Photospheric Magnetic Field Changes Research Articles

Rearrangement of sunspot magnetic field caused by an X1.5 solar flare

ABSTRACT Solar flares will cause the change of the photospheric magnetic field and sunspot structure. However, the exact physical processes involved remain unclear. Here, we study the changes of photospheric magnetic field before and after an X1.5 flare caused by a circular filament eruption in the active region NOAA 13006. The magnetic field structure of this active region is a fan-spine structure with a circular polarity inversion line (PIL). We found that the sunspot structure contracted towards the PIL as a whole after the flare. The penumbra away from the PIL gradually disappears, and the umbra and penumbra near the PIL gradually enhances. By analysing the local magnetic field, the Lorentz force (LF), and the photospheric velocity field in these three regions, we find that the magnetic flux in the region of the disappearing penumbra converges and contracts towards the PIL, leading to an enhancement of the umbra, while the enhancement of the penumbra potentially indicates that this region may be the footpoint of a reconnected magnetic field system. We suggest that this contracting motion is driven by the horizontal LF.

A Statistical Analysis of Magnetic Field Changes in the Photosphere during Solar Flares Using High-cadence Vector Magnetograms and Their Association with Flare Ribbons

We analyze high-cadence vector magnetograms (135 s) and flare-ribbon observations of 37 flares from the Solar Dynamics Observatory to understand the spatial and temporal properties of changes in the photospheric vector magnetic field and their relationship to footpoints of reconnected fields. Confirming previous studies, we find that the largest permanent changes in the horizontal field component lie near the polarity inversion line, whereas changes in the vertical field are less pronounced and are distributed throughout the active region. We find that pixels swept up by ribbons do not always exhibit permanent changes in the field. However, when they do, ribbon emission typically occurs several minutes before the start time of field changes. The changes in the properties of the field show no relation to the size of active regions, but are strongly related to the flare-ribbon properties such as ribbon magnetic flux and ribbon area. For the first time, we find that the duration of permanent changes in the field is strongly coupled with the duration of the flare, lasting on average 29% of the duration of the GOES flare. Our results suggest that changes in photospheric magnetic fields are caused by a combination of two scenarios: contraction of flare loops driven by magnetic reconnection and coronal implosion.

The Statistical Relationship between White-light Emission and Photospheric Magnetic Field Changes in Flares

Abstract Continuum emission, also called white-light emission (WLE), and permanent changes of the magnetic field (ΔB LOS) are often observed during solar flares. However, their relation and precise mechanisms are still unknown. We study statistically the relationship between ΔB LOS and WLE during 75 solar flares of different strengths and locations on the solar disk. We analyze SDO/HMI data and determine for each pixel in each flare if it exhibited WLE and/or ΔB LOS. We then investigate the occurrence, strength, and spatial size of the WLE, its dependence on flare energy, and its correlation to the occurrence of ΔB LOS. We detected WLE in 44/75 flares and ΔB LOS in 59/75 flares. We find that WLE and ΔB LOS are related, and their locations often overlap between 0% and 60%. Not all locations coincide, thus potentially indicating differences in their origin. We find that the WL area is related to the flare class by a power law, and extend the findings of previous studies, that the WLE is related to the flare class by a power law, to also be valid for C-class flares. To compare unresolved (Sun-as-a-star) WL measurements with our data, we derive a method to calculate temperatures and areas of such data under the blackbody assumption. The calculated unresolved WLE areas improve, but still differ to the resolved flaring area by about a factor of 5–10 (previously 10–20), which could be explained by various physical or instrumental causes. This method could also be applied to stellar flares to determine their temperatures and areas independently.

