PROMINENCE FORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH AN EMERGING HELICAL FLUX ROPE

Journal Article · Wed May 20 04:00:00 EDT 2009 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/697/1/913; COUNTRY OF INPUT: INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA)· OSTI ID:21300542

Okamoto, Takenori J; Tsuneta, Saku; Katsukawa, Yukio; Suematsu, Yoshinori ^[1]; Lites, Bruce W; Kubo, Masahito ^[2]; Yokoyama, Takaaki ^[3]; Berger, Thomas E; Shine, Richard A; Tarbell, Theodore D; Title, Alan M ^[4]; Ichimoto, Kiyoshi; Nagata, Shin'ichi; Shibata, Kazunari ^[5]; Shimizu, Toshifumi ^[6]

---

1. National Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka, Tokyo, 181-8588 (Japan)
2. High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000 (United States)
3. Department of Earth and Planetary Science, School of Science, University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo, 113-0033 (Japan)
4. Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory, B/252, 3251 Hanover St., Palo Alto, CA 94304 (United States)
5. Kwasan and Hida Observatories, Kyoto University, Yamashina, Kyoto, 607-8471 (Japan)
6. ISAS/JAXA, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 229-8510 (Japan)

The formation and evolution process and magnetic configuration of solar prominences remain unclear. In order to study the formation process of prominences, we examine continuous observations of a prominence in NOAA AR 10953 with the Solar Optical Telescope on the Hinode satellite. As reported in our previous Letter, we find a signature suggesting that a helical flux rope emerges from below the photosphere under a pre-existing prominence. Here we investigate more detailed properties and photospheric indications of the emerging helical flux rope, and discuss their relationship to the formation of the prominence. Our main conclusions are: (1) a dark region with absence of strong vertical magnetic fields broadens and then narrows in Ca II H-line filtergrams. This phenomenon is consistent with the emergence of the helical flux rope as photospheric counterparts. The size of the flux rope is roughly 30,000 km long and 10,000 km wide. The width is larger than that of the prominence. (2) No shear motion or converging flows are detected, but we find diverging flows such as mesogranules along the polarity inversion line. The presence of mesogranules may be related to the emergence of the helical flux rope. (3) The emerging helical flux rope reconnects with magnetic fields of the pre-existing prominence to stabilize the prominence for the next several days. We thus conjecture that prominence coronal magnetic fields emerge in the form of helical flux ropes that contribute to the formation and maintenance of the prominence.

• OSTI ID: 21300542
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 697; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
PHOTOSPHERE
SATELLITES
SOLAR PROMINENCES
STAR EVOLUTION
SUN
TELESCOPES