Twin extreme ultraviolet waves in the solar corona

Solar extreme ultraviolet (EUV) waves are spectacular propagating disturbances with EUV enhancements in annular shapes in the solar corona. These EUV waves carry critical information about the coronal magnetised plasma that can shed light on gaining insight to the elusive physical parameters (e.g. the magnetic field strength) by global solar coronal magneto-seismology (SMS). EUV waves are closely associated with a wide range of solar atmospheric eruptions, from violent flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) to less energetic plasma jets or mini-filament eruptions, and can play a role in accelerating particles to non-thermal energies. However, the physical nature and driving mechanism of EUV waves is still under controversy. Here, we report the unique discovery of twin EUV waves (TEWs) that were formed in a single eruption with observations from two different perspectives. In all earlier studies, a single eruption was associated at most in a single EUV wave. The newly found TEWs urge to re-visit our theoretical understanding about the underlying formation mechanism(s) of coronal EUV waves. Two distinct scenarios of TEWs were found. In the first scenario, the two waves were separately associated with a filament eruption and a precursor jet, while in another scenario the two waves were successively associated with a filament eruption. Hence, we label these distinguished scenarios as "fraternal TEWs" and "identical TEWs", respectively. Further, we also suggest that impulsive lateral expansions of two distinct groups of coronal loops are critical to the formation of TEWs in a single eruption.

Probable detection of an eruptive filament from a superflare on a solar-type star

Solar flares are often accompanied by filament/prominence eruptions (~104 K and ~1010−11 cm−3), sometimes leading to coronal mass ejections that directly affect the Earth’s environment1,2. ‘Superflares’ are found on some active solar-type (G-type main-sequence) stars3–5, but the filament eruption–coronal mass ejection association has not been established. Here we show that our optical spectroscopic observation of the young solar-type star EK Draconis reveals evidence for a stellar filament eruption associated with a superflare. This superflare emitted a radiated energy of 2.0 × 1033 erg, and a blueshifted hydrogen absorption component with a high velocity of −510 km s−1 was observed shortly afterwards. The temporal changes in the spectra strongly resemble those of solar filament eruptions. Comparing this eruption with solar filament eruptions in terms of the length scale and velocity strongly suggests that a stellar coronal mass ejection occurred. The erupted filament mass of 1.1 × 1018 g is ten times larger than those of the largest solar coronal mass ejections. The massive filament eruption and an associated coronal mass ejection provide the opportunity to evaluate how they affect the environment of young exoplanets/the young Earth6 and stellar mass/angular momentum evolution7.

Sympathetic Filament Eruptions within a Fan-spine Magnetic System

It is unclear whether successive filament eruptions at different sites within a short time interval are physically connected or not. Here, we present the observations of successive eruptions of a small and a large filament in a tripolar magnetic field region whose coronal magnetic field showed as a fan-spine magnetic system. By analyzing the multiwavelength observations taken by the Solar Dynamic Observatory and the extrapolated three-dimensional coronal magnetic field, we find that the two filaments resided respectively in the two lobes that make up the inner fan structure of the fan-spine magnetic system. In addition, a small fan-spine system was also revealed by the squashing factor Q map, which located in the east lobe of the fan structure of the large fan-spine system. The eruption of the small filament was a failed filament eruption, which did not cause any coronal mass ejection (CME) except for three flare ribbons and two post-flare-loop systems connecting the three magnetic polarities. The eruption of the large filament not only caused similar post-flare-loop systems and flare ribbons, as observed in the small filament eruption, but also a large-scale CME. Based on our analysis results, we conclude that the two successive filament eruptions were physically connected, in which the topology change caused by the small filament eruption is thought to be the physical linkage. In addition, the eruption of the small fan-spine structure further accelerated the instability and violent eruption of the large filament.

Filament Eruption Driving EUV Loop Contraction and Then Expansion above a Stable Filament

We analyze the observations of EUV loop evolution associated with the filament eruption located at the border of an active region (AR). The event SOL2013-03-16T14:00 was observed with a large difference in view point by the Solar Dynamics Observatory and Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory. The filament height is fitted with the sum of a linear and exponential function. These two phases point to different physical mechanisms such as tether-cutting reconnection and a magnetic instability. While no X-ray emission is reported, this event presents classical eruption features like separation of double ribbons and the growth of flare loops. We report the migration of the southern foot of the erupting filament flux rope due to the interchange reconnection with encountered magnetic loops of a neighboring AR. Parallel to the erupting filament, a stable filament remains in the core of the AR. The specificity of this eruption is that coronal loops, located above the nearly joining ends of the two filaments, first contract in phase, then expand and reach a new stable configuration close to the one present at the eruption onset. Both contraction and expansion phases last around 20 minutes. The main difference with previous cases is that the PIL bent about 180° around the end of the erupting filament because the magnetic configuration is at least tripolar. These observations are challenging for models that interpreted previous cases of loop contraction within a bipolar configuration. New simulations are required to broaden the complexity of the configurations studied.