Eruptive–Impulsive Homologous M-class Flares Associated with Double-decker Flux Rope Configuration in Minisigmoid of NOAA 12673

Abstract We present a multiwavelength analysis of two homologous, short-lived, impulsive flares of GOES class M1.4 and M7.3 that occurred from a very localized minisigmoid region within the active region NOAA 12673 on 2017 September 7. Both flares were associated with initial jetlike plasma ejection that for a brief amount of time moved toward the east in a collimated manner before drastically changing direction toward the southwest. Nonlinear force-free field extrapolation reveals the presence of a compact double-decker flux rope configuration in the minisigmoid region prior to the flares. A set of open field lines originating near the active region that were most likely responsible for the anomalous dynamics of the erupted plasma gave the earliest indication of an emerging coronal hole near the active region. The horizontal field distribution suggests a rapid decay of the field above the active region, implying high proneness of the flux rope system toward eruption. In view of the low coronal double-decker flux ropes and compact extreme ultraviolet brightening beneath the filament, along with associated photospheric magnetic field changes, our analysis supports the combination of initial tether-cutting reconnection and subsequent torus instability for driving the eruption.

A Statistical Study of Photospheric Magnetic Field Changes During 75 Solar Flares

Abstract Abrupt and permanent changes of photospheric magnetic fields have been observed during solar flares. The changes seem to be linked to the reconfiguration of magnetic fields, but their origin is still unclear. We carried out a statistical analysis of permanent line-of-sight magnetic field ( ) changes during 18 X-, 37 M-, 19 C-, and 1 B-class flares using data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager. We investigated the properties of permanent changes, such as frequency, areas, and locations. We detected changes of in 59/75 flares. We find that strong flares are more likely to show changes, with all flares ≥M1.6 exhibiting them. For weaker flares, permanent changes are observed in 6/17 C-flares. 34.3% of the permanent changes occurred in the penumbra and 18.9% in the umbra. Parts of the penumbra appeared or disappeared in 23/75 flares. The area where permanent changes occur is larger for stronger flares. Strong flares also show a larger change of flux, but there is no dependence of the magnetic flux change on the heliocentric angle. The mean rate of change of flare-related magnetic field changes is 20.7 Mx cm−2 min−1. The number of permanent changes decays exponentially with distance from the polarity inversion line. The frequency of the strength of permanent changes decreases exponentially, and permanent changes up to 750 Mx cm−2 were observed. We conclude that permanent magnetic field changes are a common phenomenon during flares, and future studies will clarify their relation to accelerated electrons, white-light emission, and sunquakes to further investigate their origin.

Study on Precursor Activity of the X1.6 Flare in the Great AR 12192 with SDO, IRIS, and Hinode

Abstract The physical properties and their contribution to the onset of a solar flare are still uncleare even though chromospheric brightening is considered a precursor phenomenon of a flare. Many studies suggested that photospheric magnetic field changes cause destabilization of large-scale coronal structure. We aim to understand how a small photospheric change contributes to a flare and to reveal how the intermediary chromosphere behaves in the precursor phase. We analyzed the precursor brightening of the X1.6 flare on 2014 October 22 in the AR 12192 using the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) and Hinode/EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) data. We investigated a localized jet with the strong precursor brightening, and compared the intensity, Doppler velocity, and line width in C ii, Mg ii k, and Si iv lines by IRIS and He ii, Fe xii, and Fe xv lines by Hinode/EIS. We also analyzed the photospheric magnetic field and chromospheric/coronal structures using the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager and Atmospheric Imaging Assembly. We found a significant blueshift (∼100 km s−1), which is related to the strong precursor brightening over a characteristic magnetic field structure, and the blueshift was observed at all of the temperatures. This might indicate that the flow is accelerated by Lorentz force. Moreover, the large-scale coronal loop that connects the foot points of the flare ribbons was destabilized just after the precursor brightening with the blueshift. It suggests that magnetic reconnection locally occurred in the lower chromosphere and it triggered magnetic reconnection of the X1.6 flare in the corona.

