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The Spectrometer/Telescope for Imaging X-rays (STIX) is the HXR instrument onboard Solar Orbiter designed to observe solar flares over a broad range of flare sizes, between 4-150 keV. We report the first STIX observations of microflares recorded during the instrument commissioning phase in order to investigate the STIX performance at its detection limit. This first result paper focuses on the temporal and spectral evolution of STIX microflares occuring in the AR12765 in June 2020, and compares the STIX measurements with GOES/XRS, SDO/AIA, and Hinode/XRT. For the observed microflares of the GOES A and B class, the STIX peak time at lowest energies is located in the impulsive phase of the flares, well before the GOES peak time. Such a behavior can either be explained by the higher sensitivity of STIX to higher temperatures compared to GOES, or due to the existence of a nonthermal component reaching down to low energies. The interpretation is inconclusive due to limited counting statistics for all but the largest flare in our sample. For this largest flare, the low-energy peak time is clearly due to thermal emission, and the nonthermal component seen at higher energies occurs even earlier. This suggests that the classic thermal explanation might also be favored for the majority of the smaller flares. In combination with EUV and SXR observations, STIX corroborates earlier findings that an isothermal assumption is of limited validity. Future diagnostic efforts should focus on multi-wavelength studies to derive differential emission measure distributions over a wide range of temperatures to accurately describe the energetics of solar flares. Commissioning observations confirm that STIX is working as designed. As a rule of thumb, STIX detects flares as small as the GOES A class. For flares above the GOES B class, detailed spectral and imaging analyses can be performed., Comment: 19 pages, 11 figures

We determine the three-dimensional geometry and deprojected mass of 29 well-observed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and their interplanetary counterparts (ICMEs) using combined Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory - Solar and Heliospheric Observatory white-light data. From the geometry parameters, we calculate the volume of the CME for the magnetic ejecta (flux-rope type geometry) and sheath structure (shell-like geometry resembling the (I)CME frontal rim). Working under the assumption that the CME mass is roughly equally distributed within a specific volume, we expand the CME self-similarly and calculate the CME density for distances close to the Sun (15-30 Rs) and at 1 AU. Specific trends are derived comparing calculated and in-situ measured proton densities at 1 AU, though large uncertainties are revealed due to the unknown mass and geometry evolution: (1) a moderate correlation for the magnetic structure having a mass that stays rather constant (cc approximate to 0.56 - 0.59), and (2) a weak correlation for the sheath density (cc approximate to 0.26) by assuming the sheath region is an extra mass-as expected for a mass pile-up process-that is in its amount comparable to the initial CME deprojected mass. High correlations are derived between in-situ measured sheath density and the solar wind density (cc approximate to -0.73) and solar wind speed (cc approximate to 0.56) as measured 24 h ahead of the arrival of the disturbance. This gives additional confirmation that the sheath-plasma indeed stems from piled-up solar wind material. While the CME interplanetary propagation speed is not related to the sheath density, the size of the CME may play some role in how much material could be piled up.

Aims. The Spectrometer Telescope for Imaging X-rays (STIX) on Solar Orbiter is a hard X-ray imaging spectrometer, which covers the energy range from 4 to 150 keV. STIX observes hard X-ray bremsstrahlung emissions from solar flares and therefore provides diagnostics of the hottest (⪆10 MK) flare plasma while quantifying the location, spectrum, and energy content of flare-accelerated nonthermal electrons. Methods. To accomplish this, STIX applies an indirect bigrid Fourier imaging technique using a set of tungsten grids (at pitches from 0.038 to 1 mm) in front of 32 coarsely pixelated CdTe detectors to provide information on angular scales from 7 to 180 arcsec with 1 keV energy resolution (at 6 keV). The imaging concept of STIX has intrinsically low telemetry and it is therefore well-suited to the limited resources available to the Solar Orbiter payload. To further reduce the downlinked data volume, STIX data are binned on board into 32 selectable energy bins and dynamically-adjusted time bins with a typical duration of 1 s during flares. Results. Through hard X-ray diagnostics, STIX provides critical information for understanding the acceleration of electrons at the Sun and their transport into interplanetary space and for determining the magnetic connection of Solar Orbiter back to the Sun. In this way, STIX serves to link Solar Orbiter’s remote and in-situ measurements.

Context: Eruptive events such as coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and flares accelerate particles and generate shock waves which can arrive at Earth and can disturb the magnetosphere. Understanding the association between CMEs and CME-driven shocks is therefore highly important for space weather studies. Aims: We present a study of the CME/flare event associated with two type II bursts observed on September 27, 2012. The aim of the study is to understand the relationship between the observed CME and the two distinct shock wave signatures. Methods: The multi-wavelength study of the eruptive event (CME/flare) was complemented with radio triangulation of the associated radio emission and modelling of the CME and the shock wave employing MHD simulations. Results: We found that, although temporal association between the type II bursts and the CME is good, the low-frequency type II(LF-type II) burst occurs significantly higher in the corona than the CME and its relationship to the CME is not straightforward. The analysis of the EIT wave (coronal bright front) shows the fastest wave component to be in the southeast quadrant of the Sun. This is also the quadrant in which the source positions of the LF-type II were found to be located, probably resulting from the interaction between the shock wave and a streamer. Conclusions: The relationship between the CME/flare event and the shock wave signatures is discussed using the temporal association,as well as the spatial information of the radio emission. Further, we discuss the importance and possible effects of the frequently non-radial propagation of the shock wave., 16 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

We study a complex GOES M1.1 circular ribbon flare and related pre-flare activity on 26 January 2015 [SOL26-01-2015] in solar active region NOAA 12268. This flare activity was observed by the AIA on board SDO and the RHESSI. The examination of photospheric magnetograms during the extended period, prior to the event, suggests the successive development of a so-called 'anemone' type magnetic configuration. NLFFF extrapolation reveals a fan-spine magnetic configuration with the presence of a coronal null-point. We found that the pre-flare activity in the active region starts ~15 min prior to the main flare in the form of localized bright patches at two locations. A comparison of locations and spatial structures of the pre-flare activity with magnetic configuration of the corresponding region suggests onset of magnetic reconnection at the null-point along with the low-atmosphere magnetic reconnection caused by the emergence and the cancellation of the magnetic flux. The main flare of M1.1 class is characterized by the formation of a well-developed circular ribbon along with a region of remote brightening. Remarkably, a set of relatively compact parallel ribbons formed inside the periphery of the circular ribbon which developed lateral to the brightest part of the circular ribbon. During the peak phase of the flare, a coronal jet is observed at the north-east edge of the circular ribbon which suggests interchange reconnection between large-scale field lines and low-lying closed field lines. Our investigation suggests a combination of two distinct processes in which ongoing pre-flare null-point reconnection gets further intensified as the confined eruption along with jet activity proceeded from within the circular ribbon region which results to the formation of inner parallel ribbons and corresponding post-reconnection arcade., 24 pages, 11 figures, Accepted for publication in Solar Physics

International audience; Forbush decreases (FDs), which are short‐term drops in the flux of galactic cosmic rays, are caused by the shielding from strong and/or turbulent magnetic structures in the solar wind, especially interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) and their associated shocks, as well as corotating interaction regions. Such events can be observed at Earth, for example, using neutron monitors, and also at many other locations in the solar system, such as on the surface of Mars with the Radiation Assessment Detector instrument onboard Mars Science Laboratory. They are often used as a proxy for detecting the arrival of ICMEs or corotating interaction regions, especially when sufficient in situ solar wind measurements are not available. We compare the properties of FDs observed at Earth and Mars, focusing on events produced by ICMEs. We find that FDs at both locations show a correlation between their total amplitude and the maximum hourly decrease, but with different proportionality factors. We explain this difference using theoretical modeling approaches and suggest that it is related to the size increase of ICMEs, and in particular their sheath regions, en route from Earth to Mars. From the FD data, we can derive the sheath broadening factor to be between about 1.5 and 1.9, agreeing with our theoretical considerations. This factor is also in line with previous measurements of the sheath evolution closer to the Sun.

