Large-scale Contraction and Subsequent Disruption of Coronal Loops During Various Phases of the M6.2 Flare Associated with the Confined Flux Rope Eruption
Abstract
We investigate evolutionary phases of an M6.2 flare and the associated confined eruption of a prominence. The pre-flare phase exhibits spectacular large-scale contraction of overlying extreme ultraviolet (EUV) coronal loops during which the loop system was subjected to an altitude decrease of ∼20 Mm (40% of the initial height) for an extended span of ∼30 minutes. This contraction phase is accompanied by sequential EUV brightenings associated with hard X-ray (HXR; up to 25 keV) and microwave (MW) sources from low-lying loops in the core region which together with X-ray spectra indicate strong localized heating in the source region before the filament activation. With the onset of the flare’s impulsive phase, we detect HXR and MW sources that exhibit intricate temporal and spatial evolution in relation to the fast rise of the prominence. Following the flare maximum, the filament eruption slowed down and subsequently became confined within the large overlying active region loops. During the confinement process of the erupting prominence, we detect MW emission from the extended coronal region with multiple emission centroids, which likely represent emission from hot blobs of plasma formed after the collapse of the expanding flux rope and entailing prominence material. RHESSI spectroscopy reveals high plasma temperature (∼30 MK) and substantial non-thermal characteristics (δ ∼ 5) during the impulsive phase of the flare. The time evolution of thermal energy exhibits a good correspondence with the variations in cumulative non-thermal energy, which suggests that the energy of accelerated particles is efficiently converted to hot flare plasma, implying an effective validation of the Neupert effect.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- July 2015
- DOI:
- 10.1088/0004-637X/807/1/101
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1504.01888
- Bibcode:
- 2015ApJ...807..101K
- Keywords:
-
- Sun: activity;
- Sun: corona;
- Sun: filaments;
- prominences;
- Sun: flares;
- Sun: X-rays;
- gamma rays;
- Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- Accepted for Publication in the Astrophysical Journal