Magnetic Polarity Inversion Line Research Articles

The Temporal Evolution of Nonneutralized Electric Currents and the Complexity of Solar Active Regions

We study the evolution of electric currents during the emergence of magnetic flux in the solar photosphere and the differences exhibited between solar active regions of different Hale complexity classes. A sample of 59 active regions was analyzed using a method based on image segmentation and error analysis to determine the total amount of nonneutralized electric current along their magnetic polarity inversion lines. The time series of the total unsigned nonneutralized electric current, I NN,tot, exhibit intricate structure in the form of distinct peaks and valleys. This information is largely missing in the respective time series of the total unsigned vertical electric current I z . Active regions with δ-spots stand out, exhibiting a 1.9 times higher flux emergence rate and 2.6 times higher I NN,tot increase. The median value of their peak I NN,tot is equal to 3.6 × 1012 A, which is more than three times higher than that of the other regions of the sample. An automated detection algorithm was also developed to pinpoint the injection events of nonneutralized electric current. The injection rates and duration of these events were higher with increasing complexity of active regions, with regions containing δ-spots exhibiting the strongest and longest events. These events do not necessarily coincide with increasing magnetic flux, although they exhibit moderate correlation. We conclude that net electric currents are injected during flux emergence but are also shaped drastically by the incurred photospheric evolution as active regions grow and evolve.

Large Photospheric Doppler Shift in Solar Active Region 12673. I. Field-aligned Flows

Delta (δ) sunspots sometimes host fast photospheric flows along the central magnetic polarity inversion line (PIL). Here we study the strong Doppler shift signature in the central penumbral light bridge of solar active region NOAA 12673. Observations from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) indicate highly sheared and strong magnetic fields. Large Doppler shifts up to 3.2 km s−1 appeared during the formation of the light bridge and persisted for about 16 hr. A new velocity estimator, called DAVE4VMwDV, reveals fast converging and shearing motion along the PIL from HMI vector magnetograms, and recovers the observed Doppler signal much better than an old version of the algorithm. The inferred velocity vectors are largely (anti-)parallel to the inclined magnetic fields, suggesting that the observed Doppler shift contains a significant contribution from the projected field-aligned flows. High-resolution observations from the Hinode/Spectro-Polarimeter further exhibit a clear correlation between the Doppler velocity and the cosine of the magnetic inclination, which is in agreement with HMI results and consistent with a field-aligned flow of about 9.6 km s−1. The complex Stokes profiles suggest significant gradients of physical variables along the line of sight. We discuss the implications on the δ-spot magnetic structure and the flow-driving mechanism.

The Role of Magnetic Shear in Reconnection-driven Flare Energy Release

Using observations from the Solar Dynamics Observatory’s Atmosphere Imaging Assembly and the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager, we present novel measurements of the shear of post-reconnection flare loops (PRFLs) in SOL20141218T21:40 and study its evolution with respect to magnetic reconnection and flare emission. Two quasi-parallel ribbons form adjacent to the magnetic polarity inversion line (PIL), spreading in time first parallel to the PIL and then mostly in a perpendicular direction. We measure the magnetic reconnection rate from the ribbon evolution, and also the shear angle of a large number of PRFLs observed in extreme ultraviolet passbands (≲1 MK). For the first time, the shear angle measurements are conducted using several complementary techniques allowing for cross validation of the results. In this flare, the total reconnection rate is much enhanced before a sharp increase in the hard X-ray emission, and the median shear decreases from 60°–70° to 20°, on a timescale of 10 minutes. We find a correlation between the shear-modulated total reconnection rate and the nonthermal electron flux. These results confirm the strong-to-weak shear evolution suggested in previous observational studies and reproduced in numerical models, and also confirm that, in this flare, reconnection is not an efficient producer of energetic nonthermal electrons during the first 10 minutes when the strongly sheared PRFLs are formed. We conclude that an intermediate shear angle, ≤40°, is needed for efficient particle acceleration via reconnection, and we propose a theoretical interpretation.

