Signatures of magnetic reconnection during the evolutionary phases of a prominence eruption and associated X1.8 flare

Abstract

AbstractIn this paper, we present RHESSI and TRACE observations of multiple flare activity that occurred in the active region NOAA 10656 on 2004 August 18. Out of four successive flares, there were three events of class-C while the final event was a major X1.8 solar eruptive flare. During localized C-class flares, the filament undergoes slow yet crucial morphological evolution. The filament eruption is accompanied with an X1.8 flare during which multiple HXR bursts are observed up to 100–300 keV energies. From the location, timing, strength, and spectrum of HXR emission, we conclude that the prominence eruption is driven by the distinct events of magnetic reconnection occurring in the current sheet below the erupting prominence. These multi-wavelength observations also provide evidence for tether-cutting reconnection as the triggering mechanism for filament eruption and associated X-class flare.