ABRUPT CHANGES OF THE PHOTOSPHERIC MAGNETIC FIELD IN ACTIVE REGIONS AND THE IMPULSIVE PHASE OF SOLAR FLARES

We compared time profiles of changes of the unsigned photospheric magnetic flux in active regions with those of their associated soft X-ray (SXR) bursts for a sample of 75 ≥ M5 flares well observed by Global Oscillation Network Group longitudinal magnetographs. Sixty-six of these events had stepwise changes in the spatially integrated unsigned flux during the SXR flares. In superposed epoch plots for these 66 events, there is a sharp increase in the unsigned magnetic flux coincident with the onset of the flare impulsive phase while the end of the stepwise change corresponds to the time of peak SXR emission. We substantiated this result with a histogram-based comparison of the timing of flux steps (onset, midpoint of step, and end) for representative points in the flaring regions with their associated SXR event time markers (flare onset, onset of impulsive phase, time of peak logarithmic derivative, maximum). On an individual event basis, the principal part of the stepwise magnetic flux change occurred during the main rise phase of the SXR burst (impulsive phase onset to SXR peak) for ~60% of the 66 cases. We find a close timing agreement between magnetic flux steps and >100 keV emission for the three largest hard X-ray (>100 keV) bursts in our sample. These results identify the abrupt changes in photospheric magnetic fields as an impulsive phase phenomenon and indicate that the coronal magnetic field changes that drive flares are rapidly transmitted to the photosphere.

Rapid changes of sunspot structure associated with solar eruptions

AbstractIn this paper we summarize the studies of flare-related changes of photospheric magnetic fields. When vector magnetograms are available, we always find an increase of transverse field at the polarity inversion line (PIL). We also discuss 1 minute cadence line-of-sight MDI magnetogram observations, which usually show prominent changes of magnetic flux contained in the flaring δ spot region. The observed limb-ward flux increases while disk-ward flux decreases rapidly and irreversibly after flares. These observations provides evidences, either direct or indirect, for the theory and prediction of Hudson, Fisher & Welsch (2008) that the photospheric magnetic fields would respond to coronal field restructuring and turn to a more horizontal state near the PIL after eruptions. From the white-light observations, we find that at flaring PIL, the structure becomes darker after an eruption, while the peripheral penumbrae decay. Using high-resolution Hinode data, we find evidence that only dark fibrils in the “uncombed” penumbral structure disappear while the bright grains evolve to G-band bright points after flares.

OBSERVATIONAL EVIDENCE OF BACK REACTION ON THE SOLAR SURFACE ASSOCIATED WITH CORONAL MAGNETIC RESTRUCTURING IN SOLAR ERUPTIONS

Most models of solar eruptions assume that coronal field lines are anchored in the dense photosphere and thus the photospheric magnetic fields would not have rapid, irreversible changes associated with eruptions resulted from the coronal magnetic reconnection. Motivated by the recent work of Hudson, Fisher & Welsch (2008) on quantitatively evaluating the back reaction due to energy release from the coronal fields, in this Letter we synthesize our previous studies and present analysis of new events about flare-related changes of photospheric magnetic fields. For the 11 X-class flares where vector magnetograms are available, we always find an increase of transverse field at the polarity inversion line (PIL) although only 4 events had measurements with 1 minute temporal resolution. We also discuss 18 events with 1 minute cadence line-of-sight magnetogram observation, which all show prominent changes of magnetic flux contained in the flaring Delta spot region. Except in one case, the observed limb-ward flux increases while disk-ward flux decreases rapidly and irreversibly after flares. This observational evidence provides support, either directly or indirectly, for the theory and prediction of Hudson, Fisher & Welsch that the photospheric magnetic fields must respond to coronal field restructuring and turn to a more horizontal state near the PIL after eruptions.

MHD simulations of the global solar corona around the Halloween event in 2003 using the synchronic frame format of the solar photospheric magnetic field

We performed two time‐relaxation magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulations of the solar corona: one uses the boundary map representing the solar surface magnetic field distribution before the Halloween event in 2003, and the other uses map representing the postevent distribution. The aims of this study are to test a new concept of a solar surface magnetic field map capable of representing a particular time of interest and to examine the coronal responses to the solar photospheric magnetic field changes occurring over a few days. We used a new mapping scheme named “synchronic frame” that can include the longitudinal shift caused by the solar differential rotation and the solar surface variations occurring at the time of interest. These two time‐relaxation MHD simulations using the two maps are separately performed to numerically obtain the quasi steady states of the solar corona before and after the Halloween event. Comparisons of the simulated coronal magnetic field structures to the SOHO/EIT measurements show that the combinations of our mapping method and simulation model reproduce the changes of the coronal structures well. We also find that the consequences of solar surface variations can be seen in the plasma quantities in the solar corona. These results show the capability and importance of the solar surface magnetic field mapping scheme for better reconstruction of global coronal structures, parts of which are sensitive to the solar surface magnetic field variations.

