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Transverse vertical oscillations during the contraction and expansion of coronal loops  

Qingmin Zhang   Submitted: 2023-05-15 19:21

In this paper, we carry out a detailed analysis of the M1.6 class eruptive flare occurring in NOAA active region 13078 on 2022 August 19. The flare is associated with a fast coronal mass ejection (CME) propagating in the southwest direction with an apparent speed of ∼926 km s-1. Meanwhile, a shock wave is driven by the CME at the flank. The eruption of CME generates an extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) wave expanding outward from the flare site with an apparent speed of ~200 km s-1. As the EUV wave propagates eastward, it encounters and interacts with the low-lying adjacent coronal loops (ACLs), which are composed of two loops. The compression of EUV wave results in contraction, expansion, and transverse vertical oscillations of ACLs. The commencements of contraction are sequential from western to eastern footpoints and the contraction lasts for ~15 minutes. The speeds of contraction lie in the range of 13-40 km s-1 in 171 Å and 8-54 km s-1 in 193 Å. A long, gradual expansion follows the contraction at lower speeds. Concurrent vertical oscillations are superposed on contraction and expansion of ACLs. The oscillations last for 2-9 cycles and the amplitudes are ≤4 Mm. The periods are between 3 to 12 minutes with an average value of 6.7 minutes. The results show rich dynamics of coronal loops.

Authors: Qingmin Zhang, Yuhao Zhou, Chuan Li, Qiao Li, Fanxiaoyu Xia, Ye Qiu, Jun Dai, Yanjie Zhang
Projects: SDO-AIA

Publication Status: Accepted for publication in ApJ
Last Modified: 2023-05-17 13:09
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Rapid Rotation of an Erupting Prominence and the Associated Coronal Mass Ejection on 13 May 2013  

Qingmin Zhang   Submitted: 2023-02-01 20:53

In this paper, we report the multiwavelength observations of an erupting prominence and the associated CME on 13 May 2013. The event occurs behind the western limb in the field of view of SDO/AIA. The prominence is supported by a highly twisted magnetic flux rope and shows rapid rotation in the counterclockwise direction during the rising motion. The rotation of the prominence lasts for ~47 minutes. The average period, angular speed, and linear speed are ~806 s, ~0.46 rad/min, and ~355 km s-1, respectively. The total twist angle reaches ~7π, which is considerably larger than the threshold for kink instability. Writhing motion during 17:42-17:46 UT is clearly observed by SWAP in 174 Å and STEREO-B/EUVI in 304 Å after reaching an apparent height of ~405 Mm. Therefore, the prominence eruption is most probably triggered by kink instability. A pair of conjugate flare ribbons and post-flare loops are created and observed by STA/EUVI. The onset time of writhing motion is consistent with the commencement of the impulsive phase of the related flare. The 3D morphology and positions of the associated CME are derived using the graduated cylindrical shell (GCS) modeling. The kinetic evolution of the reconstructed CME is divided into a slow-rise phase and a fast-rise phase by the writhing motion. The edge-on angular width of the CME is a constant (60 degree), while the face-on angular width increases from 96 to 114 degree, indicating a lateral expansion. The latitude of the CME source region decreases slightly from 18 to 13 degree, implying an equatorward deflection during propagation.

Authors: Yuhao Zhou, Haisheng Ji, Qingmin Zhang
Projects: SoHO-LASCO

Publication Status: accepted for publication in Solar Physics
Last Modified: 2023-02-04 18:51
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First detection of transverse vertical oscillation during the expansion of coronal loops  

Qingmin Zhang   Submitted: 2022-09-01 20:07

In this Letter, we perform a detailed analysis of the M5.5-class eruptive flare occurring in active region 12929 on 2022 January 20. The eruption of a hot channel generates a fast coronal mass ejection (CME) and a dome-shaped extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) wave at speeds of 740-860 km s-1. The CME is associated with a type II radio burst, implying that the EUV wave is a fast-mode shock wave. During the impulsive phase, the flare shows quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) in EUV, hard X-ray, and radio wavelengths. The periods of QPPs range from 18 s to 113 s, indicating that flare energy is released and nonthermal electrons are accelerated intermittently with multiple time scales. The interaction between the EUV wave and low-lying adjacent coronal loops (ACLs) results in contraction, expansion, and transverse vertical oscillation of ACLs. The speed of contraction in 171, 193, and 211 Å is higher than that in 304 Å. The periods of oscillation are 253 s and 275 s in 304 Å and 171 Å, respectively. A new scenario is proposed to explain the interaction. The equation that interprets the contraction and oscillation of the overlying coronal loops above a flare core can also interpret the expansion and oscillation of ACLs, suggesting that the two phenomena are the same in essence.

