Pre-impulsive Phase Research Articles

The 2017 September 6 Flare: Radio Bursts and Pulsations in the 22–5000 MHz Range and Associated Phenomena

Abstract For the 2017 September 6 flare (SOL2017-Sep-06T11:53) we present not only unusual radio bursts but also their interesting time association with the other flare phenomena observed in extreme ultraviolet (EUV), white-light, X-ray, and γ-ray emissions. Using our new method based on wavelets we found quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) in several locations of the whole time–frequency domain of the analyzed radio spectrum (11:55–12:07 UT and 22–5000 MHz). Among them the drifting QPPs are new and the most interesting, especially a bidirectional QPP at the time of the hard X-ray and γ-ray peaks and a sunquake start. In the pre-impulsive phase we show an unusual drifting pulsation structure (DPS) in association with the EUV brightenings caused by the interaction of magnetic ropes. In the flare impulsive phase we found an exceptional radio burst drifting from 5000 to 800 MHz. In connection with this drifting burst, we show a U burst at about the onset time of an EUV writhed structure and a drifting radio burst as a signature of a shock wave at high frequencies (1050–1350 MHz). In the peak flare phase we found an indication of an additional energy-release process located at higher altitudes in the solar atmosphere. These phenomena are interpreted considering a rising magnetic rope, magnetosonic waves, and particle beams. Using a density model we estimated the density, wave velocities, and source heights for the bidirectionally drifting QPPs, the density for the pre-impulsive DPS and U burst, and the density and magnetic field strength for the drifting radio burst.

Electron Distribution and Energy Release in Magnetic Reconnection Outflow Regions during the Pre-impulsive Phase of a Solar Flare

Abstract We present observations of electron energization in magnetic reconnection outflows during the pre-impulsive phase of solar flare SOL2012-07-19T05:58. During a time-interval of about 20 minutes, starting 40 minutes before the onset of the impulsive phase, two X-ray sources were observed in the corona, one above the presumed reconnection region and one below. For both of these sources, the mean electron distribution function as a function of time is determined over an energy range from 0.1 keV up to several tens of keV, for the first time. This is done by simultaneous forward fitting of X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) data. Imaging spectroscopy with RHESSI provides information on the high-energy tail of the electron distribution in these sources while EUV images from SDO/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly are used to constrain the low specific electron energies. The measured electron distribution spectrum in the magnetic reconnection outflows is consistent with a time-evolving kappa-distribution with κ = 3.5–5.5. The spectral evolution suggests that electrons are accelerated to progressively higher energies in the source above the reconnection region, while in the source below, the spectral shape does not change but an overall increase of the emission measure is observed, suggesting density increase due to evaporation. The main mechanisms by which energy is transported away from the source regions are conduction and free-streaming electrons. The latter dominates by more than one order of magnitude and is comparable to typical nonthermal energies during the hard X-ray peak of solar flares, suggesting efficient acceleration even during this early phase of the event.

Onset of Photospheric Impacts and Helioseismic Waves in X9.3 Solar Flare of 2017 September 6

Abstract The X9.3 flare of 2017 September 6, was the most powerful flare of Solar Cycle 24. It generated strong white-light emission and multiple helioseismic waves (sunquakes). By using data from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory as well as hard X-ray (HXR) data from the KONUS instrument on board the WIND spacecraft, and Anti-Coincidence System on board the INTERGRAL space observatory, we investigate spatio-temporal dynamics of photospheric emission sources, identify sources of helioseismic waves, and compare the flare photospheric dynamics with the HXR temporal profiles. The results show that the photospheric flare impacts started to develop in compact regions in close vicinity of the magnetic polarity inversion line (PIL) in the preimpulsive phase before detection of the HXR emission. The initial photospheric disturbances were localized in the region of strong horizontal magnetic field of the PIL, and, thus, are likely associated with a compact sheared magnetic structure elongated along the PIL. The acoustic egression power maps revealed two primary sources of generation of sunquakes, which were associated with places of the strongest photospheric impacts in the preimpulsive phase and the early impulsive phase. This can explain the two types of helioseismic waves observed in this flare. Analysis of the high-cadence HMI filtergrams suggests that the flare energy release developed in the form of sequential involvement of compact low-lying magnetic loops that were sheared along the PIL.

