DYNAMICS OF ELECTRIC CURRENTS, MAGNETIC FIELD TOPOLOGY, AND HELIOSEISMIC RESPONSE OF A SOLAR FLARE
- Big Bear Solar Observatory, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Big Bear City, CA 92314 (United States)
The solar flare on 2011 July 30 was of a modest X-ray class (M9.3), but it made a strong photospheric impact and produced a “sunquake,” which was observed with the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager on board NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory. In addition to the helioseismic waves, the flare caused a large expanding area of white-light emission and was accompanied by the rapid formation of a sunspot structure in the flare region. The flare produced hard X-ray (HXR) emission less then 300 keV and no coronal mass ejection (CME). The absence of CME rules out magnetic rope eruption as a mechanism of helioseismic waves. The sunquake impact does not coincide with the strongest HXR source, which contradicts the standard beam-driven mechanism of sunquake generation. We discuss the connectivity of the flare energy release with the electric currents dynamics and show the potential importance of high-speed plasma flows in the lower solar atmosphere during the flare energy release.
- OSTI ID:
- 22522152
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 808, Issue 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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