We use Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO)/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) data to reconstruct the plasma properties from differential emission measure (DEM) analysis for a previously studied long-lived, low-latitude coronal hole (CH) over its lifetime of ten solar rotations. We initially obtain a non-isothermal DEM distribution with a dominant component centered around 0.9 MK and a secondary smaller component at 1.5 - 2.0 MK. We find that deconvolving the data with the instrument point spread function (PSF) to account for long-range scattered light reduces the secondary hot component. Using the 2012 Venus transit and a 2013 lunar eclipse to test the efficiency of this deconvolution, significant amounts of residual stray light are found for the occulted areas. Accounting for this stray light in the error budget of the different AIA filters further reduces the secondary hot emission, yielding CH DEM distributions that are close to isothermal with the main contribution centered around 0.9 MK. Based on these DEMs, we analyze the evolution of the emission measure (EM), density, and averaged temperature during the CH's lifetime. We find that once the CH is clearly observed in EUV images, the bulk of the CH plasma reveals a quite constant state, i.e. temperature and density reveal no major changes, whereas the total CH area and the photospheric magnetic fine structure inside the CH show a distinct evolutionary pattern. These findings suggest that CH plasma properties are mostly "set" at the CH formation or/and that all CHs have similar plasma properties., Comment: Accepted for publication in Solar Physics

The magnetohydrodynamics of active region NOAA 11283 is simulated using an initial non-force-free magnetic field extrapolated from its photospheric vector magnetogram. We focus on the magnetic reconnections at a magnetic null point that participated in the X2.1 flare on 2011 September 6 around 22:21 UT (SOL2011-09-06T22:21X2.1) followed by the appearance of circular flare ribbons and coronal dimmings. The initial magnetic field from extrapolation displays a three-dimensional (3D) null topology overlying a sheared arcade. Prior to the flare, magnetic loops rise due to the initial Lorentz force, and reconnect at the 3D null, leading to expansion and loss of confined plasma that produce the observed pre-flare coronal dimmings. Further, the simulated dynamics documents the transfer of twist from the arcade to the overlying loops through reconnections, developing a flux rope. The non-parallel field lines comprising the rope and lower-lying arcades form an X-type geometry. Importantly, the simultaneous reconnections at the 3D null and the X-type geometry can explain the observed circular and parallel flare ribbons. Reconnections at the 3D null transform closed inner spine field lines into open field lines of the outer spine. The footpoints of these open field lines correspond to a ring-shaped coronal dimming region, tracing the dome. Further, the flux rope bifurcates because of these reconnections which also results in the generation of open magnetic field lines. The plasma loss along the open field lines can potentially explain the observed coronal dimming., Comment: 29 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal

Context. In recent decades, solar physics has entered the era of big data and the amount of data being constantly produced from ground- and space-based observatories can no longer be purely analyzed by human observers. Aims. In order to assure a stable series of recorded images of sufficient quality for further scientific analysis, an objective image-quality measure is required. Especially when dealing with ground-based observations, which are subject to varying seeing conditions and clouds, the quality assessment has to take multiple effects into account and provide information about the affected regions. The automatic and robust identification of quality-degrading effects is critical for maximizing the scientific return from the observations and to allow for event detections in real time. In this study, we develop a deep-learning method that is suited to identify anomalies and provide an image-quality assessment of solar full-disk Hα filtergrams. The approach is based on the structural appearance and the true image distribution of high-quality observations. Methods. We employ a neural network with an encoder–decoder architecture to perform an identity transformation of selected high-quality observations. The encoder network is used to achieve a compressed representation of the input data, which is reconstructed to the original by the decoder. We use adversarial training to recover truncated information based on the high-quality image distribution. When images of reduced quality are transformed, the reconstruction of unknown features (e.g., clouds, contrails, partial occultation) shows deviations from the original. This difference is used to quantify the quality of the observations and to identify the affected regions. In addition, we present an extension of this architecture that also uses low-quality samples in the training step. This approach takes characteristics of both quality domains into account, and improves the sensitivity for minor image-quality degradation. Results. We apply our method to full-disk Hα filtergrams from the Kanzelhöhe Observatory recorded during 2012−2019 and demonstrate its capability to perform a reliable image-quality assessment for various atmospheric conditions and instrumental effects. Our quality metric achieves an accuracy of 98.5% in distinguishing observations with quality-degrading effects from clear observations and provides a continuous quality measure which is in good agreement with the human perception. Conclusions. The developed method is capable of providing a reliable image-quality assessment in real time, without the requirement of reference observations. Our approach has the potential for further application to similar astrophysical observations and requires only coarse manual labeling of a small data set.

Solar energetic particles (SEPs) are an important product of solar activity. They are connected to solar active regions and flares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), EUV waves, shocks, Type II and III radio emissions, and X-ray bursts. These phenomena are major probes of the partition of energy in solar eruptions, as well as for the organization, dynamics, and relaxation of coronal and interplanetary magnetic fields. Many of these phenomena cause terrestrial space weather, posing multiple hazards for humans and their technology from space to the ground. Since particular flares, shocks, CMEs, and EUV waves produce SEP events but others do not, since propagation effects from the low corona to 1 AU appear important for some events but not others, and since Type II and III radio emissions and X-ray bursts are sometimes produced by energetic particles leaving these acceleration sites, it is necessary to study the whole system with a multi-frequency and multi-instrument perspective that combines both in-situ and remote observations with detailed modelling of phenomena. This article demonstrates this comprehensive approach, and shows its necessity, by analysing a trio of unusual and striking solar eruptions, radio and X-ray bursts, and SEP events that occurred on 4 November 2015. These events show both strong similarities and differences from standard events and each other, despite having very similar interplanetary conditions and only two are sites and CME genesis regions. They are therefore major targets for further in-depth observational studies, and for testing both existing and new theories and models. Based on the very limited modelling available we identify the aspects that are and are not understood, and we discuss ideas that may lead to improved understanding of the SEP, radio, and space-weather events., 56 pages, 25 figures; Accepted for publication in Solar Physics

In a thorough study, we investigate the origin of a remarkable plasma and magnetic field configuration observed in situ on June 22, 2011 near L1, which appears to be a magnetic ejecta (ME) and a shock signature engulfed by a solar wind high-speed stream (HSS). We identify the signatures as an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection (CME), associated with a C7.7 flare on June 21, 2011, and its interaction with a HSS, which emanates from a coronal hole (CH) close to the launch site of the CME. The results indicate that the major interaction between the CME and the HSS starts at a height of 1.3 Rsun up to 3 Rsun. Over that distance range, the CME undergoes a strong north-eastward deflection of at least 30 degrees due to the open magnetic field configuration of the CH. We perform a comprehensive analysis for the CME-HSS event using multi-viewpoint data (from the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatories, the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory and the Solar Dynamics Observatory), and combined modeling efforts (nonlinear force-free field modeling, Graduated Cylindrical Shell CME modeling, and the Forecasting a CMEs Altered Trajectory ForeCAT model). We aim at better understanding its early evolution and interaction process as well as its interplanetary propagation and related in situ signatures, and finally the resulting impact on the Earth's magnetosphere., Accepted in Solar Physics on August 26, 2019