A Systematic Magnetic Polarity Inversion Line Data Set from SDO/HMI Magnetograms

Magnetic polarity inversion lines (PILs) detected in solar active regions have long been recognized as arguably the most essential feature for triggering instabilities such as flares and eruptive events (i.e., eruptive flares and coronal mass ejections). In recent years, efforts have been focused on using features engineered from PILs for solar eruption prediction. However, PIL rasters and metadata are often generated as by-products and are not accessible for public use, which limits their utilization in data-intensive space weather analytics applications. We introduce a large-scale publicly available PIL data set covering practically the entire solar cycle 24 for applying to various space weather forecasting and analytics tasks. The data set is created using both radial magnetic field (B_r) and line-of-sight (B_LoS) magnetograms from the Solar Dynamics Observatory’s Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager Active Region Patches (HARP) that involve 4090 HARP series ranging from 2010 May to 2019 March. This data set includes three PIL-related binary masks of rasters: the actual PILs as per the spatial analysis of the magnetograms, the region of polarity inversion, and the convex hull of PILs, along with time-series-structured metadata extracted from these masks. We also provide a preliminary exploratory analysis of selected features aiming to correlate time series of feature metadata and eruptive activity originating from active regions. We envision that this comprehensive PIL data set will complement existing data sets used for space weather forecasting and benefit research in related areas, specifically in better understanding the PIL structure, evolution, and role in eruptions.

The characteristics of flare- and CME-productive solar active regions

Solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) cause immediate and adverse effects on the interplanetary space and geospace. In an era of space-based technical civilization, the deeper understanding of the mechanisms that produce them and the construction of efficient prediction schemes are of paramount importance. The source regions of flares and CMEs exhibit some common morphological characteristics, such as δ-spots, filaments and sigmoids, which are associated with strongly sheared magnetic polarity inversion lines, indicative of the complex magnetic configurations that store huge amounts of free magnetic energy and helicity. The challenge is to transform this empirical knowledge into parameters/predictors that can help us distinguish efficiently between quiet, flare-, and CME-productive (eruptive) active regions. This paper reviews these efforts to parameterize the characteristics of eruptive active regions as well as the importance of transforming new knowledge into more efficient predictors and including new types of data. Magnetic properties of active regions were first introduced when systematic ground-based observations of the photospheric magnetic field became possible and the relevant research was boosted by the provision of near real time, uninterrupted, high-quality observations from space, which allowed the study of large, statistically significant samples. Nonetheless, flare and CME prediction still faces a number of challenges. The magnetic field information is still constrained at the photospheric level and accessed only from one vantage point of observation, thus there is always need for better predictors; the dynamic behavior of active regions is still not fully incorporated into predictions; the inherent stochasticity of flares and CMEs renders their prediction probabilistic, thus benchmark sets are necessary to optimize and validate predictions. To meet these challenges, researchers have put forward new magnetic properties, which describe different aspects of magnetic energy storage mechanisms in active regions and offer the opportunity of parametric studies for over an entire solar cycle. This inventory of features/predictors is now expanded to include information from flow fields, transition region and coronal spectroscopy, data-driven modeling of the coronal magnetic field, as well as parameterizations of dynamic effects from time series. Further work towards these directions may help alleviate the current limitations in observing the magnetic field of higher atmospheric layers. In this task, fundamental and operational research converge, with promising results which could stimulate the development of new missions and lay the ground for future exploratory studies, also profiting from and utilizing the long anticipated observations of the new generation of instruments.

Sunspot Shearing and Sudden Retraction Motion Associated with the 2013 August 17 M3.3 Flare* *Released on May 10, 2022.

