Analysis of the evolution of a multi-ribbon flare and failed filament eruption

Joshi, R., Mandrini, C. H., Chandra, R., Schmieder, B., Cristiani, G. D., Mac Cormack, C., Démoulin, P. and Cremades, H. (2022) Analysis of the evolution of a multi-ribbon flare and failed filament eruption. Solar Physics, 297(7), 81. (doi: 10.1007/s11207-022-02021-5)

Abstract

How filaments form and erupt are topics about which solar researchers have wondered for more than a century and they are still open to debate. We present observations of a filament formation, its failed eruption, and the associated flare (SOL2019-05-09T05:51) that occurred in active region (AR) 12740 using data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), the Solar-Terrestrial Relations Observatory A (STEREO-A), the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) and the Learmonth Solar Observatory (LSO) of the National Solar Observatory/Global Oscillation Network Group (NSO/GONG). AR 12740 was a decaying region formed by a very disperse following polarity and a strong leading spot, surrounded by a highly dynamic zone where moving magnetic features (MMFs) were seen constantly diverging from the spot. Our analysis indicates that the filament was formed by the convergence of fibrils at a location where magnetic flux cancellation was observed. Furthermore, we conclude that its destabilisation was also related to flux cancellation associated with the constant shuffling of the MMFs. A two-ribbon flare occurred associated with the filament eruption; however, because the large-scale magnetic configuration of the AR was quadrupolar, two additional flare ribbons developed far from the two main ones. We model the magnetic configuration of the AR using a force-free field approach at the AR scale size. This local model is complemented by a global potential-field source-surface one. Based on the local model, we propose a scenario in which the filament failed eruption and the flare are due to two reconnection processes, one occurring below the erupting filament, leading to the two-ribbon flare, and another one above it between the filament flux-rope configuration and the large-scale closed loops. Our computation of the reconnected magnetic flux added to the erupting flux rope, compared to that of the large-scale field overlying it, allows us to conclude that the latter was large enough to prevent the filament eruption. A similar conjecture can be drawn from the computation of the magnetic tension derived from the global field model.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Schmieder, Prof Brigitte
• Authors: Joshi, R., Mandrini, C. H., Chandra, R., Schmieder, B., Cristiani, G. D., Mac Cormack, C., Démoulin, P., and Cremades, H.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Physics and Astronomy
• Journal Name: Solar Physics
• Publisher: Springer
• ISSN: 0038-0938
• ISSN (Online): 1573-093X
• Published Online: 05 July 2022
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2022 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Solar Physics 297(7): 81
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License