Coronal holes are usually defined as dark structures as seen in the extreme ultraviolet and X-ray spectrum which are generally associated with open magnetic field. Deriving reliably the coronal hole boundary is of high interest, as its area, underlying magnetic field, and other properties give important hints towards high speed solar wind acceleration processes and on compression regions arriving at Earth. In this study we present a new threshold based extraction method that incorporates the intensity gradient along the coronal hole boundary, which is implemented as a user-friendly SSWIDL GUI. The Collection of Analysis Tools for Coronal Holes (CATCH) enables the user to download data, perform guided coronal hole extraction and analyze the underlying photospheric magnetic field. We use CATCH to analyze non-polar coronal holes during the SDO-era, based on 193 {\AA} filtergrams taken by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) and magnetograms taken by the Heliospheric and Magnetic Imager (HMI), both on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Between 2010 and 2019 we investigate 707 coronal holes that are located close to the central meridian. We find coronal holes distributed across latitudes of about +/- 60 degree for which we derive sizes between 1.6 x 10 9 and 1.8 x 10 11 km^2 . The absolute value of the mean signed magnetic field strength tends towards an average of 2.9 +/- 1.9 G. As far as the abundance and size of coronal holes is concerned, we find no distinct trend towards the northern or southern hemisphere. We find that variations in local and global conditions may significantly change the threshold needed for reliable coronal hole extraction and thus, we can highlight the importance of individually assessing and extracting coronal holes., Comment: 30 pages, 14 figures; accepted for publication in Solar Physics October 04, 2019

This work aims to detect and classify stellar flares and potential stellar coronal mass ejection (CME) signatures in optical spectra provided by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data release 14. The sample is constrained to all F, G, K, and M main-sequence type stars, resulting in more than 630,000 stars. This work makes use of the individual spectral exposures provided by the SDSS. An automatic flare search was performed by detecting significant amplitude changes in the $H\alpha$ and $H\beta$ spectral lines after a Gaussian profile was fit to the line core. CMEs were searched for by identifying asymmetries in the Balmer lines caused by the Doppler effect of plasma motions in the line of sight. We identified 281 flares on late-type stars (spectral types K3 to M9). We identified six possible CME candidates showing excess flux in Balmer line wings. Flare energies in $H\alpha$ were calculated and masses of the CME candidates were estimated. The derived $H\alpha$ flare energies range from $3 \times 10^{28} - 2 \times 10^{33}$ erg. The $H\alpha$ flare energy increases with earlier types, while the fraction of flaring times increases with later types. Mass estimates for the CME candidates are in the range of $6 \times 10^{16} - 6 \times 10^{18}$ g, and the highest projected velocities are $\sim300 - 700\:$ km/s. The low detection rate of CMEs we obtained agrees with previous studies, suggesting that for late-type main-sequence stars the CME occurrence rate that can be detected with optical spectroscopy is low., Comment: Contains 22 pages and 21 figures. Properties of the flaring stars and the derived parameters of the flares are available at CDS

We establish the largest eruptive/confined flare database to date and analyze 322 flares of \emph{GOES} class M1.0 and larger that occurred during 2010$-$2019, i.e., almost spanning the entire solar cycle 24. We find that the total unsigned magnetic flux ($\Phi$$_{AR}$) of active regions (ARs) is a key parameter in governing the eruptive character of large flares, with the proportion of eruptive flares exhibiting a strong anti-correlation with $\Phi$$_{AR}$. This means that an AR containing a large magnetic flux has a lower probability for the large flares it produces to be associated with a coronal mass ejection (CME). This finding is supported by the high positive correlation we obtained between the critical decay index height and $\Phi$$_{AR}$, implying that ARs with a larger $\Phi$$_{AR}$ have a stronger magnetic confinement. Moreover, the confined flares originating from ARs larger than 1.0$\times$$10^{23}$ Mx have several characteristics in common: stable filament, slipping magnetic reconnection and strongly sheared post-flare loops. Our findings reveal new relations between the magnetic flux of ARs and the occurrence of CMEs in association with large flares. These relations obtained here provide quantitative criteria for forecasting CMEs and adverse space weather, and have also important implications for "superflares" on solar-type stars and stellar CMEs. The link of database is https://doi.org/10.12149/101030., Comment: 31 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

Solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are closely coupled through magnetic reconnection. CMEs are usually accelerated impulsively within the low solar corona, synchronized with the impulsive flare energy release. We investigate the dynamic evolution of a fast CME and its associated X2.8 flare occurring on 2013 May 13. The CME experiences two distinct phases of enhanced acceleration, an impulsive one with a peak value of ~5 km s$^{-2}$ followed by an extended phase with accelerations up to 0.7 km s$^{-2}$. The two-phase CME dynamics is associated with a two-episode flare energy release. While the first episode is consistent with the "standard" eruption of a magnetic flux rope, the second episode of flare energy release is initiated by the reconnection of a large-scale loop in the aftermath of the eruption and produces stronger nonthermal emission up to $\gamma$-rays. In addition, this long-duration flare reveals clear signs of ongoing magnetic reconnection during the decay phase, evidenced by extended HXR bursts with energies up to 100--300 keV and intermittent downflows of reconnected loops for >4 hours. The observations reveal that the two-step flare reconnection substantially contributes to the two-phase CME acceleration, and the impulsive CME acceleration precedes the most intense flare energy release. The implications of this non-standard flare/CME observation are discussed., Comment: accepted for publication in ApJL

The relationship between the peak velocities of high-speed solar wind streams near Earth and the areas of their solar source regions, i.e., coronal holes, has been known since the 1970s, but it is still physically not well understood. We perform 3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations using the European Heliospheric Forecasting Information Asset (EUHFORIA) code to show that this empirical relationship forms during the propagation phase of high-speed streams from the Sun to Earth. For this purpose, we neglect the acceleration phase of high-speed streams, and project the areas of coronal holes to a sphere at 0.1 au. We then vary only the areas and latitudes of the coronal holes. The velocity, temperature, and density in the cross section of the corresponding highspeed streams at 0.1 au are set to constant, homogeneous values. Finally, we propagate the associated high-speed streams through the inner heliosphere using the EUHFORIA code. The simulated high-speed stream peak velocities at Earth reveal a linear dependence on the area of their source coronal holes. The slopes of the relationship decrease with increasing latitudes of the coronal holes, and the peak velocities saturate at a value of about 730 km/s, similar to the observations. These findings imply that the empirical relationship between the coronal hole areas and high-speed stream peak velocities does not describe the acceleration phase of high-speed streams, but is a result of the high-speed stream propagation from the Sun to Earth.

