arXiv subjects

Alexander W. James

Publications and source records attributed to Alexander W. James.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Investigating the Relationship Between Physical Properties and Spatial Irregularities at Coronal Hole Boundaries

Coronal hole boundaries are the interfaces between closed and open magnetic field regions in the solar atmosphere. Many fundamental processes take place at these regions, including magnetic reconnection that is responsible for solar wind release and restructuring of the solar magnetic field. In this paper, we present a case study in which we investigate the physical properties of the boundary of a large low-latitude coronal hole. Differential Emission Measure analysis is used to derive the plasma properties of these regions. We also apply correlation dimension mapping analysis to measure the irregularities of the coronal hole boundary. We find that the leading boundary of this coronal hole has a slightly higher average plasma temperature, is associated with a stronger and more unipolar magnetic field, and has a smoother boundary line than the trailing counterpart. These differences are hypothesised to be direct consequences of the local magnetic field configurations of the coronal hole boundary: the leading boundary corresponds to large, well-organised coronal loops, and the trailing boundary corresponds to more dispersed, randomly orientated small magnetic bipoles. Hence, we suggest that the surrounding magnetic field structure and the nature of magnetic reconnection influence the properties of coronal hole boundaries.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2026

The Non-Eruptive Reconfiguration of a Quiescent Filament After a Nearby Active Region Emergence

The unpredictability of solar filament eruptions presents major challenges for forecasting space weather, as such eruptions frequently drive coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that impact the heliosphere. While nearby flux emergence is often linked to their destabilisation, the specific characteristics of both the emerging flux and the filament that determine whether an eruption occurs remain unclear. We report observations of a quiescent filament that did not erupt following the nearby emergence of active region NOAA 13270 and a subsequent C-class flare in April 2023. Our analysis combines multi-viewpoint extreme ultraviolet (EUV) imaging and X-ray imaging with EUV spectroscopy, radio imaging and measurements of, and extrapolations from, the photospheric magnetic field. We identify the formation of a coronal null point and fan-spine topology at the interface between the active region and filament which exhibited persistent slow reconnection, indicated by chromospheric brightenings, persistent radio emission, and plasma upflows. Our results indicate that ongoing reconnection and jets can relieve magnetic stress and enable filament stability, even when under strong perturbation. We suggest that the orientation of emerging flux relative to the ambient field is a critical parameter in filament evolution, and provide observational constraints for models of filament stability and eruption.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

Investigating Solar Wind Outflows from Open-Closed Magnetic Field Structures Using Coordinated Solar Orbiter and Hinode Observations

ESA/NASA's Solar Orbiter (SO) allows us to study the solar corona at closer distances and from different perspectives, which helps us to gain significant insights into the origins of the solar wind. In this work, we present the analysis of solar wind outflows from two locations: a narrow open-field corridor and a small, mid-latitude coronal hole. These outflows were observed off-limb by the Metis coronagraph onboard SO and on-disk by the Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) onboard Hinode. Magnetic field extrapolations suggest that the upflow regions seen in EIS were the sources of the outflowing solar wind observed with Metis. We find that the plasma associated with the narrow open-field corridor has higher electron densities and lower outflow velocities compared to the coronal hole plasma in the middle corona, even though the plasma properties of the two source regions in the low corona are found to be relatively similar. The speed of solar wind from the open-field corridor also shows no correlation with the magnetic field expansion factor, unlike the coronal hole. These pronounced differences at higher altitudes may arise from the dynamic nature of the low-middle corona, in which reconnection can readily occur and may play an important role in driving solar wind variability.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

Estimating the total energy content in escaping accelerated solar electron beams

Quantifying the energy content of accelerated electron beams during solar eruptive events is a key outstanding objective that must be constrained to refine particle acceleration models and understand the electron component of space weather. Previous estimations have used in situ measurements near the Earth, and consequently suffer from electron beam propagation effects. In this study, we deduce properties of a rapid sequence of escaping electron beams that were accelerated during a solar flare on 22 May 2013 and produced type III radio bursts, including the first estimate of energy density from remote sensing observations. We use extreme-ultraviolet observations to infer the magnetic structure of the source active region NOAA 11745, and Nançay Radioheliograph imaging spectroscopy to estimate the speed and origin of the escaping electron beams. Using the observationally deduced electron beam properties from the type III bursts and co-temporal hard X-rays, we simulate electron beam properties to estimate the electron number density and energy in the acceleration region. We find an electron density (above $30\ \mathrm{keV}$) in the acceleration region of $10^{2.5}\ \mathrm{cm}^{-3}$ and an energy density of $2\times10^{-5}\ \mathrm{erg\ cm}^{-3}$. Radio observations suggest the particles travelled a very short distance before they began to produce radio emission, implying a radially narrow acceleration region. A short but plausibly wide slab-like acceleration volume of $10^{26}-10^{28}\ \mathrm{cm}^{3}$ atop the flaring loop arcade could contain a total energy of $10^{23}-10^{25}\ \mathrm{erg}$ ($\sim 100$ beams), which is comparable to energy estimates from previous studies.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

How does the critical torus instability height vary with the solar cycle?