Studies of the atmospheric structure of the solar white-light flare of August 9, 2011

Semi-empirical models for three kernels emitting in the continuum during the pre-impulsive and impulsive phases of the white-light flare of August 9, 2011 have been calculated, based on observations of the continuum brightness near 6579 A, Hα profiles, and photospheric iron lines. These computations show that, in order to achieve agreement between the computed and observed profiles and the contrast of the continuum emission of the impulsive kernels of the white-light flare, the temperature must be increased in both the lower chromosphere and the upper photosphere. The most efficient heating is located deeper in the photosphere in the pre-impulsive than in the impulsive phase, and chromospheric heating is negligible in the pre-impulsive phase. Spectral data and the results of model computations indicate that it is difficult to explain the emission of the white-light flare kernels as the effect of heating by energy transported from the corona into lower-lying, deep layers of the atmosphere by canonical transport mechanisms.

HARD X-RAY OBSERVATIONS OF A JET AND ACCELERATED ELECTRONS IN THE CORONA

We report the first hard X-ray observation of a solar jet on the limb with flare footpoints occulted, so that faint emission from accelerated electrons in the corona can be studied in detail. In this event on 2003 August 21, RHESSI observed a double coronal hard X-ray source in the pre-impulsive phase at both thermal and nonthermal energies. In the impulsive phase, the first of two hard X-ray bursts consists of a single thermal/nonthermal source coinciding with the lower of the two earlier sources, and the second burst shows an additional nonthermal, elongated source, spatially and temporally coincident with the coronal jet. Analysis of the jet hard X-ray source shows that collisional losses by accelerated electrons can deposit enough energy to generate the jet. The hard X-ray time profile above 20 keV matches that of the accompanying Type III and broadband gyrosynchrotron radio emission, indicating both accelerated electrons escaping outward along the jet path and electrons trapped in the flare loop. The double coronal hard X-ray source, the open field lines indicated by Type III bursts, and the presence of a small post-flare loop are consistent with significant electron acceleration in an interchange reconnection geometry.

RHESSI LINE AND CONTINUUM OBSERVATIONS OF SUPER-HOT FLARE PLASMA

We use RHESSI high-resolution imaging and spectroscopy observations from ~5 to 100 keV to characterize the hot thermal plasma during the 2002 July 23 X4.8 flare. These measurements of the steeply falling thermal X-ray continuum are well fit throughout the flare by two distinct isothermal components: a super-hot (T > 30 MK) component that peaks at ~44 MK and a lower-altitude hot (T < 25 MK) component whose temperature and emission measure closely track those derived from GOES measurements. The two components appear to be spatially distinct, and their evolution suggests that the super-hot plasma originates in the corona, while the GOES plasma results from chromospheric evaporation. Throughout the flare, the measured fluxes and ratio of the Fe and Fe-Ni excitation line complexes at ~6.7 and ~8 keV show a close dependence on the super-hot continuum temperature. During the pre-impulsive phase, when the coronal thermal and non-thermal continua overlap both spectrally and spatially, we use this relationship to obtain limits on the thermal and non-thermal emission.

