1,653 research outputs found

    Der Weg zum IMPUREX. The way to IMPUREX

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    Coronal mass ejections from the same active region cluster: Two different perspectives

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    The cluster formed by active regions (ARs) NOAA 11121 and 11123, approximately located on the solar central meridian on 11 November 2010, is of great scientific interest. This complex was the site of violent flux emergence and the source of a series of Earth-directed events on the same day. The onset of the events was nearly simultaneously observed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) telescope aboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and the Extreme-Ultraviolet Imagers (EUVI) on the Sun-Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation (SECCHI) suite of telescopes onboard the Solar-Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) twin spacecraft. The progression of these events in the low corona was tracked by the Large Angle Spectroscopic Coronagraphs (LASCO) onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and the SECCHI/COR coronagraphs on STEREO. SDO and SOHO imagers provided data from the Earth's perspective, whilst the STEREO twin instruments procured images from the orthogonal directions. This spatial configuration of spacecraft allowed optimum simultaneous observations of the AR cluster and the coronal mass ejections that originated in it. Quadrature coronal observations provided by STEREO revealed a notably large amount of ejective events compared to those detected from Earth's perspective. Furthermore, joint observations by SDO/AIA and STEREO/SECCHI EUVI of the source region indicate that all events classified by GOES as X-ray flares had an ejective coronal counterpart in quadrature observations. These results have direct impact on current space weather forecasting because of the probable missing alarms when there is a lack of solar observations in a view direction perpendicular to the Sun-Earth line.Comment: Solar Physics - Accepted for publication 2015-Apr-25 v2: Corrected metadat

    Topological Analysis of Emerging Bipole Clusters Producing Violent Solar Events

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    During the rising phase of Solar Cycle 24 tremendous activity occurred on the Sun with fast and compact emergence of magnetic flux leading to bursts of flares (C to M and even X-class). We investigate the violent events occurring in the cluster of two active regions (ARs), NOAA numbers 11121 and 11123, observed in November 2010 with instruments onboard the {\it Solar Dynamics Observatory} and from Earth. Within one day the total magnetic flux increased by 70%70\% with the emergence of new groups of bipoles in AR 11123. From all the events on 11 November, we study, in particular, the ones starting at around 07:16 UT in GOES soft X-ray data and the brightenings preceding them. A magnetic-field topological analysis indicates the presence of null points, associated separatrices and quasi-separatrix layers (QSLs) where magnetic reconnection is prone to occur. The presence of null points is confirmed by a linear and a non-linear force-free magnetic-field model. Their locations and general characteristics are similar in both modelling approaches, which supports their robustness. However, in order to explain the full extension of the analysed event brightenings, which are not restricted to the photospheric traces of the null separatrices, we compute the locations of QSLs. Based on this more complete topological analysis, we propose a scenario to explain the origin of a low-energy event preceding a filament eruption, which is accompanied by a two-ribbon flare, and a consecutive confined flare in AR 11123. The results of our topology computation can also explain the locations of flare ribbons in two other events, one preceding and one following the ones at 07:16 UT. Finally, this study provides further examples where flare-ribbon locations can be explained when compared to QSLs and only, partially, when using separatrices.Comment: 42 pages, 15 figure

    Open questions on prominences from coordinated observations by IRIS, Hinode, SDO/AIA, THEMIS, and the Meudon/MSDP

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    Context. A large prominence was observed on September 24, 2013, for three hours (12:12 UT -15:12 UT) with the newly launched (June 2013) Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), THEMIS (Tenerife), the Hinode Solar Optical Telescope (SOT), the Solar Dynamic Observatory Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (SDO/AIA), and the Multichannel Subtractive Double Pass spectrograph (MSDP) in the Meudon Solar Tower. Aims. The aim of this work is to study the dynamics of the prominence fine structures in multiple wavelengths to understand their formation. Methods. The spectrographs IRIS and MSDP provided line profiles with a high cadence in Mg II and in Halpha lines. Results. The magnetic field is found to be globally horizontal with a relatively weak field strength (8-15 Gauss). The Ca II movie reveals turbulent-like motion that is not organized in specific parts of the prominence. On the other hand, the Mg II line profiles show multiple peaks well separated in wavelength. Each peak corresponds to a Gaussian profile, and not to a reversed profile as was expected by the present non-LTE radiative transfer modeling. Conclusions. Turbulent fields on top of the macroscopic horizontal component of the magnetic field supporting the prominence give rise to the complex dynamics of the plasma. The plasma with the high velocities (70 km/s to 100 km/s if we take into account the transverse velocities) may correspond to condensation of plasma along more or less horizontal threads of the arch-shape structure visible in 304 A. The steady flows (5 km/s) would correspond to a more quiescent plasma (cool and prominence-corona transition region) of the prominence packed into dips in horizontal magnetic field lines. The very weak secondary peaks in the Mg II profiles may reflect the turbulent nature of parts of the prominence.Comment: 15 pages, 14 figure

    3D evolution of a filament disappearance event observed by STEREO

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    A filament disappearance event was observed on 22 May 2008 during our recent campaign JOP 178. The filament, situated in the southern hemisphere, showed sinistral chirality consistent with the hemispheric rule. The event was well observed by several observatories in particular by THEMIS. One day before the disappearance, Hα\alpha observations showed up and down flows in adjacent locations along the filament, which suggest plasma motions along twisted flux rope. THEMIS and GONG observations show shearing photospheric motions leading to magnetic flux canceling around barbs. STEREO A, B spacecraft with separation angle 52.4 degrees, showed quite different views of this untwisting flux rope in He II 304 \AA\ images. Here, we reconstruct the 3D geometry of the filament during its eruption phase using STEREO EUV He II 304 \AA\ images and find that the filament was highly inclined to the solar normal. The He II 304 \AA\ movies show individual threads, which oscillate and rise to an altitude of about 120 Mm with apparent velocities of about 100 km s−1^{-1}, during the rapid evolution phase. Finally, as the flux rope expands into the corona, the filament disappears by becoming optically thin to undetectable levels. No CME was detected by STEREO, only a faint CME was recorded by LASCO at the beginning of the disappearance phase at 02:00 UT, which could be due to partial filament eruption. Further, STEREO Fe XII 195 \AA\ images showed bright loops beneath the filament prior to the disappearance phase, suggesting magnetic reconnection below the flux rope
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