Sara F. Martin

Magnetic Field Configurations Basic to Filament Channels and Filaments

From analyses of H-alpha chromospheric structure together with line-of-sight photospheric magnetograms, we identify a fundamental rotational magnetic field configuration observed or deduced to be common to all filament channels. The channel is characterized by a nearly horizontal magnetic field along the channel axis where a filament can form in coincidence with the zone between opposite polarity line-of-sight magnetic fields. Orthogonal to the channel axis, and with increasing distance from the axis, the magnetic field direction rotates to gradually increase the outward and inward vertical components of the magnetic field respectively on the two sides of the channel. Two and only two senses of rotation are found and defined as sinistral and dextral. Filament channels are evidently more fundamental than filaments because the channels are often observed to develop prior to the formation of filaments, to be longer than filaments and to survive the reformation and eruption of successive filaments. Filaments are also sinistral and dextral according to the classification of their channels because the magnetic field component along the long axis of filaments is shown to be in approximately the same direction as the horizontal magnetic field along the axis of the channel. In addition, filaments were found to have two structural variations which relate one-for-one to the sinistral and dextral magnetic configurations. A sample of 82 predominately active region filaments and a sample of 72 filaments representative of the whole sun were analyzed to independently determine their magnetic class and structural class. For quiescent filaments, the dextral magnetic and structural types statistically dominate the northern hemisphere while the sinistral magnetic and structural types dominate the southern hemisphere. However, for active region filaments, no hemispheric pattern was found. From previously published data in the literature and more recent data, it is concluded that the dominance of dextral filaments in the northern hemisphere and sinistral filaments in the southern hemisphere has persisted throughout the current and last 3 solar cycles.

The origin and development of the May 1997 magnetic cloud

A complete halo coronal mass ejection (CME) was observed by the SOHO Large-Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) coronagraphs on May 12, 1997. It was associated with activity near Sun center, implying that it was aimed earthward. Three days later on May 15 an interplanetary shock and magnetic cloud/flux rope transient was detected at the Wind spacecraft 190 RE upstream of Earth. The long enduring southward magnetic fields associated with these structures triggered a geomagnetic storm. The CME was associated with a small coronal arcade that formed over a filament eruption with expanding double ribbons in Hα emission. The flare was accompanied by a circular EUV wave, and the arcade was flanked by adjacent dimming regions. We surmise that these latter regions marked the feet of a flux rope that expanded earthward into the solar wind and was observed as the magnetic cloud at Wind. To test this hypothesis we determined key parameters of the solar structures on May 12 and compared them with the modeled flux rope parameters at Wind on May 15. The measurements are consistent with the flux rope originating in a large coronal structure linked to the erupting filament, with the opposite-polarity feet of the rope terminating in the depleted regions. However, bidirectional electron streaming was not observed within the cloud itself, suggesting that there is not always a good correspondence between such flows and ejecta.

The identification and interaction of network, intranetwork, and ephemeral-region magnetic fields

Network magnetic fields, ephemeral active regions, and intranetwork magnetic fields are illustrated and discussed in several contexts. First, they are presented in relation to the appearance and disappearance of magnetic flux. Second, their properties in common with all solar magnetic features are discussed. Third, their distinguishing characteristics are emphasized. Lastly, their interactions are illustrated.Network magnetic fields are no longer considered to be just the aged remnants of active regions. The network is the dynamic product of the merging and cancelling of intranetwork fields, ephemeral regions, and the remnants of active regions. Intranetwork fields are magnetic fields of mixed polarity that appear to originate continuously from localized source sites in between the network. The intranetwork magnetic fields are characterized by flow of successive fragments in approximately radial patterns away from their apparent source sites and by the relative weakness of their magnetic fields. Ephemeral active regions are small, new bipoles that grow as a unit or a succession of bipolar units and whose poles move in opposite directions from their apparent site of origin. Large ephemeral regions are not distinguishable from small active regions.