Authors: Qingmin Zhang, Chuan Li, Dong Li, Ye Qiu, Yanjie Zhang, and Yiwei Ni
Projects: SDO-AIA

Publication Status: Accepted for publication in ApJL
Last Modified: 2022-09-04 22:17
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Statistical analysis of circular-ribbon flares  

Qingmin Zhang   Submitted: 2022-03-24 20:49

Circular-ribbon flares (CFs) are a special type of solar flares owing to their particular magnetic topology. In this paper, we conducted a comprehensive statistical analysis of 134 CFs from 2011 September to 2017 June, including four B-class, 82 C-class, 40 M-class, and eight X-class flares, respectively. The flares were observed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) spacecraft. The physical properties of CFs are derived, including the location, area (ACF), equivalent radius (rCF) assuming a semi-spherical fan dome, lifetime (τCF), and peak SXR flux in 1-8 Å. It is found that all CFs are located in active regions, with the latitudes between -30\degr and 30\degr. The distributions of areas and lifetimes could be fitted with a log-normal function. There is a positive correlation between the lifetime and area. The peak SXR flux in 1-8 Å is well in accord with a power-law distribution with an index of -1.42. For the 134 CFs, 57% of them are accompanied by remote brightenings or ribbons. A positive correlation exists between the total length (LRB) and average distance (DRB) of remote brightenings. About 47% and 51% of the 134 CFs are related to type III radio bursts and jets, respectively. The association rates are independent of flare energies. About 38% of CFs are related to mini-filament eruptions, and the association rates increase with flare classes. Only 28% of CFs are related to CMEs, meaning that a majority of them are confined rather than eruptive events. There is a positive correlation between the CME speed and peak SXR flux in 1-8 Å, and faster CMEs tend to be wider.

Authors: Yanjie Zhang, Qingmin Zhang, Dechao Song, Shuting Li, Jun Dai, Zhe Xu, and Haisheng Ji
Projects: SDO-AIA

Publication Status: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Supplementary Series
Last Modified: 2022-03-27 18:56
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Tracking the 3D evolution of a halo coronal mass ejection using the revised cone model  

Qingmin Zhang   Submitted: 2022-02-22 19:16

This paper aims to track the 3D evolution of a full halo CME on 2011 June 21. The CME results from a non-radial eruption of a filament-carrying flux rope in NOAA active region 11236. The eruption is observed in EUV wavelengths by EUVI on board the ahead and behind STEREO spacecrafts and SDO/AIA. The CME is observed by the COR1 coronagraph on board STEREO and the C2 coronagraph on board SOHO/LASCO. The revised cone model is slightly modified, with the top of the cone becoming a sphere, which is internally tangent to the legs. Using the multi-point observations, the cone model is applied to derive the morphological and kinematic properties of the CME. The cone shape fits nicely with the CME observed by EUVI and COR1 on board STEREO twin spacecraft and LASCO/C2 coronagraph. The cone angle increases sharply from 54° to 130° in the initial phase, indicating a rapid expansion. A relation between the cone angle and heliocentric distance of CME leading front is derived, ω=130\degr-480d-5, where d is in unit of R. The inclination angle decreases gradually from ~51° to ~18°, suggesting a trend of radial propagation. The heliocentric distance increases gradually in the initial phase and quickly in the later phase up to ~11 R. The true speed of CME reaches ~1140 km s-1, which is ~1.6 times higher than the apparent speed in the LASCO/C2 field of view. The revised model is promising in tracking the complete evolution of CMEs.

Authors: Q. M. Zhang
Projects: SoHO-LASCO

Publication Status: Accepted for publication in A&A
Last Modified: 2022-02-23 12:20
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Transverse Coronal-Loop Oscillations Induced by the Non-radial Eruption of a Magnetic Flux Rope  