In this Letter, we give a detailed analysis of the M3.3 class flare that occurred on 2013 August 17 (SOL2013-08-17T18:16). It presents a clear picture of mutual magnetic interaction initially from the photosphere to the corona via the abrupt rapid shearing motion of a small sunspot before the flare, and then suddenly from the corona back to the photosphere via the sudden retraction motion of the same sunspot during the flare’s impulsive phase. About 10 hr before the flare, a small sunspot in the active region NOAA 11818 started to move northeast along a magnetic polarity inversion line (PIL), creating a shearing motion that changed the quasi-static state of the active region. A filament right above the PIL was activated following the movement of the sunspot and then got partially erupted. The eruption eventually led to the M3.3 flare. The sunspot was then suddenly pulled back to the opposite direction upon the flare onset. During the backward motion, the Lorentz force underwent a simultaneous impulsive change both in magnitude and direction. Its directional change is found to be conformable with the retraction motion. The observation provides direct evidence for the role of the shearing motion of the sunspot in powering and triggering the flare. It especially confirms that the abrupt motion of a sunspot during a solar flare is the result of a backreaction caused by the reconfiguration of the coronal magnetic field.

Properties and Energetics of Magnetic Reconnection: I. Evolution of Flare Ribbons

In this article, we measure the mean magnetic shear from the morphological evolution of flare ribbons, and examine the evolution of flare thermal and nonthermal X-ray emissions during the progress of flare reconnection. We analyze three eruptive flares and three confined flares ranging from GOES class C8.0 to M7.0. They exhibit two well-defined ribbons along the magnetic polarity-inversion line (PIL), and have been observed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly and the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager from the onset of the flare throughout the impulsive phase. The analysis confirms the strong-to-weak shear evolution in the core region of the flare, and the flare hard X-ray emission rises as the shear decreases. In eruptive flares, in this sample, significant nonthermal hard X-ray emission lags the ultraviolet emission from flare ribbons, and rises rapidly when the shear is modest. In all flares, we observe that the plasma temperature rises in the early phase when the flare ribbons rapidly spread along the PIL and the shear is high. We compare these results with prior studies, and discuss their implications, as well as complications, related to the physical mechanisms governing energy partition during flare reconnection.

Quasiperiodic Microjets Driven by Granular Advection as Observed With High-resolution Imaging at He i 10830 Å

Abstract With high-resolution narrowband He i 10830 Å filtergrams from Goode Solar Telescope, we give an extensive analysis for four granule-sized microeruptions which appear as the gentle ejection of material in He i 10830 Å band. The analysis was aided with the EUV data from Atmospheric Imaging Assembly and line-of-sight magnetograms from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory. The microeruptions are situated on magnetic polarity inversion lines (PILs), and their roots are accurately traced down to intergranular lanes. Their durations are different: two microeruptions are repetitive microjets, lasting ∼50 and 27 minutes respectively, while the other two events are singular, lasting ∼5 minutes. For the two microjets, they are continuous and recurrent in the He i 10830 Å band, and the recurrence is quasiperiodic with a period of ∼5 minutes. We found that only transient cospatial EUV brightenings are observed for the longer duration microjets and EUV brightenings are absent for the two singular microeruptions. What is essential to the longer duration microjets is that granules with the concentration of a positive magnetic field persistently transport the magnetic field to the PILs, canceling the opposite magnetic flux and making the base of the two microjets and the underlying granules migrate with the speed of ∼0.25 and 1.0 km s−1. The observations support the scenario of magnetic reconnection for the quasiperiodic microjets and further show that the reconnection continuously generates multitemperature components, especially the cool component with chromospheric temperature. In addition, the ongoing reconnection is modulated by p-mode oscillations inside the Sun.