Multi-thermal observations of newly formed loops in a dynamic flare

The dynamic flare of 6 November, 1980 (max ≈ 15:26 UT) developed a rich system of growing loops which could be followed in Hα for 1.5 hr. Throughout the flare, these loops, near the limb, were seen in emission against the disk. Theoretical computations of deviations from LTE populations for a hydrogen atom reveal that this requires electron densities in the loops close to, or in excess of 1012 cm -3. From measured widths of higher Balmer lines the density at the tops of the loops was found to be 4 x 1012 cm -3 if no non-thermal motions were present, or 5 × 1011 cm -3 for a turbulent velocity of ~ 12 km s -1.It is now general knowledge that flare loops are initially observed in X-rays and become visible in Hα only after cooling. For such a high density, a loop would cool through radiation from 107 to 104 K within a few minutes so that the dense Hα loops should have heights very close to the heights of the X-ray loops. This, however, contradicts the observations obtained by the HXIS and FCS instruments on board SMM which show the X-ray loops at much higher altitudes than the loops in Hα. Therefore, we suggest that the density must have been significantly lower when the loops were formed and that the flare loops were apparently both shrinking and increasing in density while cooling.

The correspondence between X-ray bright points and evolving magnetic features in the quiet sun

Coronal bright points, first identified as X-ray Bright Points (XBPs), are compact, short-lived and associated with small-scale, opposite polarity magnetic flux features. Previous studies have yielded contradictory results suggesting that XBPs are either primarily a signature of emerging flux in the quiet Sun, or of the disappearance of pre-existing flux. With the goal of improving our understanding of the evolution of the quiet Sun magnetic field, we present results of a study of more recent data on XBPs and small-scale evolving magnetic structures. The coordinated data set consists of X-ray images obtained during rocket flights on 15 August and 11 December, 1987, full-disk magnetograms obtained at the National Solar Observatory - Kitt Peak, and time-lapse magnetograms of multiple fields obtained at Big Bear Solar Observatory. We find that XBPs were more frequently associated with pre-existing magnetic features of opposite polarity which appeared to be cancelling than with emerging or new flux regions. Most young, emerging regions were not associated with XBPs. However, some XBPs were associated with older ephemeral regions, some of which were cancelling with existing network or intranetwork poles. Nearly all of the XBPs corresponded to opposite polarity magnetic features which wereconverging towards each other; some of these had not yet begun cancelling. We suggest that most XBPs form when converging flow brings oppositely directed field lines together, leading to reconnection and heating of the newly-formed loops in the low corona.

An Observational and Conceptual Model of the Magnetic Field of a Filament

A conceptual, scale model of the geometry of the magnetic field of a filament was developed primarily from: (1) the observed structure of a filament recorded in H-alpha filtergrams, (2) calculations of the height of the filament (3) the association of the appendages along the sides of the filament with patches of photospheric magnetic flux opposite in polarity to the network magnetic fields on each side of filament, (4) the observed association of the ends of the filament with network magnetic fields of opposite polarity and (5) the assumption that the fine structure of the filament is parallel to the magnetic field in the filament. The model is consistent with the inverse category of quiescent prominences. The three-dimensional geometry of the model is sufficiently simple that wire is used to represent the imaginary magnetic field lines and their relationship to magnetic flux patches on a magnetogram.

Properties of the large- and small-scale flow patterns in and around AR 19824

We trace the photospheric motions of 170 concentrations of magnetic flux tubes in and around the decaying active region No. 19824 (CMP 23 October 1986), using a series of magnetograms obtained at the Big Bear Solar Observatory. The magnetograms span an interval of just over five days and cover an area of about 4 × 5 arc min centered on the active region. We find a persistent large-scale flow pattern that is superposed on the small-scale random motions of both polarities. Correction for differential rotation unveils the systematic, large-scale flow surrounding the core region of the magnetic plage. The flow (with a mean velocity of 30 m s−1) is faster and more pronounced around the southern side of the core region than around the northern side, and it accelerates towards the western side of the active region. The northern and southern branches of the large-scale flow converge westward of the core region, dragging along the westernmost sunspot and some of the magnetic flux near it. The overall pattern of the large-scale flow resembles the flow of a river around a sand bar. The long-term evolution of the active region suggests that the flow persists for several months. We discuss the possible association of the large-scale flow with the torsional oscillation.We correct the observed motions of concentrations of flux tubes for the large-scale flow in order to study their random motions. The small-scale random motions (with a mean speed of 150 m s−1) can be characterized by a diffusion coefficient of ≃250 km2 s−1 for the area surrounding the core region of the magnetic plage. The diffusion coefficient characterizing the small-scale motions within the core region (mostly observed near its periphery and in areas of relatively low flux density) is only ≃ 110 km2 s−1. The lower diffusion coefficient in the core region appears to be caused mainly by a smaller step length rather than by a distinct difference in velocities.

