI hard X-ray enhancement. A nonlinear force-free model of the coronal magnetic field reveals that the secondary flare ribbons are not directly connected to the primary ribbons, but to regions nearby. Detailed analysis suggests that the secondary brightenings are produced due to dissipation of kinetic energy of the plasma flows (heating due to compression), and not due to non-thermal particles accelerated by magnetic reconnection, as is the case for the primary ribbons.

Flare-induced changes of the photospheric magnetic field in a δ-spot deduced from ground-based observations

Aims. Changes of the magnetic field and the line-of-sight velocities in the photosphere are being reported for an M-class flare that originated at a δ -spot belonging to active region NOAA 11865. Methods. High-resolution ground-based near-infrared spectropolarimetric observations were acquired simultaneously in two photospheric spectral lines, Fe i 10783 A and Si i 10786 A, with the Tenerife Infrared Polarimeter at the Vacuum Tower Telescope (VTT) in Tenerife on 2013 October 15. The observations covered several stages of the M-class flare. Inversions of the full-Stokes vector of both lines were carried out and the results were put into context using (extreme)-ultraviolet filtergrams from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Results. The active region showed high flaring activity during the whole observing period. After the M-class flare, the longitudinal magnetic field did not show significant changes along the polarity inversion line (PIL). However, an enhancement of the transverse magnetic field of approximately 550 G was found that bridges the PIL and connects umbrae of opposite polarities in the δ -spot. At the same time, a newly formed system of loops appeared co-spatially in the corona as seen in 171 A filtergrams of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board SDO. However, we cannot exclude that the magnetic connection between the umbrae already existed in the upper atmosphere before the M-class flare and became visible only later when it was filled with hot plasma. The photospheric Doppler velocities show a persistent upflow pattern along the PIL without significant changes due to the flare. Conclusions. The increase of the transverse component of the magnetic field after the flare together with the newly formed loop system in the corona support recent predictions of flare models and flare observations.