Rapid Changes of Photospheric Magnetic Fields around Flaring Magnetic Neutral Lines

In this paper we study the short-term evolution of magnetic fields associated with five flares in δ-sunspots. We concentrate on the analysis of the magnetic gradient along the flaring neutral lines (NLs). Obvious changes of the magnetic gradient occurred immediately and rapidly following the onset of each flare. A rapid gradient increase was found to be associated with three events, while a decrease was associated with the other two. The changes were permanent, and therefore not likely due to the flare emissions. In addition, we evaluated the mean relative motions between the two magnetic polarities in these δ-regions, in the directions parallel and perpendicular to the flaring NLs. We derived the mean positions of the two magnetic polarities using a center-of-mass (CoM) calculation and found that (1) converging motions correspond to a gradient increase and diverging motions, to a decrease; (2) for all the events, there appeared a sudden release of magnetic shear associated with each flare, signified by a decrease of CoM separation between 500 and 1200 km in the direction parallel to the NLs. Combining the findings presented here with those in previous papers, we propose that these results are evidence of magnetic reconnection at or close to the photosphere. When an active region is away from the solar disk center, the reconnected transverse fields cause an apparent increase of the flux in the polarity toward the limb and a decrease for the polarity closer to the disk center. This observational pattern was indeed found for all 10 available events that have been studied in the literature and in this paper. Finally, we offer some predictions for future observations when high-quality vector magnetogram sequences become available.

Early life of coronal mass ejections

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are large-scale magnetized plasma structures ejected from closed magnetic field regions of the Sun. White light coronagraphic observations from ground and space have provided extensive information on CMEs in the outer corona. However, our understanding of the solar origin and early life of CMEs is still in an elementary stage because of lack of adequate observations. Recent space missions such as Yohkoh and Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and ground-based radioheliographs at Nobeyama and Nancay have accumulated a wealth of information on the manifestations of CMEs near the solar surface. We review some of these observations in an attempt to relate them to what we already know about CMEs. Our discussion relies heavily on non-coronagraphic data combined with coronagraphic data. Specifically, we discuss the following aspects of CMEs: (i) coronal dimming and global disk signatures, (ii) non-radial propagation during the early phase, (iii) Photospheric magnetic field changes during CMEs, and (iv) acceleration of fast CMEs. The relative positions and evolution of coronal dimming, arcade formation, prominence eruption will be discussed using specific events. The magnitude and spatial extent of CME acceleration may be an important parameter that distinguishes fast and slow CMEs.

Photospheric Magnetic Field Changes Associated with Transition Region Explosive Events

From a comparison of the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory SUMER spectral data and a time series of Big Bear Solar Observatory magnetograms, we present observational clues to the physical origin of transition region explosive events. First, explosive events rarely occur in the interior of strong magnetic flux concentrations but rather are preferentially found in regions with weak and mixed polarity fluxes that display magnetic neutral lines. Second, the majority of explosive events happen during the cancellation of photospheric magnetic flux. Third, there is a strong tendency for explosive events to occur repeatedly, as bursts, while local photospheric magnetic flux continuously decreases because of cancellation. These results strongly support the idea that transition region explosive events are a manifestation of magnetic reconnection occurring in the quiet Sun. Furthermore, one may infer from the third result that the explosive events represent repetitive fast magnetic reconnections in the transition region, which are initiated by slow magnetic reconnections occurring beneath.

On possible correlations in the photospheric magnetic field

We have searched for correlations between photospheric magnetic field changes in the north and south hemispheres of the Sun. Both active region logs and analysis of Mount Wilson magnetograms were employed. No correlations were found, and we infer that local convective turbulence is more important than dynamo processes with regard to the appearance of individual active regions.