Evolution of Characteristics of Vertical Electric Current and Magnetic Field in Active Regions of the Sun and their Relation to Powerful Flares

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Abstract

The study of evolution of magnetic field and electric currents in active regions of the Sun over a long-time interval is of interest for understanding the processes of accumulation and release of energy in them, leading to various phenomena that affect space weather. In this work, based on the photospheric vector magnetograms of the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager instrument aboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory, an analysis was made of the evolution of a number of characteristics of the magnetic field and vertical electric current in three active regions 11158, 11675, and 12673 that produced class M and X flares, during the time from their origin in the Eastern hemisphere, during the passage through the solar disk, and until the disappearance near the Western limb with a step of 2 hours. The characteristics under consideration included: the power-law exponent of the probability density function of the absolute value of the vertical electric current density, the maximum of the absolute value of the vertical current density, the signed and unsigned total vertical currents and the unsigned total vertical and horizontal magnetic fluxes, the energy of the nonlinear force-free and potential magnetic fields, the free magnetic energy, and the number of islands with strong vertical current. Some regularities in the behaviour of the characteristics under consideration are found, in particular regarding the occurrence of solar flares. The correlation coefficients between pairs of these characteristics are calculated. Additionally, M. Aschwanden’s approach is shown to be promising for predicting the maximum X-ray class of a flare based on the calculation of the energy of the potential magnetic field in active regions. The results obtained can be used to predict powerful solar flares.

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About the authors

А. B. Nechaeva

Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Author for correspondence.
Email: nechaeva.workspace@gmail.com
Russian Federation, Moscow

I. V. Zimovets

Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Landau Phystech School of Physics and Research, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University)

Email: ivanzim@iki.rssi.ru
Russian Federation, Moscow; Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region

V. S. Zubik

Landau Phystech School of Physics and Research, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (National Research University)

Email: chernikovasya@gmail.com
Russian Federation, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region

I. N. Sharykin

Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Email: ivan.sharykin@phystech.edu
Russian Federation, Moscow

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Supplementary files

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2. Fig. 1. Evolution curves of the considered parameters of the magnetic field and electric currents in JSC NOAA 11158 from 02/11/2011 to 02/22/2011.

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3. Fig. 2. Similar to Fig. 1, but for JSC NOAA 11675 from 02/16/2013 to 02/25/2013.

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4. Fig. 3. Similar to Fig. 1, but for JSC NOAA 12673 from 08/29/2017 to 09.09.2017.

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5. Fig. 4. PDF(|jz|) (left) and maps of islands of strong electric current (right) for four time points (from top to bottom): at the beginning of the origin of AO, at the phase of rapid ascent of the magnetic flux, before the beginning of the most powerful flashes and at one of the later time points for AO NOAA 11158.

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6. Fig. 5. Similar to Fig. 4, but for JSC NOAA 11675.

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7. Fig. 6. Similar to Fig. 4, but for JSC NOAA 12673.

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8. Fig. 7. Graphs of paired dependences of the energy of the nonlinear force–free magnetic field Enlfff, the energy of the potential magnetic field Epotf and the free magnetic energy Efree from each other for successive time points in AO 11158 (a–b), 11675 (d–e) and 12673 (w-i). Similar paired dependencies are shown on (y–l), but for a set of data in AO 11158 (rhombuses), 11675 (triangles) and 12673 (squares).

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9. Fig. 8. Graphs of paired dependences of the peak density of the X-ray flux of flares in the channel 1-8 Å GOES/XRS (i.e. X-ray class) from the considered parameters calculated for time points within 2 hours to the flashes. The asterisks correspond to the flashes in AO 11158, the circle — AO 11675, the diamonds — AO 12673.

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10. Fig. 9. Observed and predicted peak X-ray flux densities in the 1-8 Å GOES/XRS channel (i.e. X-ray classes) the most powerful solar flares in AO 11158 (a), 11675 (b), 12673 (c) and the dependence of their ratio on the class of maximum flare (d).

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