Development of a topological model for solar flares

The main theoretical studies of the process involved in solar flares have been made in the two-dimensional approximation. However, the preliminary studies made with three field components suggest that reconnection could take place in the separatrices, the separator (intersection of separatrices) bei...

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Autores principales: Démoulin, P., Hénoux, J.C., Mandrini, C.H.
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Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_00380938_v139_n1_p105_Demoulin
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spelling todo:paper_00380938_v139_n1_p105_Demoulin2023-10-03T14:48:24Z Development of a topological model for solar flares Démoulin, P. Hénoux, J.C. Mandrini, C.H. The main theoretical studies of the process involved in solar flares have been made in the two-dimensional approximation. However, the preliminary studies made with three field components suggest that reconnection could take place in the separatrices, the separator (intersection of separatrices) being a privileged location for this process. As a consequence the sites of flare kernels must be located on the intersections of the separatrices with the photosphere. Therefore, in order to understand the role of interacting large-scale structures in solar flares, we have analysed the topology of three-dimensional potential and linear force-free fields. The magnetic field has been modelled by a distribution of charges or dipoles located below the photosphere. This modelling permits us to define the field connectivity by the charges or the dipoles at both ends of every field line. We found that the appearance of a separator above the photosphere is more likely when a parasitic bipole emerges outside the axis that joins the main polarities and when the field lines are characteristic of a field created by dipoles. The separatrices derived in the potential and force-free hypothesis have different shapes. However, in the strong field regions where flares usually occur, the separatrices of the potential and force-free field models become closer. This property makes possible the use of the potential field, as a first estimate, for computing the location in the photosphere of the separatrices and for comparing this location with the position of observed H α kernels. Displacements of the separatrices of a force-free field result from modifications of the free energy of the field. Then force-free fields have the further capability of predicting the kernel displacement. In all cases a configuration suitable for prominence support is found above the separator. © 1992 Kluwer Academic Publishers. JOUR info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ar http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_00380938_v139_n1_p105_Demoulin
institution Universidad de Buenos Aires
institution_str I-28
repository_str R-134
collection Biblioteca Digital - Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (UBA)
description The main theoretical studies of the process involved in solar flares have been made in the two-dimensional approximation. However, the preliminary studies made with three field components suggest that reconnection could take place in the separatrices, the separator (intersection of separatrices) being a privileged location for this process. As a consequence the sites of flare kernels must be located on the intersections of the separatrices with the photosphere. Therefore, in order to understand the role of interacting large-scale structures in solar flares, we have analysed the topology of three-dimensional potential and linear force-free fields. The magnetic field has been modelled by a distribution of charges or dipoles located below the photosphere. This modelling permits us to define the field connectivity by the charges or the dipoles at both ends of every field line. We found that the appearance of a separator above the photosphere is more likely when a parasitic bipole emerges outside the axis that joins the main polarities and when the field lines are characteristic of a field created by dipoles. The separatrices derived in the potential and force-free hypothesis have different shapes. However, in the strong field regions where flares usually occur, the separatrices of the potential and force-free field models become closer. This property makes possible the use of the potential field, as a first estimate, for computing the location in the photosphere of the separatrices and for comparing this location with the position of observed H α kernels. Displacements of the separatrices of a force-free field result from modifications of the free energy of the field. Then force-free fields have the further capability of predicting the kernel displacement. In all cases a configuration suitable for prominence support is found above the separator. © 1992 Kluwer Academic Publishers.
format JOUR
author Démoulin, P.
Hénoux, J.C.
Mandrini, C.H.
spellingShingle Démoulin, P.
Hénoux, J.C.
Mandrini, C.H.
Development of a topological model for solar flares
author_facet Démoulin, P.
Hénoux, J.C.
Mandrini, C.H.
author_sort Démoulin, P.
title Development of a topological model for solar flares
title_short Development of a topological model for solar flares
title_full Development of a topological model for solar flares
title_fullStr Development of a topological model for solar flares
title_full_unstemmed Development of a topological model for solar flares
title_sort development of a topological model for solar flares
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_00380938_v139_n1_p105_Demoulin
work_keys_str_mv AT demoulinp developmentofatopologicalmodelforsolarflares
AT henouxjc developmentofatopologicalmodelforsolarflares
AT mandrinich developmentofatopologicalmodelforsolarflares
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