Correlated Spatio-temporal Evolution of Extreme-Ultraviolet Ribbons and Hard X-Rays in a Solar Flare

Abstract We analyze the structure and evolution of ribbons from the M7.3 SOL2014-04-18T13 flare using ultraviolet images from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph and the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA), magnetic data from the SDO/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager, hard X-ray (HXR) images from the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager, and light curves from the Fermi/Gamma-ray Burst Monitor, in order to infer properties of coronal magnetic reconnection. As the event progresses, two flare ribbons spread away from the magnetic polarity inversion line. The width of the newly brightened front along the extension of the ribbon is highly intermittent in both space and time, presumably reflecting nonuniformities in the structure and/or dynamics of the flare current sheet. Furthermore, the ribbon width grows most rapidly in regions exhibiting concentrated nonthermal HXR emission, with sharp increases slightly preceding the HXR bursts. The light curve of the ultraviolet emission matches the HXR light curve at photon energies above 25 keV. In other regions the ribbon-width evolution and light curves do not temporally correlate with the HXR emission. This indicates that the production of nonthermal electrons is highly nonuniform within the flare current sheet. Our results suggest a strong connection between the production of nonthermal electrons and the locally enhanced perpendicular extent of flare ribbon fronts, which in turn reflects the inhomogeneous structure and/or reconnection dynamics of the current sheet. Despite this variability, the ribbon fronts remain nearly continuous, quasi-one-dimensional features. Thus, although the reconnecting coronal current sheets are highly structured, they remain quasi-two-dimensional and the magnetic energy release occurs systematically, rather than stochastically, through the volume of the reconnecting magnetic flux.

A new comprehensive dataset of solar filaments of one-hundred-year interval (II) the poleward migration of polar crown filaments

Solar filaments, hypothermia and dense structures suspended in the solar corona are formed above the magnetic polarity inversion line. Polar crown filaments (PCFs) at high-latitude regions of the Sun are of profound significance to the periodic variation of solar activities. In this paper, we statistically analyze PCFs by using full disk Hα data from 1912 to 2018, which were obtained by Kodaikanal Solar Observatory (KODA, India), National Solar Observatory (NSO, USA), Kanzelhöhe Solar Observatory (KSO, Austria), Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO, USA), and Huairou Solar Observing Station (HSOS, China). We first manually identify PCFs from every solar image based on the centennial data, and record the latitude and other features corresponding to the PCFs. Then we plot the PCF latitude distribution as a function of time, which clearly shows that PCFs rush to the poles at the ascending phase of each solar cycle. Our results show that the filaments drift toward mid-latitude covering solar cycle 15 to 24 after the PCFs reach the highest latitudes. The poleward migration rates of PCFs are calculated in ten solar cycles, and the range is about 0.12 degree to 0.50 degree per Carrington Rotation (CR). We also investigate the north-south (N-S) asymmetry of migration rates and the normalized N-S asymmetry index.

Flare-forecasting Algorithms Based on High-gradient Polarity Inversion Lines in Active Regions

Abstract Solar flares emanate from solar active regions hosting complex and strong bipolar magnetic fluxes. Estimating the probability of an active region to flare and defining reliable precursors of intense flares are extremely challenging tasks in the space weather field. In this work, we focus on two metrics as flare precursors, the unsigned flux R, tested on Michelson Doppler Imager/Solar and Heliospheric Observatory data, one of the most used parameters for flare-forecasting applications, and a novel topological parameter D, representing the complexity of a solar active region. In greater detail, we propose an algorithm for the computation of the R value, which exploits the higher spatial resolution of Helioseismic Magnetic Imager maps. This algorithm leads to a differently computed R value, whose functionality is tested on a set of solar cycle 24 flares. Furthermore, we introduce a topological parameter based on the automatic recognition of magnetic polarity inversion lines in identified active regions and are able to evaluate its magnetic topological complexity. We use both a heuristic approach and a supervised machine-learning method to validate the effectiveness of these two descriptors to predict the occurrence of X- or M-class flares in a given solar active region during the following 24 hr period. Our feature ranking analysis shows that both parameters play a significant role in prediction performances. Moreover, the analysis demonstrates that the new topological parameter D is the only one, among 173 overall predictors, that is always present for all test subsets and is systematically ranked within the top 10 positions in all tests concerning the computation of the weights with which each predictor impacts the flare forecasting.