We present a statistical analysis of 43 coronal dimming events, associated with Earth-directed CMEs that occurred during the period of quasi-quadrature of the SDO and STEREO satellites. We studied coronal dimmings that were observed above the limb by STEREO/EUVI and compared their properties with the mass and speed of the associated CMEs. The unique position of satellites allowed us to compare our findings with the results from Dissauer et al. (2018b, 2019), who studied the same events observed against the solar disk by SDO/AIA. Such statistics is done for the first time and confirms the relation of coronal dimmings and CME parameters for the off-limb viewpoint. The observations of dimming regions from different lines-of-sight reveal a similar decrease in the total EUV intensity ($c=0.60\pm0.14$). We find that the (projected) dimming areas are typically larger for off-limb observations (mean value of $1.24\pm1.23\times10^{11}$ km$^2$ against $3.51\pm0.71\times10^{10}$ km$^2$ for on-disk), with a correlation of $c=0.63\pm0.10$. This systematic difference can be explained by the (weaker) contributions to the dimming regions higher up in the corona, that cannot be detected in the on-disk observations. The off-limb dimming areas and brightnesses show very strong correlations with the CME mass ($c=0.82\pm0.06$ and $c=0.75\pm0.08$), whereas the dimming area and brightness change rate correlate with the CME speed ($c\sim0.6$). Our findings suggest that coronal dimmings have the potential to provide early estimates of mass and speed of Earth-directed CMEs, relevant for space weather forecasts, for satellite locations both at L1 and L5., Comment: 26 pages, 18 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal

Context. The Sun features on its surface typical flow patterns called the granulation, mesogranulation, and supergranulation. These patterns arise due to convective flows transporting energy from the interior of the Sun to its surface. The other well known elements structuring the solar photosphere are magnetic fields arranged from single, isolated, small-scale flux tubes to large and extended regions visible as sunspots and active regions. Aims. In this paper we will shed light on the interaction between the convective flows in large-scale cells as well as the large-scale magnetic fields in active regions, and investigate in detail the statistical distribution of flow velocities during the evolution and formation of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration active region 11190. Methods. To do so, we employed local correlation tracking methods on data obtained by the Solar Dynamics Observatory in the continuum as well as on processed line-of-sight magnetograms. Results. We find that the flow fields in an active region can be modelled by a two-component distribution. One component is very stable, follows a Rayleigh distribution, and can be assigned to the background flows, whilst the other component is variable in strength and velocity range and can be attributed to the flux emergence visible both in the continuum maps as well as magnetograms. Generally, the plasma flows, as seen by the distribution of the magnitude of the velocity, follow a Rayleigh distribution even through the time of formation of active regions. However, at certain moments of large-scale fast flux emergence, a second component featuring higher velocities is formed in the velocity magnitudes distribution. Conclusions. The plasma flows are generally highly correlated to the motion of magnetic elements and vice versa except during the times of fast magnetic flux emergence as observed by rising magnetic elements. At these times, the magnetic fields are found to move faster than the corresponding plasma.© ESO 2019., This research received support by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) P27800. Jose Ivan Campos Rozo and Santiago Vargas Dominguez acknowledge funding from Universidad Nacional de Colombia research project code 36127: Magnetic field in the solar atmosphere. Additional funding was possible through an Odysseus grant of the Fund for Scientific Research-Flanders (FWO Vlaanderen), the IAP P7/08 CHARM (Belspo), and GOA-2015-014 (KU Leuven). This work has also received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 724326).

We report a detailed study of the pre-eruption activities that led to the occurrence of an M9.0 flare/CME event on 2012 October 20 in NOAA AR 11598. This includes the study of the preceding confined C2.4 flare that occurred on the same AR ~25 minutes earlier. We observed that the M9.0 flare occurred as a consequence of two distinct triggering events well separated in time. The first triggering episode occurred as early as ~20 minutes before the onset of the M9.0 flare, evidenced by the destabilization and rise of a pre-existing filament to a new position of equilibrium at a higher coronal altitude during the decay phase of the C2.4 flare. This brought the system to a magnetic configuration where the establishment of the second triggering event was favorable. The second triggering episode occurred ~17 minutes later, during the early phase of the M9.0 flare, evidenced by the further rise of the filament and successful ejection. The second trigger is followed by a flare precursor phase, characterized by non-thermal emission and the sequential formation of a hot channel as shown by the SDO/AIA DEM (differential emission measure) maps, the RHESSI X-ray images and spectra. These observations are suggestive of magnetic reconnection and particle acceleration that can explain the precursor phase and can be directly related to the formation of the hot channel. We discuss on the triggering mechanisms, their implications during the early and precursor phases and highlight the importance of early activities and preceding small confined flares to understand the initiation of large eruptive flares., Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

In this study, we investigate in detail the photospheric magnetic structure of 98 coronal holes using line-of-sight magnetograms of SDO/HMI, and for a subset of 42 coronal holes using HINODE/SOT G-band filtergrams. We divided the magnetic field maps into magnetic elements and quiet coronal hole regions by applying a threshold at ±25 G. We find that the number of magnetic bright points in magnetic elements is well correlated with the area of the magnetic elements (cc = 0.83 ± 0.01). Further, the magnetic flux of the individual magnetic elements inside coronal holes is related to their area by a power law with an exponent of 1.261 ± 0.004 (cc = 0.984 ± 0.001). Relating the magnetic elements to the overall structure of coronal holes, we find that on average (69 ± 8)% of the overall unbalanced magnetic flux of the coronal holes arises from long-lived magnetic elements with lifetimes > 40 h. About (22 ± 4)% of the unbalanced magnetic flux arises from a very weak background magnetic field in the quiet coronal hole regions with a mean magnetic field density of about 0.2−1.2 G. This background magnetic field is correlated to the flux of the magnetic elements with lifetimes of > 40 h (cc = 0.88 ± 0.02). The remaining flux arises from magnetic elements with lifetimes < 40 h. By relating the properties of the magnetic elements to the overall properties of the coronal holes, we find that the unbalanced magnetic flux of the coronal holes is completely determined by the total area that the long-lived magnetic elements cover (cc = 0.994 ± 0.001).

We performed 2.5D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations showing the propagation of fast-mode MHD waves of different initial amplitudes and their interaction with a coronal hole (CH), using our newly developed numerical code. We find that this interaction results in, first, the formation of reflected, traversing, and transmitted waves (collectively, secondary waves) and, second, in the appearance of stationary features at the CH boundary. Moreover, we observe a density depletion that is moving in the opposite direction of the incoming wave. We find a correlation between the initial amplitude of the incoming wave and the amplitudes of the secondary waves as well as the peak values of the stationary features. Additionally, we compare the phase speed of the secondary waves and the lifetime of the stationary features to observations. Both effects obtained in the simulation, the evolution of secondary waves, as well as the formation of stationary fronts at the CH boundary, strongly support the theory that coronal waves are fast-mode MHD waves.