Relationship between three-dimensional velocity of filament eruptions and CME association

It is widely recognised that filament disappearances or eruptions are frequently associated with Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). Since CMEs are a major source of disturbances of the space environment surrounding the Earth, it is important to investigate these associations in detail for the better prediction of CME occurrence. However, the proportion of filament disappearances associated with CMEs is under debate. The estimates range from $$\sim$$ ∼ 10 to $$\sim$$ ∼ 90% and could be affected by the manners to select the events. In this study, we aim to reveal what parameters control the association between filament eruptions and CMEs. We analysed the relationships between CME associations and the physical parameters of filaments including their length, maximum ascending velocity, and direction of eruptions using 28 events of filament eruptions observed in H$$\alpha$$ α . We found that the product of the maximum radial velocity and the filament length is well correlated with the CME occurrence. If the product is larger than $$8.0 \times 10^{6}$$ 8.0 × 10 6 $$\text {km}^{2}$$ km 2 $$\text {s}^{-1}$$ s - 1 , the filament will become a CME with a probability of 93%, and if the product is smaller than this value, it will not become a CME with a probability of 100%. We suggest a kinetic-energy threshold above which filament eruptions are associated with CMEs. Our findings also suggest the importance of measuring the velocity vector of filament eruption in three-dimensional space for the better prediction of CME occurrence.

Determining the dynamics and magnetic fields in He I 10830 Å during a solar filament eruption

Aims. We investigate the dynamics and magnetic properties of the plasma, including the line-of-sight velocity (LOS) and optical depth, as well as the vertical and horizontal magnetic fields, belonging to an erupted solar filament. Methods. The filament eruption was observed with the GREGOR Infrared Spectrograph at the 1.5-meter GREGOR telescope on July 3, 2016. We acquired three consecutive full-Stokes slit-spectropolarimetric scans in the He I 10830 Å spectral range. The Stokes I profiles were classified using the machine learning k-means algorithm and then inverted with different initial conditions using the HAZEL code. Results. The erupting-filament material presents the following physical conditions: (1) ubiquitous upward motions with peak LOS velocities of ∼73 km s−1; (2) predominant large horizontal components of the magnetic field, on average, in the range of 173−254 G, whereas the vertical components of the fields are much lower, on average between 39 and 58 G; (3) optical depths in the range of 0.7−1.1. The average azimuth orientation of the field lines between two consecutive raster scans (<2.5 min) remained constant. Conclusions. The analyzed filament eruption belongs to the fast rising phase, with total velocities of about 124 km s−1. The orientation of the magnetic field lines does not change from one raster scan to the other, indicating that the untwisting phase has not yet started. The untwisting appears to start about 15 min after the beginning of the filament eruption.

Dynamic processes in an active region in the initial and impulsive phases of the eruptive flare event on June 7, 2011

We present the results of an analysis of Hα monochromatic and spectral observations obtained at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory for an impressive filament eruption during a flare occurred on June 7, 2011. Our ground-based observations are combined with data acquired by multiple instruments onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO/AIA, SDO/HMI). The evolution and dynamics of the eruptive process, the cause of eruption, the structure of the line-of-sight velocity field and fine internal structure of the eruptive filament are studied and a number of physical parameters of the eruptive filament are determined. The results of the analysis have shown that: 1) The evolution of the filament eruption consists of two phases: the slow-rise phase, which began about two hours before the flare onset, and the fast-rise phase, which began almost simultaneously with the flare onset. 2) The eruptive filament had a very complex internal structure and complicated line-of-sight velocity field. The filament does not erupt as a single structure. Several discrete massive absorption fragments are seen with a large number of fine-structure elements inside fragments with different velocities, as well as many plasma blobs that detach from the fragments. 3) The motion of the filament fragments is a combination of rotational motion around the axis of the fragment and a movement as a whole towards the observer. The velocities of such plasma motions are determined. 4) Hα line profiles show a large variety of contrast values, Doppler half-widths and Doppler shifts in eruptive filament elements.