Slipping Magnetic Reconnection in Coronal Loops

Aulanier, G.; Golub, L.; DeLuca, E. E.; Cirtain, Jonathan; Kano, Ryouhei; Lundquist, L. L.; Narukage, Noriyuki; Sakao, Taro; Weber, Mark

doi:10.1126/science.1146143

Cited by 106 publications

(102 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…This can be interpreted as a slip-running magnetic reconnection process (Aulanier et al, 2007), which is a characteristic of reconnection at QSLs with finite thickness (in contrast to an instantaneous change of connectivity for reconnection across separatrices).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Homologous Flares and Magnetic Field Topology in Active Region NOAA 10501 on 20 November 2003

et al. 2010

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We present and interpret observations of two morphologically homologous flares that occurred in active region (AR) NOAA 10501 on 20 November 2003. Both flares displayed four homologous Hα ribbons and were both accompanied by coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The central flare ribbons were located at the site of an emerging bipole in the center of the active region. The negative polarity of this bipole fragmented in two main pieces, one rotating around the positive polarity by ≈ 110 • within 32 hours. We model the coronal magnetic field and compute its topology, using as boundary condition the magnetogram closest in time to each flare. In particular, we calculate the location of quasiseparatrix layers (QSLs) in order to understand the connectivity between the flare ribbons. Though several polarities were present in AR 10501, the global magnetic field topology corresponds to a quadrupolar magnetic field distribution without magnetic null points. For both flares, the photospheric traces of QSLs are similar and match well the locations of the four Hα ribbons. This globally unchanged topology and the continuous shearing by the rotating bipole are two key factors responsible for the flare homology. However, our analyses also indicate that different magnetic connectivity domains of the quadrupolar configuration become unstable during each flare, so that magnetic reconnection proceeds differently in both events.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Homologous Flares and Magnetic Field Topology in Active Region NOAA 10501 on 20 November 2003

et al. 2010

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“…Considering that the light curves of the two CBPs consist of repeated flashes superposed over long-existing brightening (Habbal & Withbroe 1981;Tian et al 2008), the authors proposed that the CBP evolution consists of two components: quasiperiodic impulsive flashes and gradual weak brightening, which correspond to null-point and quasi-separatrix layer (QSL) reconnections, respectively. The null-point reconnection produces jets associated with CBP flashes, whereas QSL reconnection is much gentler (Mandrini et al 1996;Aulanier et al 2007;Pontin et al 2011;Guo et al 2013;Schmieder et al 2013). Although not all CBPs have a null point and fan-spine magnetic configuration, the two components of SXR brightening seem to exist, and two types of magnetic reconnection, that is, anti-parallel and sliprunning reconnection in QSLs, apply to most CBPs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reciprocatory magnetic reconnection in a coronal bright point

Zhang

Chen

Ding

et al. 2014

A&A

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Context. Coronal bright points (CBPs) are small-scale and long-duration brightenings in the lower solar corona. They are often explained in terms of magnetic reconnection. Aims. We aim to study the substructures of a CBP and clarify the relationship among the brightenings of different patches inside the CBP. Methods. The event was observed by the X-ray Telescope (XRT) aboard the Hinode spacecraft on 2009 August 22−23. Results. The CBP showed repeated brightenings (or CBP flashes). During each of the two successive CBP flashes, that is, weak and strong flashes that were separated by ∼2 hr, the XRT images revealed that the CBP was composed of two chambers, patches A and B. During the weak flash, patch A brightened first, and patch B brightened ∼2 min later. During the transition, the right leg of a large-scale coronal loop drifted from the right side of the CBP to the left side. During the strong flash, patch B brightened first, and patch A brightened ∼2 min later. During the transition, the right leg of the large-scale coronal loop drifted from the left side of the CBP to the right side. In each flash, the rapid change of the connectivity of the large-scale coronal loop is strongly suggestive of the interchange reconnection. Conclusions. For the first time we found reciprocatory reconnection in the CBP, which means that reconnected loops in the outflow region of the first reconnection process serve as the inflow of the second reconnection process.

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“…Pontin et al 2007;Pariat et al 2009, and references therein). Quasi-separatrix layer reconnection, named sliprunning reconnection in its super-Alfvénic regime (Aulanier et al 2006), does not conserve field lines: magnetic connectivity is continuously exchanged between neighbouring field lines that are involved in QSL reconnection, and at large scales sliprunning field lines are observed to slide relative to each other (Aulanier et al 2006(Aulanier et al , 2007Masson et al 2012). Depending on the magnetic topology, different reconnection modes can therefore be triggered and lead to different dynamics of accelerated particles.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

X-ray and ultraviolet investigation into the magnetic connectivity of a solar flare

Reid¹,

Vilmer²,

Aulanier³

et al. 2012

A&A

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We investigate the X-ray and UV emission detected by RHESSI and TRACE in the context of a solar flare on the 16th November 2002 with the goal of better understanding the evolution of the flare. We analysed the characteristics of the X-ray emission in the 12-25 and 25-50 keV energy range while we looked at the UV emission at 1600 Å. The flare appears to have two distinct phases of emission separated by a 25-s time delay, with the first phase being energetically more important. We found good temporal and spatial agreement between the 25-50 keV X-rays and the most intense areas of the 1600 Å UV emission. We also observed an extended 100-arcsec < 25 keV source that appears coronal in nature and connects two separated UV ribbons later in the flare. Using the observational properties in X-ray and UV wavelengths, we propose two explanations for the flare evolution in relation to the spine/fan magnetic field topology and the accelerated electrons. We find that a combination of quasi separatrix layer reconnection and null-point reconnection is required to account for the observed properties of the X-ray and UV emission.

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Slipping Magnetic Reconnection in Coronal Loops

Cited by 106 publications

References 19 publications

Homologous Flares and Magnetic Field Topology in Active Region NOAA 10501 on 20 November 2003

Homologous Flares and Magnetic Field Topology in Active Region NOAA 10501 on 20 November 2003

Reciprocatory magnetic reconnection in a coronal bright point

X-ray and ultraviolet investigation into the magnetic connectivity of a solar flare

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