Qingmin Zhang   Submitted: 2022-01-19 21:21

We investigate the transverse coronal-loop oscillations induced by the eruption of a prominence-carrying flux rope on 7 December 2012. The flux rope originating from NOAA Active Region (AR) 11621 was observed in EUV wavelengths by SDO/AIA and in Hα line center by the ground-based telescope at BBSO. The early evolution of the flux rope is divided into two steps: a slow rise phase at a speed of ≈230 km s-1 and a fast rise phase at a speed of ≈706 km s-1. The eruption generates a C5.8 flare and the onset of the fast rise is consistent with the HXR peak time of the flare. The embedded prominence has a lower speed of ≈452 km s-1. The eruption is significantly inclined from the local solar normal by ≈60 degree, suggesting a typical non-radial eruption. During the early eruption of the flux rope, the nearby coronal loops are disturbed and experience independent kink-mode oscillations in the horizontal and vertical directions. The oscillation in the horizontal direction has an initial amplitude of ≈3.1 Mm, a period of ≈294 seconds, and a damping time of ≈645 seconds. It is most striking in 171Å and lasts for three to four cycles. The oscillations in the vertical directions are observed mainly in 171, 193, and 211Å. The initial amplitudes lie in the range of 3.4-5.2 Mm, with an average value of 4.5 Mm. The periods are between 407 seconds and 441 seconds, with an average value of 423 seconds. The oscillations are damping and last for nearly four cycles. The damping times lie in the range of 570-1012 seconds, with an average value of 741 seconds. Assuming a semi-circular shape of the vertically oscillating loops, we calculate the loop lengths according to their heights. Using the observed periods, we carry out coronal seismology and estimate the internal Alfvén speeds (988-1145 km s-1) and the magnetic-field strengths (12-43 G) of the oscillating loops.

Authors: Q. M. Zhang, J. L. Chen, S. T. Li, L. Lu, and D. Li
Projects: SDO-AIA

Publication Status: Accepted for publication in Solar Physics
Last Modified: 2022-01-24 22:17
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Energy partition in a confined flare with an extreme-ultraviolet late phase  

Qingmin Zhang   Submitted: 2021-04-08 19:48

In this paper, we reanalyze the M1.2 confined flare with a large extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) late phase on 2011 September 9, focusing on its energy partition. The radiation (~5.4x1030 erg) in 1-70 Å is nearly eleven times larger than the radiation in 70-370 Å, and is nearly 180 times larger than the radiation in 1-8 Å. The peak thermal energy of the post-flare loops is estimated to be (1.7-1.8)x1030 erg based on a simplified schematic cartoon. Based on previous results of Enthalpy-Based Thermal Evolution of Loops (EBTEL) simulation, the energy inputs in the main flaring loops and late-phase loops are (1.5-3.8)x1029 erg and 7.7x1029 erg, respectively. The nonthermal energy ((1.7-2.2)x1030 erg) of the flare-accelerated electrons is comparable to the peak thermal energy and is sufficient to provide the energy input of the main flaring loops and late-phase loops. The magnetic free energy (9.1x1031 erg) before flare is large enough to provide the heating requirement and radiation, indicating that the magnetic free energy is adequate to power the flare.

Authors: Q. M. Zhang, J. X. Cheng, Y. Dai, K. V. Tam, and A. A. Xu
Projects: GOES X-rays

Publication Status: Accepted for publication in A&A
Last Modified: 2021-04-09 12:10
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Spectroscopic observations of a flare-related coronal jet  

Qingmin Zhang   Submitted: 2021-01-19 06:03

Coronal jets are ubiquitous in active regions (ARs) and coronal holes. In this paper, we study a coronal jet related to a C3.4 circular-ribbon flare in active region 12434 on 2015 October 16. Two minifilaments were located under a 3D fan-spine structure before flare. The flare was generated by the eruption of one filament. The kinetic evolution of the jet was divided into two phases: a slow rise phase at a speed of ~131 km s-1 and a fast rise phase at a speed of ~363 km s-1 in the plane-of-sky. The slow rise phase may correspond to the impulsive reconnection at the breakout current sheet. The fast rise phase may correspond to magnetic reconnection at the flare current sheet. The transition between the two phases occurred at ~09:00:40 UT. The blueshifted Doppler velocities of the jet in the Si IV 1402.80 Å line range from -34 to -120 km s-1. The accelerated high-energy electrons are composed of three groups. Those propagating upward along open field generate type III radio bursts, while those propagating downward produce HXR emissions and drive chromospheric condensation observed in the Si IV line. The electrons trapped in the rising filament generate a microwave burst lasting for ≤40 s. Bidirectional outflows at the base of jet are manifested by significant line broadenings of the Si IV line. The blueshifted Doppler velocities of outflows range from -13 to -101 km s-1. The redshifted Doppler velocities of outflows range from ~17 to ~170 km s-1. Our multiwavelength observations of the flare-related jet are in favor of the breakout jet model and are important for understanding the acceleration and transport of nonthermal electrons.