The ideal magnetohydrodynamic torus instability can drive the eruption of coronal mass ejections. The critical threshold of magnetic field strength decay for the onset of the torus instability occurs at different heights in different solar active regions, and understanding this variation could therefore improve space weather prediction. In this work, we aim to find out how the critical torus instability height evolves throughout the solar activity cycle. We study a significant subset of HMI and MDI Space-Weather HMI Active Region Patches (SHARPs and SMARPs) from 1996-2023, totalling 21584 magnetograms from 4436 unique active region patches. For each magnetogram, we compute the critical height averaged across the main polarity inversion line, the total unsigned magnetic flux and the separation between the positive and negative magnetic polarities. We find the critical height in active regions varies with the solar cycle, with higher (lower) average critical heights observed around solar maximum (minimum). We conclude this is because the critical height is proportional to the separation between opposite magnetic polarities, which in turn is proportional to the total magnetic flux in a region, and more magnetic regions with larger fluxes and larger sizes are observed at solar maximum. This result is noteworthy because, despite the higher critical heights, more CMEs are observed around solar maximum than at solar minimum.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

Identifying plasma fractionation processes in the chromosphere using IRIS

The composition of the solar corona differs from that of the photosphere, with the plasma thought to fractionate in the solar chromosphere according to the First Ionisation Potential (FIP) of the different elements. This produces a FIP bias, wherein elements with a low FIP are preferentially enhanced in the corona compared to their photospheric abundance, but direct observations of this process remain elusive. Here we use a series of spectroscopic observations of Active Region AR 12759 as it transited the solar disc over a period of 6 days from 2-7 April 2020 taken using the Hinode Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) and Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) instruments to look for signatures of plasma fractionation in the solar chromosphere. Using the Si X/S X and Ca XIV/Ar XIV diagnostics, we find distinct differences between the FIP bias of the leading and following polarities of the active region. The widths of the IRIS Si IV lines exhibited clear differences between the leading and following polarity regions, indicating increased unresolved wave activity in the following polarity region compared to the leading polarity region, with the chromospheric velocities derived using the Mg II lines exhibiting comparable, albeit much weaker, behaviour. These results are consistent with plasma fractionation via resonant/non-resonant waves at different locations in the solar chromosphere following the ponderomotive force model, and indicate that IRIS could be used to further study this fundamental physical process.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2023

Intriguing Plasma Composition Pattern in a Solar Active Region: a Result of Non-Resonant Alfvén Waves?

The plasma composition of the solar corona is different from that of the solar photosphere. Elements that have a low first ionisation potential (FIP) are preferentially transported to the corona and, therefore, show enhanced abundances in the corona compared to the photosphere. The level of enhancement is measured using the FIP bias parameter. In this work, we use data from the EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) on Hinode to study the plasma composition in an active region following an episode of significant new flux emergence into the pre-existing magnetic environment of the active region. We use two FIP bias diagnostics: Si X 258.375 A/S X 264.233 A (temperature of approximately 1.5 MK) and Ca XIV 193.874 A/Ar XIV 194.396 A (temperature of approximately 4 MK). We observe slightly higher FIP bias values with the Ca/Ar diagnostic than Si/S in the newly emerging loops, and this pattern is much stronger in the preexisting loops (those that had been formed before the flux emergence). This result can be interpreted in the context of the ponderomotive force model, which proposes that the plasma fractionation is generally driven by Alfvén waves. Model simulations predict this difference between diagnostics using simple assumptions about the wave properties, particularly that the fractionation is driven by resonant/non-resonant waves in the emerging/preexisting loops. We propose that this results in the different fractionation patterns observed in these two sets of loops.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2023

The Merging of a Coronal Dimming and the Southern Polar Coronal Hole

We report on the merging between the southern polar coronal hole and an adjacent coronal dimming induced by a coronal mass ejection on 2022 March 18, resulting in the merged region persisting for at least 72 hrs. We use remote sensing data from multiple co-observing spacecraft to understand the physical processes during this merging event. The evolution of the merger is examined using Extreme-UltraViolet (EUV) images obtained from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly onboard the Solar Dynamic Observatory and Extreme Ultraviolet Imager onboard the Solar Orbiter spacecraft. The plasma dynamics are quantified using spectroscopic data obtained from the EUV Imaging Spectrometer onboard Hinode. The photospheric magnetograms from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager are used to derive magnetic field properties. To our knowledge, this work is the first spectroscopical analysis of the merging of two open-field structures. We find that the coronal hole and the coronal dimming become indistinguishable after the merging. The upflow speeds inside the coronal dimming become more similar to that of a coronal hole, with a mixture of plasma upflows and downflows observable after the merging. The brightening of bright points and the appearance of coronal jets inside the merged region further imply ongoing reconnection processes. We propose that component reconnection between the coronal hole and coronal dimming fields plays an important role during this merging event, as the footpoint switching resulting from the reconnection allows the coronal dimming to intrude onto the boundary of the southern polar coronal hole.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2023

