scholarly journals Magnetic energy release: flares and coronal mass ejections

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (S264) ◽  
pp. 257-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina H. Mandrini
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Energy Release ◽  
Coronal Mass Ejections ◽  
Magnetic Energy ◽  
Radiative Energy ◽  
Electromagnetic Spectrum ◽  
Combined Analysis ◽  
Magnetic Field Topology ◽  
The Magnetic Field ◽  
Magnetic Energy Release

AbstractFree energy stored in the magnetic field is the source that powers solar and stellar activity at all temporal and spatial scales. The energy released during transient atmospheric events is contained in current-carrying magnetic fields that have emerged twisted and may be further stressed via motions in the lower atmospheric layers (i.e. loop-footpoint motions). Magnetic reconnection is thought to be the mechanism through which the stored magnetic energy is transformed into kinetic energy of accelerated particles and mass flows, and radiative energy along the whole electromagnetic spectrum. This mechanism works efficiently at scale lengths much below the spatial resolution of even the highest resolution solar instruments; however, it may imply a large-scale restructuring of the magnetic field inferred indirectly from the combined analysis of observations and models of the magnetic field topology. The aftermath of magnetic energy release includes events ranging from nanoflares, which are below our detection limit, to powerful flares, which may be accompanied by the ejection of large amounts of plasma and magnetic field (so called coronal mass ejections, CMEs), depending on the amount of total available free magnetic energy, the magnetic flux density distribution, the magnetic field configuration, etc. We describe key observational signatures of flares and CMEs on the Sun, their magnetic field topology, and discuss how the combined analysis of solar and interplanetary observations can be used to constrain the flare/CME ejection mechanism.

scholarly journals Large polar caps for twisted magnetosphere of magnetars

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Tong
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Field Line ◽  
Energy Release ◽  
Open Field ◽  
Magnetic Energy ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Open Field Line ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
The Magnetic Field ◽  
Magnetic Energy Release

Abstract The magnetic field of magnetars may be twisted compared with that of normal pulsars. Previous works mainly discussed magnetic energy release in the closed field line regions of magnetars. For a twisted magnetic field, the field lines will inflate in the radial direction. Similar to normal pulsars, the idea of light cylinder radius is introduced. More field lines will cross the light cylinder and become open for a twisted magnetic field. Therefore, magnetars may have a large polar cap, which may correspond to the hot spot during outburst. Particle flow in the open field line regions will result in the untwisting of the magnetic field. Magnetic energy release in the open field line regions can be calculated. The model calculations can catch the general trend of magnetar outburst: decreasing X-ray luminosity, shrinking hot spot etc. For magnetic energy release in the open field line regions, the geometry will be the same for different outburst in one magnetar.

scholarly journals Magnetic field topology of the cool, active, short-period binary system σ2 Coronae Borealis

2018 ◽  
Vol 613 ◽  
pp. A60 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Rosén ◽  
O. Kochukhov ◽  
E. Alecian ◽  
C. Neiner ◽  
J. Morin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Magnetic Energy ◽  
Binary Star ◽  
Brightness Distribution ◽  
Opposite Polarity ◽  
Doppler Imaging ◽  
Primary Star ◽  
Magnetic Field Topology ◽  
Short Period ◽  
The Magnetic Field