Authors: Q. M. Zhang, Z. H. Huang, Y. J. Hou, D. Li, Z. J. Ning, and Z. Wu
Projects: IRIS

Publication Status: Accepted for publication in A&A
Last Modified: 2021-01-19 17:01
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Transverse coronal loop oscillations excited by homologous circular-ribbon flares  

Qingmin Zhang   Submitted: 2020-05-05 19:33

We report our multiwavelength observations of two homologous circular-ribbon flares (CRFs) in active region 11991 on 2014 March 5, focusing on the transverse oscillations of an extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) loop excited by the flares. The transverse oscillations are of fast standing kink-mode. The first-stage oscillation triggered by the C2.8 flare is decayless with lower amplitudes (310-510 km). The periods (115-118 s) in different wavelengths are nearly the same, indicating coherent oscillations. The magnetic field of the loop is estimated to be 65-78 G. The second-stage oscillation triggered by the M1.0 flare is decaying with larger amplitudes (1250-1280 km). The periods decreases from 117 s in 211 {AA} to 70 s in 171 {AA}, implying a decrease of loop length or an implosion after a gradual expansion. The damping time, being 147-315 s, increases with the period, so that the values of au/P are close to each other in different wavelengths. The thickness of the inhomogeneous layer is estimated to be sim0farcs45 under the assumption of resonant absorption. This is the first observation of the excitation of two kink-mode loop oscillations by two sympathetic flares. The results are important for understanding of the excitation of kink oscillations of coronal loops and hence the energy balance in the solar corona. Our findings also validate the prevalence of significantly amplified amplitudes of oscillations by successive drivers.

Authors: Q. M. Zhang, J. Dai, Z. Xu, D. Li, L. Lu, K. V. Tam, A. A. Xu
Projects: New Vacuum Solar Telescope (NVST)

Publication Status: accepted for publication in A&A
Last Modified: 2020-05-06 13:30
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Remote coronal dimmings related to a circular-ribbon flare  

Qingmin Zhang   Submitted: 2019-12-25 04:26

{} {In this paper, we report multiwavelength observations of remote coronal dimmings related to an M1.1 circular-ribbon flare (CRF) in active region (AR) 12434.} {The confined flare without a coronal mass ejection (CME) was observed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) and the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) on 2015 October 16. We obtained global three-dimensional (3D) magnetic fields before the flare using the potential field source surface modeling.} {A few minutes before the flare hard X-ray peak time (06:13:48 UT), small-scale, weak dimming appeared ~240" away from the flare site, which can be observed by AIA only in 131 and 171 Å. Afterward, long and narrow dimmings became evident in all AIA extreme-ultraviolet passbands except 304 Å, while localized core dimming was not clearly observed near the flare site. The large-area dimmings extended southeastward and the areas increased gradually. The total area of dimmings reaches (1.2±0.4)x104 Mm2 in 193 Å. The maximal relative intensity decreases in 171 and 193 Å reach 90% and 80%, respectively. Subsequently, the dimmings began to replenish and the area decreased slowly, lasting for ≥3 hr. The remote dimmings and AR 12434 are connected by large-scale coronal loops. The remote dimmings are associated with the southwest footpoints of coronal loops with weak negative polarities. Possible origins of remote dimmings are discussed.} {}

Authors: Q. M. Zhang and R. S. Zheng
Projects: None

Publication Status: accepted for publication in A&A
Last Modified: 2019-12-25 10:19
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Pre-flare coronal dimmings  

Qingmin Zhang   Submitted: 2016-11-27 18:45

Coronal dimmings are regions of decreased extreme-ultravoilet (EUV) and/or X-ray (originally Skylab, then Yohkoh/SXT) intensities, which are often associated with flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The large-scale, impulsive dimmings have substantially been observed and investigated. The pre-flare dimmings prior to the flare impulsive phase, however, have rarely been studied in detail. In this paper, we focus on the pre-flare coronal dimmings. We report our multiwavelength observations of the GOES X1.6 solar flare and the accompanying halo CME produced by the eruption of a sigmoidal magnetic flux rope (MFR) in NOAA active region (AR) 12158 on 2014 September 10. The eruption was observed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) aboard the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO). The photospheric line-of-sight magnetograms were observed by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) aboard SDO. The soft X-ray (SXR) fluxes were recorded by the GOES spacecraft. The halo CME was observed by the white light coronagraphs of the Large Angle Spectroscopic Coronagraph (LASCO) aboard SOHO. About 96 minutes before the onset of flare/CME, narrow pre-flare coronal dimmings appeared at the two ends of the twisted MFR. They extended very slowly with their intensities decreasing with time, while their apparent widths (8-9 Mm) nearly kept constant. During the impulsive and decay phases of flare, typical fanlike twin dimmings appeared and expanded with much larger extent and lower intensities than the pre-flare dimmings. The percentage of 171 Å intensity decrease reaches 40%. The pre-flare dimmings are most striking in 171, 193, and 211 Å with formation temperatures of 0.6-2.5 MK. The northern part of the pre-flare dimmings could also be recognized in 131 and 335 Å. To our knowledge, this is the first detailed study of pre-flare coronal dimmings, which can be explained by the density depletion as a result of the gradual expansion of the coronal loop system surrounding the MFR during the slow rise of the MFR.