Coronal dimmings, localized regions of reduced emission in the EUV and soft X-rays, are interpreted as density depletions due to mass loss during the CME expansion. They contain crucial information on the early evolution of CMEs low in the corona. For 62 dimming events, characteristic parameters are derived, statistically analyzed and compared with basic flare quantities. On average, coronal dimmings have a size of $2.15\times10^{10}$ km$^{2}$, contain a total unsigned magnetic flux of $1.75\times10^{21}$ Mx, and show a total brightness decrease of $-1.91\times10^{6}$ DN, which results in a relative decrease of $\sim$60% compared to the pre-eruption intensity level. Their main evacuation phase lasts for $\sim$50 minutes. The dimming area, the total dimming brightness, and the total unsigned magnetic flux show the highest correlation with the flare SXR fluence ($c\gtrsim0.7$). Their corresponding time derivatives, describing the dimming dynamics, strongly correlate with the GOES flare class ($c\gtrsim 0.6$). For 60% of the events we identified core dimmings, i.e. signatures of an erupting flux rope. They contain 20% of the magnetic flux covering only 5% of the total dimming area. Secondary dimmings map overlying fields that are stretched during the eruption and closed down by magnetic reconnection, thus adding flux to the erupting flux rope via magnetic reconnection. This interpretation is supported by the strong correlation between the magnetic fluxes of secondary dimmings and flare reconnection fluxes ($c=0.63\pm0.08$), the balance between positive and negative magnetic fluxes ($c=0.83\pm0.04$) within the total dimmings and the fact that for strong flares ($>$M1.0) the reconnection and secondary dimming fluxes are roughly equal., 24 pages, 21 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in ApJ

The main sources of solar energetic particle (SEP) events are solar flares and shocks driven by coronal mass ejections (CMEs). While it is generally accepted that energetic protons can be accelerated by shocks, whether or not these shocks can also efficiently accelerate solar energetic electrons is still debated. In this study we present observations of the extremely widespread SEP event of 26 Dec 2013. To the knowledge of the authors, this is the widest longitudinal SEP distribution ever observed together with unusually long-lasting energetic electron anisotropies at all observer positions. Further striking features of the event are long-lasting SEP intensity increases, two distinct SEP components with the second component mainly consisting of high-energy particles, a complex associated coronal activity including a pronounced signature of a shock in radio type-II observations, and the interaction of two CMEs early in the event. The observations require a prolonged injection scenario not only for protons but also for electrons. We therefore analyze the data comprehensively to characterize the possible role of the shock for the electron event. Remote-sensing observations of the complex solar activity are combined with in-situ measurements of the particle event. We also apply a Graduated Cylindrical Shell (GCS) model to the coronagraph observations of the two associated CMEs to analyze their interaction. We find that the shock alone is likely not responsible for this extremely wide SEP event. Therefore we propose a scenario of trapped energetic particles inside the CME-CME interaction region which undergo further acceleration due to the shock propagating through this region, stochastic acceleration, or ongoing reconnection processes inside the interaction region. The origin of the second component of the SEP event is likely caused by a sudden opening of the particle trap., Comment: Reproduced with permission from Astronomy & Astrophysics, \c{opyright} ESO

We study the properties of 115 coronal holes in the time range from August 2010 to March 2017, the peak velocities of the corresponding high‐speed streams as measured in the ecliptic at 1 AU, and the corresponding changes of the Kp index as marker of their geoeffectiveness. We find that the peak velocities of high‐speed streams depend strongly on both the areas and the co‐latitudes of their solar source coronal holes with regard to the heliospheric latitude of the satellites. Therefore, the co‐latitude of their source coronal hole is an important parameter for the prediction of the high‐speed stream properties near the Earth. We derive the largest solar wind peak velocities normalized to the coronal hole areas for coronal holes located near the solar equator and that they linearly decrease with increasing latitudes of the coronal holes. For coronal holes located at latitudes ≳60°, they turn statistically to zero, indicating that the associated high‐speed streams have a high chance to miss the Earth. Similarly, the Kp index per coronal hole area is highest for the coronal holes located near the solar equator and strongly decreases with increasing latitudes of the coronal holes. We interpret these results as an effect of the three‐dimensional propagation of high‐speed streams in the heliosphere; that is, high‐speed streams arising from coronal holes near the solar equator propagate in direction toward and directly hit the Earth, whereas solar wind streams arising from coronal holes at higher solar latitudes only graze or even miss the Earth., Key Points The peak velocity of high‐speed streams measured in the ecliptic at 1 AU depends on the area and co‐latitude of the source coronal holesAnalogously, the peak Kp index caused by the high‐speed stream depends on the area and co‐latitude of the source coronal holesWe interpret these findings as a result of the three‐dimensional propagation of high‐speed streams in the heliosphere

The ANTARES radiation hydrodynamics code is capable of simulating the solar granulation in detail unequaled by direct observation. We introduce a state-of-the-art numerical tool to the solar physics community and demonstrate its applicability to model the solar granulation. The code is based on the weighted essentially non-oscillatory finite volume method and by its implementation of local mesh refinement is also capable of simulating turbulent fluids. While the ANTARES code already provides promising insights into small-scale dynamical processes occurring in the quiet-Sun photosphere, it will soon be capable of modeling the latter in the scope of radiation magnetohydrodynamics. In this first preliminary study we focus on the vertical photospheric stratification by examining a 3-D model photosphere with an evolution time much larger than the dynamical timescales of the solar granulation and of particular large horizontal extent corresponding to $25\!" \!\! \times \, 25\!"$ on the solar surface to smooth out horizontal spatial inhomogeneities separately for up- and downflows. The highly resolved Cartesian grid thereby covers $\sim 4~\mathrm{Mm}$ of the upper convection zone and the adjacent photosphere. Correlation analysis, both local and two-point, provides a suitable means to probe the photospheric structure and thereby to identify several layers of characteristic dynamics: The thermal convection zone is found to reach some ten kilometers above the solar surface, while convectively overshooting gas penetrates even higher into the low photosphere. An $\approx 145\,\mathrm{km}$ wide transition layer separates the convective from the oscillatory layers in the higher photosphere., Accepted for publication in Astrophysics and Space Science; 18 pages, 12 figures, 2 tables; typos corrected

In this paper, we identified the magnetic source locations of 142 quasi- homologous (QH) coronal mass ejections (CMEs), of which 121 are from solar cycle (SC) 23 and 21 from SC 24. Among those CMEs, 63% originated from the same source location as their predecessor (defined as S-type), while 37% origi- nated from a different location within the same active region as their predecessor (defined as D-type). Their distinctly different waiting time distribution, peaking around 7.5 and 1.5 hours for S- and D-type CMEs, suggests that they might involve different physical mechanisms with different characteristic time scales. Through detailed analysis based on non-linear force free (NLFF) coronal mag- netic field modeling of two exemplary cases, we propose that the S-type QH CMES might involve a recurring energy release process from the same source location (by magnetic free energy replenishment), whereas the D-type QH CMEs can happen when a flux tube system disturbed by a nearby CME.

We present a statistical study of 62 coronal dimming events associated with Earth-directed CMEs during the quasi-quadrature period of STEREO and SDO. This unique setting allows us to study both phenomena in great detail and compare characteristic quantities statistically. Coronal dimmings are observed on-disk by SDO/AIA and HMI, while the CME kinematics during the impulsive acceleration phase is studied close to the limb with STEREO/EUVI and COR, minimizing projection effects. The dimming area, its total unsigned magnetic flux and its total brightness, reflecting properties of the total dimming region at its final extent, show the highest correlations with the CME mass ($c\sim0.6-0.7$). Their corresponding time derivatives, describing the dynamics of the dimming evolution, show the strongest correlations with the CME peak velocity ($c\sim 0.6$). The highest correlation of $c=0.68\pm0.08$ is found with the mean intensity of dimmings, indicating that the lower the CME starts in the corona, the faster it propagates. No significant correlation between dimming parameters and the CME acceleration was found. However, for events where high-cadence STEREO observations were available, the mean unsigned magnetic field density in the dimming regions tends to be positively correlated with the CME peak acceleration ($c=0.42\pm0.20$). This suggests that stronger magnetic fields result in higher Lorentz forces providing stronger driving force for the CME acceleration. Specific coronal dimming parameters correlate with both, CME and flare quantities providing further evidence for the flare-CME feedback relationship. For events in which the CME occurs together with a flare, coronal dimmings statistically reflect the properties of both phenomena., 17 pages, 14 figures, 1 table, submitted to ApJ