Aims. The goal of this work is to study the cool, active binary star σ2 CrB, focussing on its magnetic field. The two F9–G0 components of this system are tidally locked and in a close orbit, increasing the chance of interaction between their magnetospheres. Methods. We used Stokes IV data from the twin spectropolarimeters Narval at the TBL and ESPaDOnS at the CFHT. The least-squares deconvolution multi-line technique was used to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of the data. We then applied a new binary Zeeman–Doppler imaging code to reconstruct simultaneously the magnetic topology and brightness distribution of both components of σ2 CrB. This analysis was carried out for two observational epochs in 2014 and 2017. Results. A previously unconfirmed magnetic field of the primary star has been securely detected. At the same time, the polarisation signatures of the secondary appear to have a systematically larger amplitude than that of the primary. This corresponds to a stronger magnetic field, for which the magnetic energy of the secondary exceeds that of the primary by a factor of 3.3–5.7. While the magnetic energy is similar for the secondary star in the two epochs, the magnetic energy is about twice as high in 2017 for the primary. The magnetic field topology of the two stars in the earlier epoch (2014) is very different. The fractions of energy in the dipole and quadrupole components of the secondary are similar and thereafter decrease with increasing harmonic angular degree ℓ. At the same time, for the primary the fraction of energy in the dipole component is low and the maximum energy contribution comes from ℓ = 4. However, in the 2017 epoch both stars have similar field topologies and a systematically decreasing energy with increasing ℓ. In the earlier epoch, the magnetic field at the visible pole appears to be of opposite polarity for the primary and secondary, suggesting linked magnetospheres. The apparent rotational periods of both σ2 CrB components are longer than the orbital period, which we interpret as an evidence of a solar-like differential rotation. Conclusions. Despite their nearly identical fundamental parameters, the components of σ2 CrB system exhibit different magnetic field properties. This indicates that the magnetic dynamo process is a very sensitive function of stellar parameters.

scholarly journals Radio Emission from the Sun and Stars: New Insights into Energetic Phenomena

2004 ◽  
Vol 219 ◽  
pp. 145-158
Author(s):  
T. S. Bastian
Keyword(s):  
Radio Emission ◽  
Energy Release ◽  
Coronal Mass Ejections ◽  
Magnetic Energy ◽  
Spectroscopic Techniques ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Late Type ◽  
Radio Observations ◽  
Dwarf Stars ◽  
Magnetic Energy Release

Energetic phenomena on the Sun and late-type stars pose a number of fascinating puzzles. These include coronal heating, flares, and coronal mass ejections, all believed to be manifestations of magnetic energy release. Radio radiation is a sensitive tracer of energetic phenomena on both the Sun and stars. Radio observations of the Sun over the past decade have produced new insights into the physics of magnetic energy release in flares and coronal mass ejections. Radio observations of late-type stars have exploited sensitive imaging and spectroscopic techniques to further constrain the nature of the relevant emission mechanisms. A surprise has been the recent discovery of radio emission from brown dwarf stars, implying the existence of substantial magnetic fields and a means of dissipating magnetic energy, neither of which are understood.

scholarly journals Avalanches of Magnetic Reconnection

1993 ◽  
Vol 141 ◽  
pp. 112-114
Author(s):  
Edward T. Lu
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Magnetic Reconnection ◽  
Energy Release ◽  
Power Law ◽  
Magnetic Energy ◽  
Magnetized Plasma ◽  
Release Process ◽  
3 Dimensional ◽  
Convective Motions ◽  
The Magnetic Field

AbstractActive region coronal magnetic fields are expected to be in a twisted tangled state due to photospheric convective motions. These motions can drive the magnetic field to a statistically steady state where energy is released impulsively (Lu and Hamilton 1991). These relaxation events in the magnetic field can be interpreted as avalanches of many small reconnection events. We argue that the frequency distribution of these magnetic reconnection avalanches must be a power law. Furthermore, we calculate the expected distributions in a simple model of magnetic energy release events in a 3-dimensional complex magnetized plasma, and compare these to the distributions of solar flares. These distributions are found to match the observed power law distributions of solar flare energies, peak fluxes, and durations. This model implies that the energy-release process is fundamentally the same for flares of all sizes. Observational predictions of this model are discussed.