Authors: Q. M. Zhang, Y. N. Su, and H. S. Ji
Projects: SDO-AIA

Publication Status: to be accepted for publication by A&A
Last Modified: 2016-11-30 12:19
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Chromospheric Condensation and Quasi-periodic Pulsations in a Circular-ribbon Flare  

Qingmin Zhang   Submitted: 2016-09-13 02:44

In this paper, we report our multiwavelength observations of the C3.1 circular-ribbon flare SOL2015-10-16T10:20 in active region (AR) 12434. The flare consisted of a circular flare ribbon (CFR), an inner flare ribbon (IFR) inside, and a pair of short parallel flare ribbons (PFRs). The PFRs located to the north of IFR were most striking in the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) 1400 Å and 2796 Å images. For the first time, we observed the circular-ribbon flare in the Ca II H line of the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT) aboard Hinode, which has similar shape as observed in the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) 1600 Å aboard the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO). Photospheric line-of-sight magnetograms from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) aboard SDO show that the flare was associated with positive polarities and a negative polarity inside. The IFR and CFR were cospatial with the negative polarity and positive polarities, implying the existence of a magnetic null point (B=0) and the dome-like spine-fan topology. During the impulsive phase of the flare, ``two-step'' raster observations of IRIS with a cadence of 6 s and an exposure time of 2 s show plasma downflow at the CFR in the Si IV \lambda1402.77 line (log T≈4.8), suggesting chromospheric condensation. The downflow speeds first increased rapidly from a few km s-1 to the peak values of 45-52 km s-1, before decreasing gradually to the initial levels. The decay timescales of condensation were 3-4 minutes, indicating ongoing magnetic reconnection. Interestingly, the downflow speeds are positively correlated with logarithm of the Si IV line intensity and time derivative of the GOES soft X-ray (SXR) flux in 1-8 Å. The radio dynamic spectra are characterized by a type III radio burst associated with the flare, which implies that the chromospheric condensation was most probably driven by nonthermal electrons. Using an analytical expression and the peak Doppler velocity, we derived the lower limit of energy flux of the precipitating electrons, i.e., 0.65x1010 erg cm-2 s-1. The Si IV line intensity and SXR derivative show quasi-periodic pulsations with periods of 32-42 s, which are likely caused by intermittent null-point magnetic reconnections modulated by the fast wave propagating along the fan surface loops at a phase speed of 950-1250 km s-1. Periodic accelerations and precipitations of the electrons result in periodic heating observed in the Si IV line and SXR.

Authors: Q. M. Zhang, D. Li, and Z. J. Ning
Projects: IRIS

Publication Status: accepted for publication in ApJ
Last Modified: 2016-09-14 12:01
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Explosive Chromospheric Evaporation in a Circular-ribbon Flare  

Qingmin Zhang   Submitted: 2016-05-10 21:13

In this paper, we report our multiwavelength observations of the C4.2 circular-ribbon flare in active region (AR) 12434 on 2015 October 16. The short-lived flare was associated with positive magnetic polarities and a negative polarity inside, as revealed by the photospheric line-of-sight magnetograms. Such magnetic pattern is strongly indicative of a magnetic null point and spine-fan configuration in the corona. The flare was triggered by the eruption of a mini-filament residing in the AR, which produced the inner flare ribbon (IFR) and the southern part of a closed circular flare ribbon (CFR). When the eruptive filament reached the null point, it triggered null point magnetic reconnection with the ambient open field and generated the bright CFR and a blowout jet. Raster observations of the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) show plasma upflow at speed of 35-120 km s-1 in the Fe XXI 1354.09 Å line (log T≈7.05) and downflow at speed of 10-60 km s-1 in the Si IV 1393.77 Å line (log T≈4.8) at certain locations of the CFR and IFR during the impulsive phase of flare, indicating explosive chromospheric evaporation. Coincidence of the single HXR source at 12-25 keV with the IFR and calculation based on the thick-target model suggest that the explosive evaporation was most probably driven by nonthermal electrons.

