Abstract
Active regions (ARs) appearing on the surface of the Sun are classified into , , , and by the rules of the Mount Wilson Observatory, California on the basis of their topological complexity. Amongst these, the sunspots are known to be superactive and produce the most x-ray flares. Here, we present results from a simulation of the Sun by mimicking the upper layers and the corona, but starting at a more primitive stage than any earlier treatment. We find that this initial state consisting of only a thin subphotospheric magnetic sheet breaks into multiple flux tubes which evolve into a colliding-merging system of spots of opposite polarity upon surface emergence, similar to those often seen on the Sun. The simulation goes on to produce many exotic sunspot associated phenomena: repeated flaring in the range of typical solar flare energy release and ejective helical flux ropes with embedded cool-dense plasma filaments resembling solar coronal mass ejections.
- Received 23 September 2015
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.101101
© 2016 American Physical Society
Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)
Viewpoint
A New Twist in Simulating Solar Flares
Published 7 March 2016
Simulations show for the first time how the magnetic fields that produce solar flares can extend out of the Sun by acquiring a twist.
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