Dynamical processes in the June 26, 1999 flare

The evolutionary and spatial characteristics of the motions in the flaring chromosphere of a 2B/M2.3 flare are investigated by analyzing the asymmetry in the Hα profiles. The possibility of reconciling the results of observations with the theory of chromospheric evaporation is considered. The spectroscopic Hα observations of the flare performed with the KG-2 CrAO coronagraph with a temporal resolution of 5–10 s and a spatial resolution as high as 1 arcsec cover all stages of flare development. The following results have been obtained: (1) The Hα profile asymmetry is a general characteristic of the flare emission irrespective of its intensity and its belonging to different structural features and phases of flare development. (2) Most of the Hα emission profiles in flare regions exhibit a red asymmetry. However, a blue asymmetry was observed in small local regions at all stages of flare development. (3) A red asymmetry that appeared before the onset of the impulsive phase and persisted after its end was observed at the sites of main energy release, i.e., the energy source responsible for the dynamical processes in the flare came into operation earlier and existed longer than the HXR emission. (4) The asymmetry pattern changed with flare phase: the red wing intensity dominated in the pre-impulsive phase and at the onset of the impulsive and gradual phases (while the line core was unshifted or slightly shifted). At the maximum of the impulsive phase, the nearly symmetric profiles with extended wings were redshifted as a whole, i.e., the entire emitting volume moved down with a velocity of several tens of km/s. This type of asymmetry cannot be explained by the dynamical model of chromospheric condensation (Canfield and Gayley 1987). (5) The Hα profiles show no evidence of chromospheric heating by a beam of nonthermal electrons during the impulsive phase (Canfield et al. 1984). (6) The lifetime of the downflows and the change in their velocities with time are inconsistent with the dynamical model of chromospheric condensation (Fisher 1989). (7) The morphological features of the velocity field are also inconsistent with the theory of chromospheric evaporation, because the highest differently directed velocities were detected at the flare loop tops, not at the sites of main energy release. We conclude that the investigated flare shows spectral features that are inconsistent with the standard chromospheric evaporation model.

Evidence of the radio-quiet hard X-ray precursor of the 13 December 2006 solar flare

We report multi-wavelength investigation of the pre-impulsive phase of the 13 December 2006 X-class solar flare. We use hard X-ray data from the anticoincidence system of spectrometer onboard INTEGRAL (ACS) jointly with soft X-ray data from the GOES-12 and Hinode satellites. Radio data are from Nobeyama and Learmonth solar observatories and from the Culgoora Solar Radio Spectrograph. The main finding of our analysis is a spiky increase of the ACS count rate accompanied by surprisingly gradual and weak growth of microwave emission and without detectable radio emission at meter and decimeter wavelengths about 10 min prior to the impulsive phase of the solar flare. At the time of this pre-flare hard X-ray burst the onset of the GOES soft X-ray event has been reported, positive derivative of the GOES soft X-ray flux started to rise and a bright spot has appeared in the images of the Hinode X-ray telescope (XRT) between the flare ribbons near the magnetic inversion line close to the sources of thermal and non-thermal hard X-ray emission observed by Reuven Ramaty High-Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) during the flare. These facts we consider as evidences of solar origin of the increased pre-flare ACS count rate. We briefly discuss a possible cause of the pre-flare emission peculiarities.

A question raised from the observation of dynamic cusp formation: When and where does particle acceleration occur?

We present observations of a C9.4 flare on 2002 June 2 in EUV (TRACE) and X-rays (RHESSI). The multiwavelength data reveal: (1) the involvement of a quadrupole magnetic configuration; (2) loop expansion and ribbon motion in the pre-impulsive phase; (3) gradual formation of a new compact loop with a long cusp at the top during the impulsive phase of the flare; (4) appearance of a large, twisted loop above the cusp expanding outward immediately after the hard X-ray peak; and (5) X-ray emission observed only from the new compact loop and the cusp. In particular, the gradual formation of an EUV cusp feature is very clear. The observations also reveal the timing of the cusp formation and particle acceleration: most of the impulsive hard X-rays (>25 keV) were emitted before the cusp was seen. This suggests that fast reconnection occurred during the restructuring of the magnetic configuration, resulting in more efficient particle acceleration, while the reconnection slowed after the cusp was completely formed and the magnetic geometry was stabilized. This observation is consistent with the observations obtained with Yohkoh/Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT) that soft X-ray cusp structures only appear after the major impulsive energy release in solar flares. These observations have important implications for the modeling of magnetic reconnection and particle acceleration.

Enigma of a Flare Involving Multiple‐Loop Interactions: Emerging, Colliding Loops or Magnetic Breakout?