Authors: Q. M. Zhang, D. Li, Z. J. Ning, Y. N. Su, H. S. Ji and Y. Guo
Projects: IRIS

Publication Status: Accepted for publication in ApJ
Last Modified: 2016-05-11 08:52
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Observations of multiple blobs in homologous solar coronal jets in closed loops  

Qingmin Zhang   Submitted: 2016-01-18 20:58

Coronal bright points (CBPs) and jets are ubiquitous small-scale brightenings that are often associated with each other. In this paper, we report our multiwavelength observations of two groups of homologous jets. The first group was observed by the Extreme-Ultraviolet Imager (EUVI) aboard the behind Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) spacecraft in 171 Å and 304 Å on 2014 September 10, from a location where data from the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO) could not observe. The jets (J1-J6) recurred for six times with intervals of 5-15 minutes. They originated from the same primary CBP (BP1) and propagated in the northeast direction along large-scale, closed coronal loops. Two of the jets (J3 and J6) produced sympathetic CBPs (BP2 and BP3) after reaching the remote footpoints of the loops. The time delays between the peak times of BP1 and BP2 (BP3) are 240±75 s (300±75 s). The jets were not coherent. Instead, they were composed of bright and compact blobs. The sizes and apparent velocities of the blobs are 4.5-9 Mm and 140-380 km s-1, respectively. The arrival times of the multiple blobs in the jets at the far-end of the loops indicate that the sympathetic CBPs are caused by jet flows rather than thermal conduction fronts. The second group was observed by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly aboard SDO in various wavelengths on 2010 August 3. Similar to the first group, the jets originated from a short-lived bright point (BP) at the boundary of active region 11092 and propagated along a small-scale, closed loop before flowing into the active region. Several tiny blobs with sizes of ~1.7 Mm and apparent velocity of ~238 km s-1 were identified in the jets. We carried out the differential emission measure (DEM) inversions to investigate the temperatures of the blobs, finding that the blobs were multithermal with average temperature of 1.8-3.1 MK. The estimated number densities of the blobs were (1.7-2.8)x109 cm-3.

Authors: Q. M. Zhang, H. S. Ji, and Y. N. Su
Projects: SDO-AIA

Publication Status: accepted for publication in Solar Physics
Last Modified: 2016-01-20 12:25
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Multiwavelength observations of a partially eruptive filament on 2011 September 8  

Qingmin Zhang   Submitted: 2015-03-10 19:25

In this paper, we report our multiwavelength observations of a partial filament eruption event in NOAA active region 11283 on 2011 September 8. A magnetic null point and the corresponding spine and separatrix surface are found in the active region. Beneath the null point, a sheared arcade supports the filament along the highly complex and fragmented polarity inversion line. After being activated, the sigmoidal filament erupted and split into two parts. The major part rose at the speeds of 90-150 km s-1 before reaching the maximum apparent height of ~115 Mm. Afterwards, it returned to the solar surface in a bumpy way at the speeds of 20-80 km s-1. The rising and falling motions were clearly observed in the extreme-ultravoilet (EUV), UV, and Hα wavelengths. The failed eruption of the main part was associated with an M6.7 flare with a single hard X-ray source. The runaway part of the filament, however, separated from and rotated around the major part for ~1 turn at the eastern leg before escaping from the corona, probably along large-scale open magnetic field lines. The ejection of the runaway part resulted in a very faint coronal mass ejection (CME) that propagated at an apparent speed of 214 km s-1 in the outer corona. The filament eruption also triggered transverse kink-mode oscillation of the adjacent coronal loops in the same AR. The amplitude and period of the oscillation were 1.6 Mm and 225 s. Our results are important for understanding the mechanisms of partial filament eruptions and provide new constraints to theoretical models. The multiwavelength observations also shed light on space weather prediction.

Authors: Q. M. Zhang, Z. J. Ning, Y. Guo, T. H. Zhou, X. Cheng, H. S. Ji, L. Feng, T. Wiegelmann
Projects: SDO-AIA

Publication Status: Accepted for publication in ApJ
Last Modified: 2015-03-11 14:47
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Reciprocatory magnetic reconnection in a coronal bright point  

Qingmin Zhang   Submitted: 2014-06-22 20:21

Coronal bright points (CBPs) are small-scale and long-duration brightenings in the lower solar corona. They are often explained in terms of magnetic reconnection. We aim to study the sub-structures of a CBP and clarify the relationship among the brightenings of different patches inside the CBP. The event was observed by the X-ray Telescope (XRT) aboard the Hinode spacecraft on 2009 August 22-23. The CBP showed repetitive brightenings (or CBP flashes). During each of the two successive CBP flashes, i.e., weak and strong flashes which are separated by ~2 hr, the XRT images revealed that the CBP was composed of two chambers, i.e., patches A and B. During the weak flash, patch A brightened first, and patch B brightened ~2 min later. During the transition, the right leg of a large-scale coronal loop drifted from the right side of the CBP to the left side. During the strong flash, patch B brightened first, and patch A brightened ~2 min later. During the transition, the right leg of the large-scale coronal loop drifted from the left side of the CBP to the right side. In each flash, the rapid change of the connectivity of the large-scale coronal loop is strongly suggestive of the interchange reconnection. For the first time we found reciprocatory reconnection in the CBP, i.e., reconnected loops in the outflow region of the first reconnection process serve as the inflow of the second reconnection process.

