Modeling magnetic flux ropes in the solar atmosphere

A. A. van Ballegooijen, E. E. DeLuca, K. Squires, D. H. Mackay

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Coronal flux ropes are highly sheared or twisted magnetic fields overlying polarity inversion lines on the solar photosphere. The formation of such flux ropes is briefly discussed. A coronal flux rope can be stable for many days and then suddenly lose equilibrium and erupt, producing a coronal mass ejection (CME). To understand what causes such eruptions, we need to determine the 3D magnetic structure of observed active regions prior to CMEs. This requires constructing nonlinear force free field models of active regions based on observed photospheric vector fields, H alpha filaments, or coronal loop structures. We describe a new method for constructing models containing flux ropes. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)24-31
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics
Volume69
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2007

Keywords

  • solar corona
  • solar magnetic fields
  • coronal mass ejections
  • solar prominences
  • CONFIGURATIONS SUPPORTING PROMINENCES
  • FORCE-FREE
  • ACTIVE-REGION
  • QUIESCENT PROMINENCES
  • HEMISPHERIC PATTERN
  • FILAMENT CHANNEL
  • LATERAL FEET
  • FIELDS
  • EVOLUTION
  • HELICITY

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