Search for Microflaring Activity in the Magnetic Network

Abstract

We analyze the temporal behavior of Network Bright Points (NBPs) searching for low-atmosphere signatures of flares occuring on the magnetic network. We make use of a set of data acquired during coordinated observations between ground based observatories (NSO/Sacramento Peak) and the MDI instrument onboard SOHO. Light curves in chromospheric spectral lines show only small amplitude temporal variations, without any sudden intensity enhancement that could suggest the presence of a transient phenomenon such as a (micro) flare. Only one NBP shows spikes of downward velocity, of the order of 2 - 4 Km/s, considered as signals of compression associated to a (micro) flare occurrence. For this same NBP, we also find a peculiar relationship between the magnetic and velocity fields fluctuations, as measured by MDI. Only for this point the B - V fluctuations are well correlated, suggesting the presence of magneto acoustic waves propagating along the magnetic structure. This correlation is lost during the compression episodes and resumes afterward. An A6 GOES soft X-ray burst is temporally associated with the downward velocity episodes, suggesting that this NBP is the footpoint of the flaring loop. This event has a total thermal energy content of about $10^{28}$ erg, and hence belongs to the microflare class.