Authors: Q. M. Zhang, P. F. Chen, M. D. Ding, and H. S. Ji
Projects: None

Publication Status: Accepted for publication in A&A
Last Modified: 2014-06-23 12:07
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Blobs in recurring EUV jets  

Qingmin Zhang   Submitted: 2014-05-20 19:44

Coronal jets are one type of ubiquitous small-scale activities caused by magnetic reconnection in the solar corona. They are often associated with cool surges in the chromosphere. In this paper, we report our discovery of blobs in the recurrent and homologous jets that occurred at the western edge of NOAA active region 11259 on 2011 July 22. The jets were observed in the seven extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) filters of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) instrument aboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). Using the base-difference images of the six filters (94, 131, 171, 211, 193, and 335 Å), we carried out the differential emission measure (DEM) analyses to explore the thermodynamic evolutions of the jets. The jets were accompanied by cool surges observed in the Hα line center of the ground-based telescope in the Big Bear Solar Observatory. The jets that had lifetimes of 20-30 min recurred at the same place for three times with interval of 40-45 min. Interestingly, each of the jets intermittently experienced several upward eruptions at the speed of 120-450 km s-1. After reaching the maximum heights, they returned back to the solar surface, showing near-parabolic trajectories. The falling phases were more evident in the low-T filters than in the high-T filters, indicating that the jets experienced cooling after the onset of eruptions. We identified bright and compact blobs in the jets during their rising phases. The simultaneous presences of blobs in all the EUV filters were consistent with the broad ranges of the DEM profiles of the blobs (5.5≤ log T≤7.5), indicating their multi-thermal nature. The median temperatures of the blobs were ~2.3 MK. The blobs that were ~3 Mm in diameter had lifetimes of 24-60 s. To our knowledge, this is the first report of blobs in coronal jets. We propose that these blobs are plasmoids created by the magnetic reconnection as a result of tearing-mode instability and ejected out along the jets.

Authors: Q. M. Zhang and H. S. Ji
Projects: None

Publication Status: accepted for publication in A&A
Last Modified: 2014-05-21 13:36
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A swirling flare-related EUV jet  

Qingmin Zhang   Submitted: 2013-12-06 03:29

{We report our observations of a swirling flare-related EUV jet on 2011 October 15 at the edge of NOAA active region 11314.} {We utilised the multiwavelength observations in the extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) passbands from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) aboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). We extracted a wide slit along the jet axis and 12 thin slits across its axis to investigate the longitudinal motion and transverse rotation. We also used data from the Extreme-Ultraviolet Imager (EUVI) aboard the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) spacecraft to investigate the three-dimensional (3D) structure of the jet. Gound-based Hα images from the El Teide as a member of the Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) provide a good opportunity to explore the relationship between the cool surge and hot jet. Line-of-sight magnetograms from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) aboard SDO enable us to study the magnetic evolution of the flare/jet event. We carried out potential-field extrapolation to figure out the magnetic configuration associated with the jet.} {The onset of jet eruption coincided with the start time of C1.6 flare impulsive phase. The initial velocity and acceleration of the longitudinal motion were 254pm10 km s-1 and -97pm5 m s-2, respectively. The jet presented helical structure and transverse swirling motion at the beginning of its eruption. The counter-clockwise rotation slowed down from an average velocity of sim122 km s-1 to sim80 km s-1. The interwinding thick threads of the jet untwisted into multiple thin threads during the rotation that lasted for 1 cycle with a period of sim7 min and an amplitude that increases from sim3.2 Mm at the bottom to sim11 Mm at the upper part. Afterwards, the curtain-like leading edge of the jet continued rising without rotation, leaving a dimming region behind before falling back to the solar surface. The appearance/disappearance of dimming corresponded to the longitudinal ascending/descending motions of jet. Cospatial Hα surge and EUV dimming imply that the dimming resulted from the absorption of hot EUV emission by cool surge. The flare/jet event was caused by continuous magnetic cancellation before the start of flare. The jet was associated with the open magnetic fields at the edge of AR 11314.}

Authors: Q. M. Zhang and H. S. Ji
Projects: None

Publication Status: accepted by A&A
Last Modified: 2013-12-06 11:37
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Chromospheric evaporation in sympathetic coronal bright points  