In this study we use a numerical simulation of an artificial coronal mass ejection (CME) to validate a method for calculating propagation directions and kinematical profiles of interplanetary CMEs (ICMEs). In this method observations from heliospheric images are constrained with in-situ plasma and field data at 1 AU. These data are used to convert measured ICME elongations into distance by applying the Harmonic Mean approach that assumes a spherical shape of the ICME front. We use synthetic white-light images, similar as observed by STEREO-A/HI, for three different separation angles between remote and in-situ spacecraft, of 30{\deg}, 60{\deg}, and 90{\deg}. To validate the results of the method they are compared to the apex speed profile of the modeled ICME, as obtained from a top view. This profile reflects the "true" apex kinematics since it is not affected by scattering or projection effects. In this way it is possible to determine the accuracy of the method for revealing ICME propagation directions and kinematics. We found that the direction obtained by the constrained Harmonic Mean method is not very sensitive to the separation angle (30{\deg} sep: \phi = W7; 60{\deg} sep: \phi = W12; 90{\deg} sep: \phi = W15; true dir.: E0/W0). For all three cases the derived kinematics are in a relatively good agreement with the real kinematics. The best consistency is obtained for the 30{\deg} case, while with growing separation angle the ICME speed at 1 AU is increasingly overestimated (30{\deg} sep: \Delta V_arr ~-50 km/s, 60{\deg} sep: \Delta V_arr ~+75 km/s, 90{\deg} sep: \Delta V_arr ~+125 km/s). Especially for future L4/L5 missions the 60{\deg} separation case is highly interesting in order to improve space weather forecasts., Comment: accepted for publication in Solar Physics

Forecasting the strength of the sunspot cycle is highly important for many space weather applications. Our previous studies have shown the importance of sunspot number variability in the declining phase of the current 11-year sunspot cycle to predict the strength of the next cycle when the minimum of the current cycle has been observed. In this study we continue this approach and show that we can remove the limitation of having to know the minimum epoch of the current cycle, and that we can already provide a forecast of the following cycle strength in the early stage of the declining phase of the current cycle. We introduce a method to reliably calculate sunspot number second differences (SNSD) in order to quantify the short-term variations of sunspot activity. We demonstrate a steady relationship between the SNSD dynamics in the early stage of the declining phase of a given cycle and the strength of the following sunspot cycle. This finding may bear physical implications on the underlying dynamo at work. From this relation, a relevant indicator is constructed that distinguishes whether the next cycle will be stronger or weaker compared to the current one. We demonstrate that within 24-31 months after reaching the maximum of the cycle, it can be decided with high probability (0.96) whether the next cycle will be weaker or stronger. We predict that sunspot cycle 25 will be weaker than the current cycle 24., Comment: 16 pages, 10 figures, published in ApJ

Small-scale magnetic fields can be observed on the Sun in high resolution G-band filtergrams as magnetic bright points (MBPs). We study Hinode/ Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) longitude and latitude scans of the quiet solar surface taken in the G-band in order to characterise the centre-to-limb dependence of MBP properties (size and intensity). We find that the MBP's sizes increase and their intensities decrease from the solar centre towards the limb. The size distribution can be fitted using a log-normal function. The natural logartihm of the mean (parameter \mu) of this function follows a second-order polynomial and the generalised standard deviation (parameter \sigma) follows a fourth-order polynomial or equally well (within statistical errors) a sine function. The brightness decrease of the features is smaller than one would expect from the normal solar centre-to-limb variation; that is to say, the ratio of a MBP's brightness to the mean intensity of the image increases towards the limb. The centre-to-limb variations of the intensities of the MBPs and the quiet-Sun field can be fitted by a second order polynomial. The detailed physical process that results in an increase of a MBP's brightness and size from Sun centre to the limb is not yet understood and has to be studied in more detail in the future., Comment: The final publication is available at http://www.springerlink.com

We present a detailed study of the interaction process of two coronal mass ejections (CMEs) successively launched on 2011 February 14 (CME1) and 2011 February 15 (CME2). Reconstructing the 3D shape and evolution of the flux ropes we verify that the two CMEs interact. The frontal structure of both CMEs measured along different position angles (PA) over the entire latitudinal extent, reveals differences in the kinematics for the interacting flanks and the apexes. The interaction process is strongly PA-dependent in terms of timing as well as kinematical evolution. The central interaction occurs along PA-100{\deg}, which shows the strongest changes in kinematics. During interaction, CME1 accelerates from ~400 km/s to ~700 km/s and CME2 decelerates from ~1300 km/s to ~600 km/s. Our results indicate that a simplified scenario like inelastic collision may not be sufficient to describe the CME-CME interaction. Magnetic field structures of the intertwining flux ropes as well as momentum transfer due to shocks play an important role in the interaction process., Comment: ApJ (accepted); accompanying movie to Figure 4: http://www.uni-graz.at/~temmerma/richter/f4.mov

Small scale magnetic fields can be observed on the Sun in G-band filtergrams as MBPs (magnetic bright points) or identified in spectro-polarimetric measurements due to enhanced signals of Stokes profiles. These magnetic fields and their dynamics play a crucial role in understanding the coronal heating problem and also in surface dynamo models. MBPs can theoretically be described to evolve out of a patch of a solar photospheric magnetic field with values below the equipartition field strength by the so-called convective collapse model. After the collapse, the magnetic field of MBPs reaches a higher stable magnetic field level. The magnetic field strength distribution of small scale magnetic fields as seen by MBPs is inferred. Furthermore, we want to test the model of convective collapse and the theoretically predicted stable value of about 1300 G. We used four different data sets of high-resolution Hinode/SOT observations that were recorded simultaneously with the broadband filter device (G-band, Ca II-H) and the spectro-polarimeter. To derive the magnetic field strength distribution of these small scale features, the spectropolarimeter (SP) data sets were treated by the Merlin inversion code. The four data sets comprise different solar surface types: active regions (a sunspot group and a region with pores), as well as quiet Sun. In all four cases the obtained magnetic field strength distribution of MBPs is similar and shows peaks around 1300 G. This agrees well with the theoretical prediction of the convective collapse model. The resulting magnetic field strength distribution can be fitted in each case by a model consisting of log-normal components. The important parameters, such as geometrical mean value and multiplicative standard deviation, are similar in all data sets, only the relative weighting of the components is different., Comment: 12 pages, 12 figures, final version to be published in Astronomy and Astrophysics

We discuss the temporal variations and frequency distributions of solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field parameters during the solar minimum of 2007 - 2009 from measurements returned by the IMPACT and PLASTIC instruments on STEREO-A.We find that the density and total field strength were significantly weaker than in the previous minimum. The Alfven Mach number was higher than typical. This reflects the weakness of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) forces, and has a direct effect on the solar wind-magnetosphere interactions.We then discuss two major aspects that this weak solar activity had on the magnetosphere, using data from Wind and ground-based observations: i) the dayside contribution to the cross-polar cap potential (CPCP), and ii) the shapes of the magnetopause and bow shock. For i) we find a low interplanetary electric field of 1.3+/-0.9 mV/m and a CPCP of 37.3+/-20.2 kV. The auroral activity is closely correlated to the prevalent stream-stream interactions. We suggest that the Alfven wave trains in the fast streams and Kelvin-Helmholtz instability were the predominant agents mediating the transfer of solar wind momentum and energy to the magnetosphere during this three-year period. For ii) we determine 328 magnetopause and 271 bow shock crossings made by Geotail, Cluster 1, and the THEMIS B and C spacecraft during a three-month interval when the daily averages of the magnetic and kinetic energy densities attained their lowest value during the three years under survey.We use the same numerical approach as in Fairfield's empirical model and compare our findings with three magnetopause models. The stand-off distance of the subsolar magnetopause and bow shock were 11.8 R(sub E) and 14.35 R(sub E), respectively. When comparing with Fairfield's classic result, we find that the subsolar magnetosheath is thinner by approx. 1 R(sub E). This is mainly due to the low dynamic pressure which results in a sunward shift of the magnetopause. The magnetopause is more flared than in Fairfield's model. By contrast the bow shock is less flared, and the latter is the result of weaker MHD forces.

