Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-2022

Abstract

Forecasting of solar flares remains a challenge due to the limited understanding of the triggering mechanisms associated with magnetic reconnection, the primary physical phenomenon connected to these events. Studies have indicated that changes to the photospheric magnetic fields associated with magnetic reconnection – particularly in relation to the field helicity – occur during solar flare events. This study utilized data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) and SpaceWeather HMI Active Region Patches (SHARPs) to analyze full vector-field component data of the photospheric magnetic field during solar flare events within a near decade long HMI dataset. Analysis of the data was used to identify and compare the trends of differing flare classes for varying time intervals leading up to an event, as well as the trends of flares that occur with and without a precursor flare, in order to discern signatures of the physical mechanisms involved. The data suggests that active regions (AR) that produce flares with precursors are continuing to evolve and appreciably more complex than those that produce a flare without a precursor. Additionally, precursor flares were found to enhance the shear across an AR, helping set up the conditions necessary for a larger solar flare to occur. Ultimately none of the SHARP parameters showed a distinct signature of magnetic reconnection.

Comments

The Download button on this page furnishes the the SSRN preprint version of this article. The final published version of record for the article, as cited below, is available at the DOI link in that citation.

DOI

10.1016/j.jastp.2021.105788

Source Publication

Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics

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