High-resolution He I 10830 Å Narrowband Imaging for a Small-scale Chromospheric Jet

Abstract Solar jets are ubiquitous phenomena in the solar atmosphere. They are important in mass and energy transport to the upper atmosphere and interplanetary space. Here, we report a detailed analysis of a small-scale chromospheric jet with high-resolution He i 10830 Å and TiO 7057 Å images observed by the 1.6 m aperture Goode Solar Telescope at the Big Bear Solar Observatory. The observation reveals the finest dark threads inside the jet are rooted in the intergranular lanes. Their width is equal to the telescope’s diffraction limit at 10830 Å (∼100 km). The jet is recurrent and its association with the emergence and convergence of magnetic flux is observed. Together with other important features like photospheric flow toward the magnetic polarity inversion line, a bald-patch magnetic configuration, and earlier excitation of helium atoms, we propose that the jet might be initiated by magnetic reconnection in a U-shaped loop configuration. The plasmoid configuration results from the possible buoyancy of the magnetic reconnection, which reoccurs in a second step with an overlying magnetic field line. Notably, the second-step magnetic reconnection produces not only bidirectional cool or hot flows but also a new U-shaped loop configuration. The feature may be used to explain the recurrent behavior of the jet, since the new U-shaped loop can be driven to reconnect again.

Time Series Analysis of Photospheric Magnetic Parameters of Flare-Quiet Versus Flaring Active Regions: Scaling Properties of Fluctuations

Time series of photospheric magnetic parameters of solar active regions (ARs) are used to answer whether scaling properties of fluctuations embedded in such time series help to distinguish between flare-quiet and flaring ARs. We examine a total of 118 flare-quiet and 118 flaring AR patches (called HARPs), which were observed from 2010 to 2016 by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Specifically, the scaling exponent of fluctuations is derived applying the Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA) method to a dataset of 8-day time series of 18 photospheric magnetic parameters at 12-min cadence for all HARPs under investigation. We first find a statistically significant difference in the distribution of the scaling exponent between the flare-quiet and flaring HARPs, in particular for some space-averaged, signed parameters associated with magnetic field line twist, electric current density, and current helicity. The flaring HARPs tend to show higher values of the scaling exponent compared to those of the flare-quiet ones, even though there is considerable overlap between their distributions. In addition, for both the flare-quiet and flaring HARPs the DFA analysis indicates that (1) time series of most of various magnetic parameters under consideration are non-stationary, and (2) time series of the total unsigned magnetic flux and the mean photospheric magnetic free energy density in general present a non-stationary, persistent property, while the total unsigned flux near magnetic polarity inversion lines and parameters related to current density show a non-stationary, anti-persistent trend in their time series.

Microwave Spectral Imaging of an Erupting Magnetic Flux Rope: Implications for the Standard Solar Flare Model in Three Dimensions

Abstract We report microwave spectral imaging observations of an erupting magnetic flux rope during the early impulsive phase of the X8.2-class limb flare on 2017 September 10, obtained by the Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array. A few days prior to the eruption, when viewed against the disk, the flux rope appeared as a reverse S-shaped dark filament along the magnetic polarity inversion line. During the eruption, the rope exhibited a “hot channel” structure in extreme ultraviolet and soft X-ray passbands sensitive to ∼10 MK plasma. The central portion of the flux rope was nearly aligned with the line of sight, which quickly developed into a teardrop-shaped dark cavity during the early phase of the eruption. A long and thin plasma sheet formed below the cavity, interpreted as the reconnection current sheet viewed edge on. A nonthermal microwave source was present at the location of the central current sheet, which extended upward encompassing the dark cavity. A pair of nonthermal microwave sources were observed for several minutes on both sides of the main flaring region. They shared a similar temporal behavior and spectral property to the central microwave source below the cavity, interpreted as the conjugate footpoints of the erupting flux rope. These observations are broadly consistent with the magnetic topology and the associated energy release scenario suggested in the three-dimensional standard model for eruptive solar flares. In particular, our detection of nonthermal emission at conjugate flux rope footpoints provides solid evidence of particle transport along an erupting magnetic flux rope.