We present multi-point in situ observations of a complex sequence of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) which may serve as a benchmark event for numerical and empirical space weather prediction models. On 2010 August 1, instruments on various space missions (Solar Dynamics Observatory/ Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/Solar-TErrestrial-RElations-Observatory) monitored several CMEs originating within tens of degrees from solar disk center. We compare their imprints on four widely separated locations, spanning 120 degree in heliospheric longitude, with radial distances from the Sun ranging from MESSENGER (0.38 AU) to Venus Express (VEX, at 0.72 AU) to Wind, ACE and ARTEMIS near Earth, and STEREO-B close to 1 AU. Calculating shock and flux rope parameters at each location points to a non-spherical shape of the shock, and shows the global configuration of the interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs), which have interacted, but do not seem to have merged. VEX and STEREO-B observed similar magnetic flux ropes (MFRs), in contrast to structures at Wind. The geomagnetic storm was intense, reaching two minima in the Dst index (~ -100 nT), caused by the sheath region behind the shock and one of two observed MFRs. MESSENGER received a glancing blow of the ICMEs, and the events missed STEREO-A entirely. The observations demonstrate how sympathetic solar eruptions may immerse at least 1/3 of the heliosphere in the ecliptic with their distinct plasma and magnetic field signatures. We also emphasize the difficulties in linking the local views derived from single-spacecraft observations to a consistent global picture, pointing to possible alterations from the classical picture of ICMEs., 19 pages, 10 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in ApJ

In this article, we review some key aspects of a multi-wavelength flare which have essentially contributed to form a standard flare model based on the magnetic reconnection. The emphasis is given on the recent observations taken by the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) on the X-ray emission originating from different regions of the coronal loops. We also briefly summarize those observations which do not seem to accommodate within the canonical flare picture and discuss the challenges for future investigations.

We investigate the early phase of the 13 February 2009 coronal mass ejection (CME). Observations with the twin STEREO spacecraft in quadrature allow us to compare for the first time in one and the same event the temporal evolution of coronal EUV dimmings, observed simultaneously on-disk and above the limb. We find that these dimmings are synchronized and appear during the impulsive acceleration phase of the CME, with the highest EUV intensity drop occurring a few minutes after the maximum CME acceleration. During the propagation phase two confined, bipolar dimming regions, appearing near the footpoints of a pre-flare sigmoid structure, show an apparent migration away from the site of the CME-associated flare. Additionally, they rotate around the 'center' of the flare site, i.e., the configuration of the dimmings exhibits the same 'sheared-to-potential' evolution as the postflare loops. We conclude that the motion pattern of the twin dimmings reflects not only the eruption of the flux rope, but also the ensuing stretching of the overlying arcade. Finally, we find that: (1) the global-scale dimmings, expanding from the source region of the eruption, propagate with a speed similar to that of the leaving CME front; (2) the mass loss occurs mainly during the period of strongest CME acceleration. Two hours after the eruption Hinode/EIS observations show no substantial plasma outflow, originating from the 'open' field twin dimming regions., accepted for publication in Solar Physics

We present a new approach to combine remote observations and in situ data by STEREO/HI and Wind, respectively, to derive the kinematics and propagation directions of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs). We used two methods, Fixed-Phi and Harmonic Mean, to convert ICME elongations into distance, and constrained the ICME direction such that the ICME distance-time and velocity-time profiles are most consistent with in situ measurements of the arrival time and velocity. The derived velocity-time functions from the Sun to 1 AU for the three events under study (1-6 June 2008, 13-18 February 2009, 3-5 April 2010) do not show strong differences for the two extreme geometrical assumptions of a wide ICME with a circular front (Harmonic Mean) or an ICME of small spatial extent in the ecliptic (Fixed-Phi). Due to the geometrical assumptions, Harmonic Mean delivers the propagation direction further away from the observing spacecraft with a mean difference of ~25 degree.

Small-scale magnetic fields in the solar photosphere can be identified in high-resolution magnetograms or in the G-band as magnetic bright points (MBPs). Rapid motions of these fields can cause magneto-hydrodynamical waves and can also lead to nanoflares by magnetic field braiding and twisting. The MBP velocity distribution is a crucial parameter for estimating the amplitudes of those waves and the amount of energy they can contribute to coronal heating. The velocity and lifetime distributions of MBPs are derived from solar G-band images of a quiet sun region acquired by the Hinode/SOT instrument with different temporal and spatial sampling rates. We developed an automatic segmentation, identification and tracking algorithm to analyse G-Band image sequences to obtain the lifetime and velocity distributions of MBPs. The influence of temporal/spatial sampling rates on these distributions is studied and used to correct the obtained lifetimes and velocity distributions for these digitalisation effects. After the correction of algorithm effects, we obtained a mean MBP lifetime of (2.50 +- 0.05) min and mean MBP velocities, depending on smoothing processes, in the range of (1 - 2) km/s. Corrected for temporal sampling effects, we obtained for the effective velocity distribution a Rayleigh function with a coefficient of (1.62 +- 0.05) km/s. The x- and y- components of the velocity distributions are Gaussians. The lifetime distribution can be fitted by an exponential function., Astronomy and Astrophysics (in press)

Context. Magnetic Bright Points (MBPs) are small-scale magnetic features in the solar photosphere. They may be a possible source of coronal heating by rapid footpoint motions that cause magnetohydrodynamical waves. The number and size distribution are of vital importance in estimating the small scale-magnetic-field energy. Aims. The size distribution of MBPs is derived for G-band images acquired by the Hinode/SOT instrument. Methods. For identification purposes, a new automated segmentation and identification algorithm was developed. Results. For a sampling of 0.108 arcsec/pixel, we derived a mean diameter of (218 +- 48) km for the MBPs. For the full resolved data set with a sampling of 0.054 arcsec/pixel, the size distribution shifted to a mean diameter of (166 +- 31) km. The determined diameters are consistent with earlier published values. The shift is most probably due to the different spatial sampling. Conclusions. We conclude that the smallest magnetic elements in the solar photosphere cannot yet be resolved by G-band observations. The influence of discretisation effects (sampling) has also not yet been investigated sufficiently., Astronomy and Astrophysics, Volume 498, Issue 1, 2009, pp.289-293