The association of flares to cancelling magnetic features on the sun

Previous work relating flares to evolutionary changes of photospheric solar magnetic fields are reviewed and reinterpreted in the light of recent observations of cancelling magnetic fields. In line-of-sight magnetograms and H-alpha filtergrams from Big Bear Solar Observatory, we confirm the following 3 associations: (a) the occurrence of many flares in the vicinity of emerging magnetic flux regions (Rust, 1974), but only at locations where cancellation has been observed or inferred; (b) the occurrence of flares at sites where the magnetic flux is increasing on one side of a polarity inversion line and concurrently decreasing on the other (Martres et al., 1968; Ribes, 1969); and (c) the occurrence of flares at sites where cancellation is the only observed change in the magnetograms for at least several hours before a flare (Martin, Livi, and Wang, 1985). Because cancellation (or the localized decrease in the line-of-sight component of magnetic flux) is the only common factor in all of these circumstances, suggest that cancellation is the more general association that includes the other associations as special cases. We propose the hypothesis that cancellation is a necessary, evolutionary precondition for flares. We also confirm the observation of Martin, Livi, and Wang (1985) that the initial parts of flares occur in close proximity to cancellation sites but that during later phases, the flare emission can spread to other parts of the magnetic field that are weak, strong, or not cancelling.

Solar fine scale structures in the corona, transition region, and lower atmosphere

The American Science and Engineering Soft X-ray Imaging Payload and the Naval Research Laboratory High Resolution Telescope and Spectrograph (HRTS) were launched from White Sands on 1987 December 11 in coordinated sounding rocket flights. The goal was to investigate the correspondence of fine-scale structures from different temperature regimes in the solar atmosphere, and particularly the relationship between X-ray bright points (XBPs) and transition region explosive events. We present results of the analysis of co-aligned X-ray images, maps of sites of transition region explosive events observed in C IV 10(exp 5), HRTS 1600 A spectroheliograms of the T(sub min) region, and ground-based magnetogram and He I 10830 A images. We examined the relationship of He I 10830 A dark features and evolving magnetic features which correspond to XBPs. We note a frequent double ribbon pattern of the He I dark feature counterparts to XBPs. We discuss an analysis of the relationship of XBPs to evolving magnetic features by Webb et al., which shows that converging magnetic features of opposite polarity are the most significant magnetic field counterparts to XBPs. The magnetic bipolar features associated with XBPs appear as prominent network elements in chromospheric and transition region images. The features in C IV observations corresponding to XBP sites are in general bright, larger scale (approximately 10 arcsec) regions of complex velocity fields of order 40 km/s, which is typical of brighter C IV network elements. These C IV features do not reach the approximately 100 km/s velocities seen in the C IV explosive events. Also, there are many similar C IV bright network features without a corresponding XBP in the X-ray image. The transition region explosive events do not correspond directly to XBPs. The explosive events appear to be concentrated in the quiet Sun at the edges of strong network, or within weaker field strength network regions. We find a greater number of C IV events than expected from the results of a previous Spacelab 2 HRTS disk survey. We attribute this at least partly to better spatial resolution with the newer HRTS data. The full-disk X-ray image shows a pattern of dark lanes in quiet Sun areas. The number density of C IV events is twice as large inside as outside a dark lane (4.6 x 10(exp -3) vs. 2.3 x 10(exp -3) explosive events per arcsec (exp 2)). The dark lane corresponds to an old decaying magnetic neutral line. We suggest that this provides an increased opportunity for small-scale convergence and reconnection of opposite polarity magnetic field features, in analogy with the results of Webb et al. for XBPs but at a reduced scale of reconnection.

Small-Scale Magnetic Features Observed in the Photosphere

Small-scale solar features identifiable on the quiet sun in magnetograms of the line-of-sight component consist of network, intranetwork, ephemeral region magnetic fields, and the elementary bipoles of ephemeral active regions. Network fields are frequently observed to split into smaller fragments and equally often, small fragments are observed to merge or coalesce into larger clumps; this splitting and merging is generally confined to the borders and vertices of the convection cells known as supergranules. Intranetwork magnetic fields originate near the centers of the supergranule convection cells and appear to increase in magnetic flux as they flow in approximate radial patterns towards the boundaries of the cells.