DYNAMICS OF ELECTRIC CURRENTS, MAGNETIC FIELD TOPOLOGY, AND HELIOSEISMIC RESPONSE OF A SOLAR FLARE

Journal Article · Mon Jul 20 04:00:00 EDT 2015 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/808/1/72· OSTI ID:22522152

Sharykin, I. N.; Kosovichev, A. G. ^[1]

---

1. 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, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 808; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ERUPTION
GAMMA RADIATION
HARD X RADIATION
IMAGES
KEV RANGE
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MASS
PHOTOSPHERE
PLASMA
SOLAR FLARES
SUN
SUNSPOTS
VISIBLE RADIATION