Qingmin Zhang   Submitted: 2013-07-29 19:16

{Chromospheric evaporation is a key process in solar flares that has extensively been investigated using the spectroscopic observations. However, direct soft X-ray (SXR) imaging of the process is rare, especially in remote brightenings associated with the primary flares that have recently attracted dramatic attention.} {We intend to find the evidence for chromospheric evaporation and figure out the cause of the process in sympathetic coronal bright points (CBPs), i.e., remote brightenings induced by the primary CBP.} {We utilise the high-cadence and high-resolution SXR observations of CBPs from the X-ray Telescope (XRT) aboard the Hinode spacecraft on 2009 August 23.} {We discover thermal conduction front propagating from the primary CBP, i.e., BP1, to one of the sympathetic CBPs, i.e., BP2 that is 60arcsec away from BP1. The apparent velocity of the thermal conduction is sim138 km s-1. Afterwards, hot plasma flowed upwards into the loop connecting BP1 and BP2 at a speed of sim76 km s-1, a clear signature of chromospheric evaporation. Similar upflow was also observed in the loop connecting BP1 and the other sympathetic CBP, i.e., BP3 that is 80arcsec away from BP1, though less significant than BP2. The apparent velocity of the upflow is sim47 km s-1. The thermal conduction front propagating from BP1 to BP3 was not well identified except for the jet-like motion also originating from BP1.} {We propose that the gentle chromospheric evaporation in the sympathetic CBPs were caused by thermal conduction originating from the primary CBP.}

Authors: Q. M. Zhang and H. S. Ji
Projects: None

Publication Status: accepted by A&A Letters
Last Modified: 2013-07-30 13:35
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Observation and Simulation of Longitudinal Oscillations of an Active Region Prominence  

Qingmin Zhang   Submitted: 2012-04-17 08:35

{Filament longitudinal oscillations have been observed on the solar disk in Hα .} {We intend to find an example of the longitudinal oscillations of a prominence, where the magnetic dip can be seen directly, and examine what is the restoring force of such kind of oscillations.} {We carry out a multiwavelength data analysis of the active region prominence oscillations above the western limb on 2007 February 8. Besides, we perform a one-dimensional hydrodynamic simulation of the longitudinal oscillations.} {The high-resolution observations by Hinode/SOT indicate that the prominence, seen as a concave-inward shape in lower-resolution Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) images, actually consists of many concave-outward threads, which is indicative of the existence of magnetic dips. After being injected into the dip region, a bulk of prominence material started to oscillate for more than 3.5 hours, with the period being 52 min. The oscillation decayed with time, with the decay timescale being 133 min. Our hydrodynamic simulation can well reproduce the oscillation period, but the damping timescale in the simulation is 1.5 times as long as the observations.} {The results clearly show the prominence longitudinal oscillations around the dip of the prominence and our study suggests that the restoring force of the longitudinal oscillations might be the gravity. Radiation and heat conduction are insufficient to explain the decay of the oscillations. Other mechanisms, such as wave leakage and mass accretion, have to be considered. The possible relation between the longitudinal oscillations and the later eruption of a prominence thread, as well as a coronal mass ejection (CME), is also discussed.}

Authors: Qingmin Zhang, Pengfei Chen, Chun Xia, Rony Keppens
Projects: Hinode/SOT

Publication Status: accepted
Last Modified: 2012-04-17 13:55
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Abstracts by Author
Transverse vertical oscillations during the contraction and expansion of coronal loops
Rapid Rotation of an Erupting Prominence and the Associated Coronal Mass Ejection on 13 May 2013
First detection of transverse vertical oscillation during the expansion of coronal loops
Statistical analysis of circular-ribbon flares
Tracking the 3D evolution of a halo coronal mass ejection using the revised cone model
Transverse Coronal-Loop Oscillations Induced by the Non-radial Eruption of a Magnetic Flux Rope
Energy partition in a confined flare with an extreme-ultraviolet late phase
Spectroscopic observations of a flare-related coronal jet
Transverse coronal loop oscillations excited by homologous circular-ribbon flares
Remote coronal dimmings related to a circular-ribbon flare
Pre-flare coronal dimmings
Chromospheric Condensation and Quasi-periodic Pulsations in a Circular-ribbon Flare
Explosive Chromospheric Evaporation in a Circular-ribbon Flare
Observations of multiple blobs in homologous solar coronal jets in closed loops
Multiwavelength observations of a partially eruptive filament on 2011 September 8
Reciprocatory magnetic reconnection in a coronal bright point
Blobs in recurring EUV jets
A swirling flare-related EUV jet
Chromospheric evaporation in sympathetic coronal bright points
Observation and Simulation of Longitudinal Oscillations of an Active Region Prominence

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