Flare Energy Release at the Magnetic Field Polarity Inversion Line during the M1.2 Solar Flare of 2015 March 15. II. Investigation of Photospheric Electric Current and Magnetic Field Variations Using HMI 135 s Vector Magnetograms

Abstract This work is a continuation of Paper I and is devoted to the analysis of nonthermal electron dynamics and plasma heating in the confined M1.2 class solar flare SOL2015-03-15T22:43, revealing energy release in the highly sheared interacting magnetic loops in the low corona, above the polarity inversion line (PIL). The aim of the present work is to perform the first extensive quantitative analysis of the photospheric magnetic field and photospheric vertical electric current (PVEC) dynamics in the confined flare region near the PIL using new vector magnetograms obtained with the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory with a high temporal resolution of 135 s. Data analysis reveals sharp changes of the magnetic structure and PVEC associated with flare onset near the PIL. It is found that the strongest plasma heating and electron acceleration are associated with the largest increase in the magnetic reconnection rate, total PVEC, and effective PVEC density in the flare ribbons. Observations and nonlinear force-free field extrapolations show that the magnetic field structure around the PIL is consistent with a tether-cutting magnetic reconnection (TCMR) geometry. We give a qualitative interpretation of the observed dynamics of the flare ribbons, magnetic field, PVEC, and electron acceleration within the TCMR scenario.

MULTI-WAVELENGTH OBSERVATIONS OF A LARGE SOLAR FLARE

We present the results of the multi- wavelength study of the two-ribbon solar flare on July 19, 2000 in the active region NOAA 9087. The evo- lution and morphological properties of the flare pro- ductive active region have been analyzed. The active region was growing rapidly and showed a complex mul- tipolar magnetic field configuration. It was large, pro- ducing many events, including the flare under consid- eration. The 3N/M6.4 two-ribbon flare was a promi- nent, long duration event in the active region evolution. According to Solar Geophysical Data (SGD) the flare lasted 2.5 hours. The flare energy release took place in many sites of the active region. We used combination of data from space and ground based observatories for study. The hard X-ray (HXR) and soft X-ray (SXR) data were obtained at the Yohkoh Telescopes (HXT and SXT) and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES). The full- disk magnetograms and EUV-images were provided by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) and Extreme ultra- violet Imaging Telescope (EIT). We used the H α filter- grams from the Meudon spectroheliograph and white light images of Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO). All the data show continuously evolving SXR, EUV and H α features during the flare. The HXR and the type III radio bursts were observed at the flare onset. The first H α flare kernels and the surge, connected with the filament eruption, were initiated near a large positive-polarity sunspot. The main bright kernels of the flare occurred at the centre of the active region near magnetic neutral line, after that the flare ribbons appeared along it. It was found that HXR coronal source was located along a magnetic polarity inversion line of the active region. EUV loop structures indicate the observational evidence of a magnetic reconnection during the main phase of the flare.

The Eruption of Outer Spine-like Loops Leading to a Double-stage Circular-ribbon Flare

Abstract Circular-ribbon flares occur in a confined magnetic structure, but can also be associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs) when a filament embedded under the fan erupts. Here we study an M8.7 circular-ribbon flare (SOL2014-12-17T04:51), which is accompanied by a CME yet without a clear indication of filament eruption. Using a nonlinear force-free field model, we find that the outer spine-like loops form a magnetic flux rope (FR1) rooted at the edge of the fan, and that there is another flux rope (FR2) at the main magnetic polarity inversion line (PIL) under a fan-like flux rope FR3. We divide the event evolution into two stages by combining modeling results with EUV observations. The onset stage is featured with bidirectional jets that occurred between a filament and FR1, immediately followed by an upward motion of the latter. During this first stage, the inner/outer spine-related ribbons and the circular ribbon begin to brighten up. After about 10 minutes, another ejection stems from the main PIL region. In this second stage, all ribbons are significantly enhanced, and the twist of FR2 footpoints is decreased. We discuss these results in favor of a scenario where the initial reconnection between the filament and FR1 activates the latter to reconnect with FR3 with opposite twist. This produces larger scale erupting loops and consequently causes a weakening of FR3, which induces another eruption of FR2 from below. This event thus represents a new type of eruptive circular-ribbon flare caused by unstable outer spine-like loops.

