Explanation of the Sunspot-Active Region
Connection
There is an actual physical connection between sunspots and X-ray
active regions. Sunspots are locations where intense magnetic fields pass
through the photosphere. The bright active regions in the corona are also
regions of concentrated magnetic field; the loop-like structures sometimes
seen in active regions actually trace out the direction of magnetic field
lines. The fact that an X-ray active region is found in the corona
directly above a photospheric sunspot suggests that the same magnetic
field links them both: the magnetic field threads through the sunspot up
into the corona, where it loops back down again to the photosphere below.
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