Identification

Title

Toward understanding the 3D structure and evolution of magnetic flux ropes in an extremely long duration eruptive flare

Abstract

In this work, we analyze the initial eruptive process of an extremely long duration C7.7-class flare that occurred on 2011 June 21. The flare had a 2 hr long rise time in soft X-ray emission, which is much longer than the rise time of most solar flares, including both impulsive and gradual ones. Combining the facts that the flare occurred near the disk center as seen by the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO) but near the limb as seen by two Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) spacecraft, we are able to track the evolution of the eruption in 3D in a rare slow-motion manner. The time sequence of the observed large-scale EUV hot channel structure in the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) high-temperature passbands of 94 and 131 angstrom clearly shows the process of how the sigmoid structure prior to the eruption was transformed into a near-potential post-eruption loop arcade. We believe that the observed sigmoid represents the structure of a twisted magnetic flux rope (MFR), which has reached a height of about 60 Mm at the onset of the eruption. We argue that the onset of the flare precursor phase is likely triggered by the loss of the magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium of a preexisting MFR, which leads to the slow rise of the flux rope. The rising motion of the flux rope leads to the formation of a vertical current sheet underneath, triggering the fast magnetic reconnection that in turn leads to the main phase of the flare and fast acceleration of the flux rope.

Resource type

document

Resource locator

Unique resource identifier

code

http://n2t.net/ark:/85065/d70004rn

codeSpace

Dataset language

eng

Spatial reference system

code identifying the spatial reference system

Classification of spatial data and services

Topic category

geoscientificInformation

Keywords

Keyword set

keyword value

Text

originating controlled vocabulary

title

Resource Type

reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2016-01-01T00:00:00Z

Geographic location

West bounding longitude

East bounding longitude

North bounding latitude

South bounding latitude

Temporal reference

Temporal extent

Begin position

End position

Dataset reference date

date type

publication

effective date

2017-12-20T00:00:00Z

Frequency of update

Quality and validity

Lineage

Conformity

Data format

name of format

version of format

Constraints related to access and use

Constraint set

Use constraints

Limitations on public access

None

Responsible organisations

Responsible party

contact position

OpenSky Support

organisation name

UCAR/NCAR - Library

full postal address

PO Box 3000

Boulder

80307-3000

email address

opensky@ucar.edu

web address

http://opensky.ucar.edu/

name: homepage

responsible party role

pointOfContact

Metadata on metadata

Metadata point of contact