Magnetic Energy Release and Transients in the Solar Flare of 2000 July 14

2001 ◽  
Vol 550 (1) ◽  
pp. L105-L108 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. G. Kosovichev ◽  
V. V. Zharkova
Keyword(s):  
Solar Flare ◽  
Energy Release ◽  
Magnetic Energy ◽  
Magnetic Energy Release

CHOICE OF CONDITIONS FOR MHD SIMULATIONS ABOVE THE ACTIVE REGION, ALLOWING THE STUDY OF THE SOLAR FLARE MECHANISM

2021 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
pp. 92-95
Author(s):  
A.I. Podgorny ◽  
◽  
I.M. Podgorny ◽  
A.V. Borisenko ◽  
N.S. Meshalkina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Active Region ◽  
Solar Flare ◽  
Magnetic Energy ◽  
Solar Radius ◽  
Computational Domain ◽  
Mhd Simulations ◽  
Flare Energy ◽  
Numerical Instabilities ◽  
The Magnetic Field

Primordial release of solar flare energy high in corona (at altitudes 1/40 - 1/20 of the solar radius) is explained by release of the magnetic energy of the current sheet. The observed manifestations of the flare are explained by the electrodynamical model of a solar flare proposed by I. M. Podgorny. To study the flare mechanism is necessary to perform MHD simulations above a real active region (AR). MHD simulation in the solar corona in the real scale of time can only be carried out thanks to parallel calculations using CUDA technology. Methods have been developed for stabilizing numerical instabilities that arise near the boundary of the computational domain. Methods are applicable for low viscosities in the main part of the domain, for which the flare energy is effectively accumulated near the singularities of the magnetic field. Singular lines of the magnetic field, near which the field can have a rather complex configuration, coincide or are located near the observed positions of the flare.

scholarly journals The development of magnetic field line wander by plasma turbulence

2017 ◽  
Vol 83 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory G. Howes ◽  
Sofiane Bourouaine
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Field Line ◽  
Magnetic Field Line ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Magnetic Energy ◽  
Plasma Turbulence ◽  
Alfven Wave ◽  
Astrophysical Plasmas ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
The Magnetic Field

Plasma turbulence occurs ubiquitously in space and astrophysical plasmas, mediating the nonlinear transfer of energy from large-scale electromagnetic fields and plasma flows to small scales at which the energy may be ultimately converted to plasma heat. But plasma turbulence also generically leads to a tangling of the magnetic field that threads through the plasma. The resulting wander of the magnetic field lines may significantly impact a number of important physical processes, including the propagation of cosmic rays and energetic particles, confinement in magnetic fusion devices and the fundamental processes of turbulence, magnetic reconnection and particle acceleration. The various potential impacts of magnetic field line wander are reviewed in detail, and a number of important theoretical considerations are identified that may influence the development and saturation of magnetic field line wander in astrophysical plasma turbulence. The results of nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations of kinetic Alfvén wave turbulence of sub-ion length scales are evaluated to understand the development and saturation of the turbulent magnetic energy spectrum and of the magnetic field line wander. It is found that turbulent space and astrophysical plasmas are generally expected to contain a stochastic magnetic field due to the tangling of the field by strong plasma turbulence. Future work will explore how the saturated magnetic field line wander varies as a function of the amplitude of the plasma turbulence and the ratio of the thermal to magnetic pressure, known as the plasma beta.

Kinematic dynamo problem in a linear velocity field

1984 ◽  
Vol 144 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ya. B. Zel'Dovich ◽  
A. A. Ruzmaikin ◽  
S. A. Molchanov ◽  
D. D. Sokoloff
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Velocity Field ◽  
Random Matrix ◽  
Magnetic Energy ◽  
Linear Velocity ◽  
Finite Conductivity ◽  
Kinematic Dynamo ◽  
Linear Velocity Field ◽  
The Magnetic Field

A magnetic field is shown to be asymptotically (t → ∞) decaying in a flow of finite conductivity with v = Cr, where C = Cζ(t) is a random matrix. The decay is exponential, and its rate does not depend on the conductivity. However, the magnetic energy increases exponentially owing to growth of the domain occupied by the field. The spatial distribution of the magnetic field is a set of thin ropes and (or) layers.

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