We present observations of a C9.4 flare on 2002 June 2 in EUV (TRACE), X-rays (RHESSI), and Hα (Meudon and Ondrejov) showing evidence for multiple-loop interactions as the cause of the flare. The multiwavelength data reveal some striking phenomena that can be used to test different models for solar eruptive events: (1) involvement of a quadrupolar magnetic configuration; (2) loop expansion and ribbon motion in the preimpulsive phase; (3) gradual formation of a new compact loop with a long cusp at the top during the impulsive phase of the flare; (4) appearance of a large, twisted loop above the cusp expanding outward immediately after the hard X-ray peak; (5) eruption of an S-shaped preflare filament trailing closely behind the twisted loop; and (6) X-ray emission observed only from the new compact loop and the cusp. The emerging flux model and the magnetic breakout model are both applied to interpret the observations. We find that both models are able to explain the general change of the loop morphology for the flare. The magnetic breakout model best addresses the preimpulsive features. Most >25 keV hard X-rays were emitted during the formation process of the EUV cusp, suggesting that fast reconnection occurred during the restructuring of the magnetic configuration, resulting in more efficient particle acceleration, while the reconnection slowed after the cusp was completely formed and the magnetic geometry was stabilized.

YOHKOH/HXT Evidence for a Hyperhot Loop-Top Source in The Pre-Impulsive Phase of a Loop Flare

A loop flare that occurred on 22 April 1993 near the disk center is examined using the Yohkoh Hard X-ray Telescope (HXT). We specifically looked into the faint early phase of the flare prior to the start of the strong impulsive phase. The pre-impulsive phase, though weak in intensity, is expected to contain essential clues to the mechanism of loop flares according to the causality principle, but it has not received attention previously, probably due to the insufficient dynamic range and cadence of observations by the instruments on earlier satellites. Observations with Yohkoh/HXT can clarify what occurs in this phase. This flare, like many other flares of this type, shows a relatively weak emission with a smooth and gradual increase during this pre-impulsive phase, followed by impulsive bursts, and then turns into a smooth decay phase without impulsive bursts. First, we found that the spectrum for the initial smooth rise part is consistent with a thin-thermal source at a temperature around 80 MK. Imaging of this phase in the HXT/L and M bands shows a single source between the footpoint sources that will come up in the impulsive phase following this phase, suggesting that this hyperhot source is located at a high part of the loop between the footpoints, since this flare takes a form of a loop. Furthermore, as we go up to the earliest times of the flare before this `hyperhot' source phase, two fainter sources are found near the footpoint sources that will appear later in the impulsive phase. The spectra of these sources at this earliest time of the flare, in contrast to the `hyperhot' source, cannot be determined from the HXT because the instrument was not in flare mode, and HXT/M1, M2, and H-band data are, unfortunately, not available at this very initial time. We can guess, however, that they are also of thermal character because the time profile is smooth without any spikes just as in the following `hyperhot' thermal phase, and in the post-impulsive `superhot' thermal phase coming up much later. These findings suggest that there is an important, and probably dynamic, early phase in loop flares that has been unnoticed in the still dark pre-impulsive phase, because the very early footpoint sources change into the loop top source in a matter of 20–30 s, comparable to the dynamic Alfven time scale. Some implications of our new findings are discussed.

Ultraviolet observations of the preimpulsive phase in a solar flare - Enhanced turbulence and heating

The unique UV spectra of the January 21, 1974 flare obtained from Skylab before the onset of an impulsive hard X-ray burst are presented. The observations show that the UV emission lines were much enhanced and their line profiles much widened, indicating large nonthermal turbulence in the transition region plasmas before the impulsive phase. This excitation could be due to the dissipation of enhanced current in the preflare loop. This excitation continued until some parameters that characterized the current flow were exceeded and some plasma instabilities appeared that accelerated the electrons which produced the hard X-ray emission. The heating of the flaring plasmas to high temperatures started before the impulsive phase, as shown by the presence of Fe XXI emission. 21 refs.

Flare precursors and onset

We report on the progress of a search for precursors that have direct physical connections to the start of subsequent solar flares. The discussion includes recent results at radio, visible, ultraviolet, and x-ray wavelengths, which are relevant to the pre-impulsive (onset) phase. We also relate the aspects of a theoretical scenario, based on magnetic reconnection with transport-coefficient phase changes, for explaining flare onset. The pertinent time scales for pre-impulsive temporal developments are discussed.