Abstract
A typical sequence of a solar eruptive process consists of distention of the helmet, formation of a CME loop, prominence eruption, opening up of field lines and a flare (e.g., Hundhausen, 1995). The partial opening of magnetic fields is usually regarded as a result of magnetic nonequilibrium, which is an ideal MHD process. As far as force-free magnetic fields are concerned, numerical (Mikic and Linker, 1994; Roumeliotis et al., 1994) and analytical (Lynden-Bell and Boily, 1994) studies have shown that magnetic fields tend to open when the footpoint shear exceeds a certain critical value. However, no field opening has been observed in a numerical simulation with a nonzero β plasma (Mikic and Linker, 1994). In the resistive MHD simulation by Mikic and Linker (1994), magnetic reconnection takes place in a sheared arcade, but the field configuration is far from a partially open field. In this paper, the evolution of solar magnetic arcades under footpoint shearing is studied using MHD simulations and a magnetofrictional method in a 2-D Cartesian geometry. In this geometry, there is no opening up of field lines, which is though not a disadvantage of the study as far as a non-zero β plasma is concerned.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call