Flare ribbon substructure with IRIS

Advisor: Sean Brannon

Flare ribbons are characteristic signatures of solar flares, and are an indirect consequence of the magnetic reconfiguration (known as reconnection) occurring higher in the solar atmosphere. It is widely understood that the location of the flare ribbon represents the bases of magnetic loops undergoing active reconnection, and are thus an indirect image of the reconnection process. As a result, the large and small scale structure of a flare ribbon as it evolves encodes information about conditions in the reconnection region. In a recent study (Brannon et al. 2015), we examined an Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) observation of a wave substructure along a flare ribbon. Based on our analysis of the imaging and spectral properties of the substructure, we proposed a wave origin in a current sheet instability. Our next step is to expand on this prototype event by identifying additional examples of similar flare ribbon wave substructures.

In this project, we will use observations taken with IRIS to identify flare ribbons which display evolving substructure and perform a preliminary imaging and spectral analysis on each event. Through the course of this project, the student will learn about solar theory, observations, and data analysis techniques. A qualified student should have passed at least one undergraduate course each in electrodynamics and classical mechanics (including oscillations); experience in computer programming is desirable, but is not required.