(tentative) On the X1.4 Flare of 12-Jul-2012

1. Introduction

Solar activity

2. Observation

AR11520

• the target region of the HI-C rocket mission.     Composite XRT movies during the support.
• produced an X-flare (X1.4 flare on 12-Jul, 15:37-)     XRT Data coverage.
• a sigmoid.
  Movie before the X-flare (C-flares) 7/11 21:00 -- 7/12 15:30.
  Movie of the X-flare 7/12 13:30 -- 7/13 00:28.
  other sigmoids for comparison :
  the Bastille Day Flare (14-Jul-2001).     the Yokoyama flare (18-Mar-1999)
  an XRT sigmoid (11-Feb-2007) (from McKenzie & Canfield, 2007 MSU press release).
  
  
• Te-EM analysis     XRT filter ratio functions.
  Filter Ratio Te & EM movie (7/12 16:20 -- 16:38)     Te: in log (K), EM: in log (cm^-3).
  
• SOT Ca lI movies (7/12 14:30 -- 20:00)
  
• EIS AIA304 coalignment movie (7/12 17:00)
  EIS AIA304 coalignment movie (7/12 17:57)

Images & movies from other satellites

• SDO/AIA     AIA wavelength bands.
  AIA movies from 14:00 to 17:00UT (7/12):    131A,  304A.
  AIA/94A movies :    7/12 14:00 --- 7/12 18:55, 
  AIA/1600 movies :    7/10 00:00 --- 7/13 12:00,  7/12 13:00 -- 20:00.
  
  Coaligned images (XRT & SDO/AIA) :
  7/06 06:03:45UT     7/10 23:15:47UT
  7/12 07:00:35UT     14:35:29UT     15:30:06UT     16:26:25UT     17:00:27UT     17:39:44UT
  
  Difference images (131A):     Diff. from the 1st frame     Diff. from the previous frame.
  Difference images (304A):     Diff. from the 1st frame     Diff. from the previous frame.
  
  M1.7 flare on 7/17 from the same region:     131A     304A
  M7.7 flare on 7/19 from the same region:     171A     131A     304A.     ApJ paper by Liu W. et. al.
  
  
• SDO/HMI     continuum (7/07 00:00 --- 7/15 00:00)     magnetogrom (7/07 00:00 --- 7/15 00:00)
  AR tracking movie (7/07 00:00 --- 7/15 00:00)
  Differential rotation corrected movie (7/07 00:00 --- 7/16 00:00)
  Potential field extrapolation map (by courtesy of Lucas Tarr)     top view     side view
  
  
• RHISSI
  RHESSI images (12-Jul-2012)    and    RHESSI(3-6keV) & XRT (the same day).
  
  
• STEREO images
  STEREO-B 304A and 195A images (6/30 18:05 --- 7/08 23:05) limb-to-limb passage.
  STEREO-B 304A and 195A images. (6/30 18:05 --- 7/03 23:35) a flare on 2-Jul from the same region
  STEREO-A 304A and 195A images (7/18 22:05 --- 7/19 15:55) a M7.7 flare top view.      AIA 304A
  STEREO-A 304A and 195A images (7/23 00:05 --- 7/23 13:15) a big flare with halo CME.
  
  
• NSO/GONG
  H-alpha images (7/12 16:00 --- 7/12 18:00)

3. Interpretation

What are special/interesting points with this event?

• soft X-ray flare ribbon(?) --- line of foot points of the future flare loops.
• a "bar"(or butt-in loop) on the sigmoid --- a new loop toward nearby spot with the same polarity, flare trigger?
• "sigmoid wings" or "bat wings" --- flare ribbons? (no!), clefts in the chromosphere? related to dimming?
• several homorogous flares :
  • Over E-limb (7/02 08:00, batwings),
  • M1.0 (7/14 04:51), M1.7 (7/18 12:02), M7.7 (7/19 04:17, big cusp)
  • Over W-limb (7/23 02:15, batwings)
• loop expansion (mass escape) before the main phase of the X flare.

Timeline of the AR evolution

1. 2012/07/06 04:00:00 --- East limb passage.
2. 2012/07/08 00:00:00 --- Emergence of N4-P4 pairs.
3. 2012/07/09 23:03:00 --- M1.1 flare between N4-P4.
4. 2012/07/10 04:58:00 --- M1.7 flare between N4-P4.
5. 2012/07/10 06:05:00 --- M2.0 flare among N4-P4, P2.
6. 2012/07/10 12:08:00 --- C5.5 flare among N4-P4, P2.
7. 2012/07/10 12:37:00 --- C4.6 flare among N4-P4, P2.
8. 2012/07/10 15:27:00 --- C5.6 flare between N4-P1.
9. 2012/07/11 00:00:00 --- Lower loops started to extend to SW.
10. 2012/07/11 21:44:00 --- C5.6 flare among N4-P2, P4.
11. 2012/07/12 01:23:00 --- C4.0 flare between N4-P1.
12. 2012/07/12 07:46:00 --- C3.1 flare between N4-P1.
13. 2012/07/12 12:40:00 --- Sigmoid loops brightening in 94A.
14. 2012/07/12 13:30:00 --- Bar loop started to appear in 131A.
15. 2012/07/12 14:13:00 --- Bar loop & sigmoid loop interaction.
16. 2012/07/12 14:50:00 --- Sigmoid loop W-end small erruptiion in 94A.
17. 2012/07/12 15:00:00 --- Sigmoid loop started activated.
18. 2012/07/12 15:05:00 --- Lower loops started to expand to SW.
19. 2012/07/12 15:37:00 --- X1.4 flare started (GOES criterion).
20. 2012/07/12 15:39:00 --- Brightening around P2 light-bridge in 1600A.
21. 2012/07/12 15:45:00 --- Main flare ribbon started to appear in 1600A.
22. 2012/07/12 15:50:00 --- Sigmoid loop W-end little shrinkage in 94A.
23. 2012/07/12 15:55:00 --- Sigmoid loop started fast to expand in 94A.
24. 2012/07/12 15:59:00 --- West bat wing started to extend in 1600A.
25. 2012/07/12 16:26:00 --- Flare ribbon extension in XRT.
26. 2012/07/12 16:27:00 --- West-side post flare loops developed.
27. 2012/07/12 16:39:00 --- East bat wing started to extend in 1600A.
28. 2012/07/12 16:40:00 --- East-side post flare loops developed.
29. 2012/07/14 04:51:00 --- M1.0 flare between N4-P1.

2012/07/09 23:03	M1.1	N4 -- P4
2012/07/10 04:58	M1.7	N4 -- P4
2012/07/10 06:05	M2.0	N4 -- P4,P2
2012/07/10 12:08	C5.5	N4 -- P4,P2
2012/07/10 12:37	C4.6	N4 -- P4,P2
2012/07/10 15:27	C5.6	N4 -- P1
2012/07/11 21:44	C5.6	N4 -- P2,P4
2012/07/12 01:23	C4.0	N4 -- P1
2012/07/12 07:46	C3.1	N4 -- P1
2012/07/12 15:37	X1.4	N4 -- P2,P3,P4
2012/07/12 15:37	X1.4	N4 -- P1
2012/07/14 04:51	M1.0	N4 -- P1