To test the standard flare model (CSHKP-model), we measured the magnetic-flux change rate in five flare events of different GOES classes using chromospheric/photospheric observations and compared its progression with observed nonthermal flare emission. We calculated the cumulated positive and negative magnetic flux participating in the reconnection process, as well as the total reconnection flux. Finally, we investigated the relations between the total reconnection flux, the GOES class of the events, and the linear velocity of the flare-associated CMEs. Using high-cadence H-alpha and TRACE 1600 A image time-series data and MDI/SOHO magnetograms, we measured the required observables (newly brightened flare area and magnetic-field strength inside this area). RHESSI and INTEGRAL hard X-ray time profiles in nonthermal energy bands were used as observable proxies for the flare-energy release rate. We detected strong temporal correlations between the derived magnetic-flux change rate and the observed nonthermal emission of all events. The cumulated positive and negative fluxes, with flux ratios of between 0.64 and 1.35, were almost equivalent to each other. Total reconnection fluxes ranged between 1.8 x 10^21 Mx for the weakest event (GOES class B9.5) and 15.5 x 10^21 Mx for the most energetic one (GOES class X17.2). The amount of magnetic flux participating in the reconnection process was higher in more energetic events than in weaker ones. Flares with more reconnection flux were associated with faster CMEs., Comment: 12 pages, 13 figures

We present RHESSI and TRACE observations of multiple flare activity that occurred in the active region NOAA 10656 over the period of two hours on 2004 August 18. Out of four successive flares, there were three events of class C while the final event was a major X1.8 solar eruptive flare. The events during the pre-eruption phase, i.e., before the X1.8 flare, are characterized by localized episodes of energy release occurring in the vicinity of an active region filament which produced intense heating along with non-thermal emission. A few minutes before the eruption, the filament undergoes an activation phase during which it slowly rises with a speed of ~12 km/s. The filament eruption is accompanied with an X1.8 flare during which multiple HXR bursts are observed up to 100-300 keV energies. We observe a bright and elongated coronal structure simultaneously in E(UV) and 50-100 keV HXR images underneath the expanding filament during the period of HXR bursts which provides strong evidence for ongoing magnetic reconnection. This phase is accompanied with very high plasma temperatures of ~31 MK and followed by the detachment of the prominence from the solar source region. From the location, timing, strength, and spectrum of HXR emission, we conclude that the prominence eruption is driven by the distinct events of magnetic reconnection occurring in a current sheet formed below the erupting filament. These multi-wavelength observations also suggest that the localized magnetic reconnections associated with different evolutionary stages of the filament in the pre-eruption phase play a crucial role in destabilizing the filament by a tether-cutting process leading to large-scale eruption and X-class flare., Comment: 16 pages, Accepted for publication in ApJ

Solar magnetized "tornadoes", a phenomenon discovered in the solar atmosphere, appear as tornado-like structures in the corona but root in the photosphere. Like other solar phenomena, solar tornadoes are a feature of magnetized plasma and therefore differ distinctly from terrestrial tornadoes. Here we report the first analysis of solar "tornadoes" {Two papers which focused on different aspect of solar tornadoes were published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters (Li et al. 2012) and Nature (Wedemeyer-B\"ohm et al. 2012), respectively, during the revision of this Letter.}. A detailed case study of two events indicates that they are rotating vertical magnetic structures probably driven by underlying vortex flows in the photosphere. They usually exist as a group and relate to filaments/prominences, another important solar phenomenon whose formation and eruption are still mysteries. Solar tornadoes may play a distinct role in the supply of mass and twists to filaments. These findings could lead to a new explanation to filament formation and eruption., Comment: accepted by ApJL, 5 figures, 4 online movies

In this paper, we present a multi-wavelength analysis of an eruptive white-light M3.2 flare which occurred in active region NOAA 10486 on November 1, 2003. Excellent set of high resolution observations made by RHESSI and TRACE provide clear evidence of significant pre-flare activities for ~9 minutes in the form of an initiation phase observed at EUV/UV wavelengths followed by the X-ray precursor phase. During the initiation phase, we observed localized brightenings in the highly sheared core region close to the filament and interactions among short EUV loops overlying the filament which led to the opening of magnetic field lines. The X-ray precursor phase is manifested in RHESSI measurements below ~30 keV and coincided with the beginning of flux emergence at the flaring location along with early signatures of the eruption. From the RHESSI observations, we conclude that both plasma heating and electron acceleration occurred during the precursor phase. The main flare is consistent with the standard flare model. However, after the impulsive phase, intense HXR looptop source was observed without significant footpoint emission. More intriguingly, for a brief period the looptop source exhibited strong HXR emission with energies up to 100 keV and significant non-thermal characteristics. The present study indicates a causal relation between the activities in the preflare and main flare. We also conclude that pre-flare activities, occurred in the form of subtle magnetic reorganization along with localized magnetic reconnection, played a crucial role in destabilizing the active region filament leading to solar eruptive flare and associated large-scale phenomena., Comment: 31 pages, 13 figures; Accepted in The Astrophysical Journal

A goal of the NASA STEREO mission is to study the feasibility of forecasting the direction, arrival time and internal structure of solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from a vantage point outside the Sun-Earth line. Through a case study, we discuss the arrival time calculation of interplanetary CMEs (ICMEs) in the ecliptic plane using data from STEREO/SECCHI at large elongations from the Sun in combination with different geometric assumptions about the ICME front shape (Fixed-\Phi (FP): a point and harmonic Mean (HM): a circle). These forecasting techniques use single-spacecraft imaging data and are based on the assumptions of constant velocity and direction. We show that for the slow (350 km/s) ICME on 2009 February 13-18, observed at quadrature by the two STEREO spacecraft, the results for the arrival time given by the HM approximation are more accurate by 12 hours than those for FP in comparison to in situ observations of solar wind plasma and magnetic field parameters by STEREO/IMPACT/PLASTIC, and by 6 hours for the arrival time at Venus Express (MAG). We propose that the improvement is directly related to the ICME front shape being more accurately described by HM for an ICME with a low inclination of its symmetry axis to the ecliptic. In this case the ICME has to be tracked to > 30{\deg} elongation to get arrival time errors < 5 hours. A newly derived formula for calculating arrival times with the HM method is also useful for a triangulation technique assuming the same geometry., Comment: ApJ, accepted

A sample of isolated Earth-impacting ICMEs that occurred in the period January 2008 to August 2014 is analysed in order to study in detail the ICME in situ signatures with respect to the type of filament eruption related to the corresponding CME. For Earth-directed CMEs, a kinematical study was performed using the STEREO-A, B COR1 and COR2 coronagraphs and the Heliospheric Imagers HI1. Based on the extrapolated CME kinematics, we identified interacting CMEs, which were excluded from further analysis. Applying this approach, a set of 31 isolated Earth-impacting CMEs was unambiguously identified and related to the in situ measurements recorded by the Wind spacecraft. We classified the events into subsets with respect to the CME source location as well as with respect to the type of the associated filament eruption. Hence, the events are divided into three subsamples: active region (AR) CMEs, disappearing filament (DSF) CMEs, and stealthy CMEs. The related three groups of ICMEs were further divided into two subsets: magnetic obstacle (MO) events (out of which four were stealthy), covering ICMEs that at least partly expose characteristics of flux ropes, and ejecta (EJ) events, not showing such characteristics. In the next step, MO-events were analysed in more detail, considering the magnetic field strengths and the plasma characteristics in three different segments of the ICMEs, defined as the turbulent sheath (TS), the frontal region (FR), and the MO itself. The analysis revealed various well-defined correlations for AR, DSF, and stealthy ICMEs, which we interpreted considering basic physical concepts. Our results support the hypothesis that ICMEs show different signatures depending on the in situ spacecraft trajectory, in terms of apex versus flank hits., Comment: 22 pages, 9 figures