Which Photospheric Characteristics Are Most Relevant to Active-Region Coronal Mass Ejections?

We investigate the relation between characteristics of coronal mass ejections and parameterizations of the eruptive capability of solar active regions widely used in solar flare prediction schemes. These parameters, some of which are explored for the first time, are properties related to topological features, namely, magnetic polarity inversion lines (MPILs) that indicate large amounts of stored non-potential (i.e. free) magnetic energy. We utilize the Space Weather Database of Notifications, Knowledge, Information (DONKI) and the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronograph (LASCO) databases to find flare-associated coronal mass ejections and their kinematic characteristics while properties of MPILs are extracted from Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) vector magnetic-field observations of active regions to extract the properties of source-region MPILs. The correlation between all properties and the characteristics of CMEs ranges from moderate to very strong. More significant correlations hold particularly for fast CMEs, which are most important in terms of adverse space-weather manifestations. Non-neutralized currents and the length of the main MPIL exhibit significantly stronger correlations than the rest of the properties. This finding supports a causal relationship between coronal mass ejections and non-neutralized electric currents in highly sheared, conspicuous MPILs. In addition, non-neutralized currents and MPIL length carry distinct, independent information as to the eruptive potential of active regions. The combined total amount of non-neutralized electric currents and the length of the main polarity inversion line, therefore, reflect more efficiently than other parameters the eruptive capacity of solar active regions and the CME kinematic characteristics stemming from these regions.

The source and engine of coronal mass ejections.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are large-scale expulsions of coronal plasma and magnetic field propagating through the heliosphere. Because CMEs are observed by white-light coronagraphs which, by design, occult the solar disc, supporting disc observations (e.g. in EUV, soft X-rays, Halpha and radio) must be employed for the study of their source regions and early development phases. We review the key properties of CME sources and highlight a certain causal sequence of effects that may occur whenever a strong (flux-massive and sheared) magnetic polarity inversion line develops in the coronal base of eruptive active regions (ARs). Storing non-potential magnetic energy and helicity in a much more efficient way than ARs lacking strong polarity inversion lines, eruptive regions engage in an irreversible course, making eruptions inevitable and triggered when certain thresholds of free energy and helicity are crossed. This evolution favours the formation of pre-eruption magnetic flux ropes. We describe the steps of this plausible path to sketch a picture of the pre-eruptive phase of CMEs that may apply to most events, particularly the ones populating the high end of the energy/helicity distribution, that also tend to have the strongest space-weather implications. This article is part of the theme issue 'Solar eruptions and their space weather impact'.

Sunspot proper motion of individual sunspot in active region 11429 during X5.4 solar flare on March 7, 2012

Based on high resolution images obtained from Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) instrument onboard Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO) satellite at visual wavelength, we traced several individual umbral sunspots to find drift motion during flare occurrences within Active Region (AR) 11429 (N17, E15) at 00:00 to 05:00 UT on March 7, 2012. AR11429 was a large sunspot group with 1270 millionth solar hemisphere in area and complex magnetic morphology with beta-gamma-delta class. We measured relative motion of 22 umbral sunspots positions during eruptive and post-flare phases for about 5 hours. Some sunspots showed faster motion during eruptive phase at about 10% than decay phase and they moved nearly along the magnetic field polarity inversion line that showed shear motion. Flare outburst which is occurred in corona layer affected sunspot motion and area, as seen for their changing configuration and morphology, before and after peaked X-ray intensity. This result indicates that there is a strong connection between X-ray solar flare at corona layer and its foot points motion at photosphere.