Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
May 2011
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011spd....42.2304f&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, SPD meeting #42, #23.04; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 43, 2011
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
We study the dependence of production of major CME/flare eruptions on the source active region's (AR's) location in (flux content, free energy) phase space. For this, an AR's flux content and a proxy of its free magnetic energy content can be adequately measured from 96-minute cadence SOHO/MDI magnetograms when the AR is within 30 degrees of disk center (Falconer et al 2008, ApJ, 688, 143). The AR's evolution in this phase space can thereby be tracked as it crosses the central disk. By our definition, an AR is (1) mature if its flux is growing by less than 50%/day when it rotates onto the 30-degree-radius central disk, or (2) emerging if its flux is growing faster than 50%/day when it enters the central disk or if it is born within the central disk. In an initial study of 46 ARs, 42 were mature and 4 were emerging. From 1800 MDI magnetograms of the 42 mature ARs, we found that (1) mature ARs have a sharp upper bound on the free energy they can attain that increases with increasing flux content, and (2) for mature ARs, nearly all CMEs and X-class flares are produced by ARs that are near the free-energy limit line. These ARs constitute the main sequence of explosive mature ARs (Falconer et al 2009, ApJ, 700, L166). Two of the four emerging ARs attained free energy well beyond the limit for mature ARs of the same flux content, questioning whether emerging ARs have a free-energy limit and explosive main sequence like those for mature ARs. Here, we show from a much larger sample of ARs ( 1000), of which about 1/3 are emerging, that emerging ARs do have a free-energy limit and a explosive main sequence, each offset to higher free energy relative to its mature-AR counterpart.
Falconer David
Moore Randy
No associations
LandOfFree
The Main Sequence of Explosive Emerging Solar Active Regions does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with The Main Sequence of Explosive Emerging Solar Active Regions, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and The Main Sequence of Explosive Emerging Solar Active Regions will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1205797