Slow Solar Wind Connection Science during Solar Orbiter's First Close Perihelion Passage

The Slow Solar Wind Connection Solar Orbiter Observing Plan (Slow Wind SOOP) was developed to utilise the extensive suite of remote sensing and in situ instruments on board the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter mission to answer significant outstanding questions regarding the origin and formation of the slow solar wind. The Slow Wind SOOP was designed to link remote sensing and in situ measurements of slow wind originating at open-closed field boundaries. The SOOP ran just prior to Solar Orbiter's first close perihelion passage during two remote sensing windows (RSW1 and RSW2) between 2022 March 3-6 and 2022 March 17-22, while Solar Orbiter was at a heliocentric distance of 0.55-0.51 and 0.38-0.34 au from the Sun, respectively. Coordinated observation campaigns were also conducted by Hinode and IRIS. The magnetic connectivity tool was used, along with low latency in situ data, and full-disk remote sensing observations, to guide the target pointing of Solar Orbiter. Solar Orbiter targeted an active region complex during RSW1, the boundary of a coronal hole, and the periphery of a decayed active region during RSW2. Post-observation analysis using the magnetic connectivity tool along with in situ measurements from MAG and SWA/PAS, show that slow solar wind, with velocities between 210 and 600 km/s, arrived at the spacecraft originating from two out of the three of the target regions. The Slow Wind SOOP, despite presenting many challenges, was very successful, providing a blueprint for planning future observation campaigns that rely on the magnetic connectivity of Solar Orbiter.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2023

Understanding the Relationship between Solar Coronal Abundances and F10.7 cm Radio Emission

Sun-as-a-star coronal plasma composition, derived from full-Sun spectra, and the F10.7 radio flux (2.8 GHz) have been shown to be highly correlated (r = 0.88) during solar cycle 24. However, this correlation becomes nonlinear during increased solar magnetic activity. Here, we use co-temporal, high spatial resolution, multi-wavelength images of the Sun to investigate the underlying causes of the non-linearity between coronal composition (FIP bias) and F10.7 solar index correlation. Using the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (JVLA), Hinode/EIS (EUV Imaging Spectrometer), and the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO), we observed a small active region, AR 12759, throughout the solar atmosphere from the photosphere to the corona. Results of this study show that the magnetic field strength (flux density) in active regions plays an important role in the variability of coronal abundances, and it is likely the main contributing factor to this non-linearity during increased solar activity. Coronal abundances above cool sunspots are lower than in dispersed magnetic plage regions. Strong magnetic concentrations are associated with stronger F10.7 cm gyroresonance emission. Considering that as the solar cycle moves from minimum to maximum, the size of sunspots and their field strength increase with gyroresonance component, the distinctly different tendencies of radio emission and coronal abundances in the vicinity of sunspots is the likely cause of saturation of Sun-as-a-star coronal abundances during solar maximum, while the F10.7 index remains well correlated with the sunspot number and other magnetic field proxies.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2022

The magnetic field environment of active region 12673 that produced the energetic particle events of September 2017

Forecasting solar energetic particles (SEPs), and identifying flare/CMEs from active regions (ARs) that will produce SEP events in advance is extremely challenging. We investigate the magnetic field environment of AR 12673, including the AR's magnetic configuration, the surrounding field configuration in the vicinity of the AR, the decay index profile, and the footpoints of Earth-connected magnetic field, around the time of four eruptive events. Two of the eruptive events are SEP-productive (2017 September 4 at 20:00~UT and September 6 at 11:56~UT), while two are not (September 4 at 18:05~UT and September 7 at 14:33~UT). We analysed a range of EUV and white-light coronagraph observations along with potential field extrapolations and find that the CMEs associated with the SEP-productive events either trigger null point reconnection that redirects flare-accelerated particles from the flare site to the Earth-connected field and/or have a significant expansion (and shock formation) into the open Earth-connected field. The rate of change of the decay index with height indicates that the region could produce a fast CME ($v >$ 1500~km~s$^{-1}$), which it did during events two and three. The AR's magnetic field environment, including sites of open magnetic field and null points along with the magnetic field connectivity and propagation direction of the CMEs play an important role in the escape and arrival of SEPs at Earth. Other SEP-productive ARs should be investigated to determine whether their magnetic field environment and CME propagation direction are significant in the escape and arrival of SEPs at Earth.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2022

Evolution of the critical torus instability height and CME likelihood in solar active regions

Aims. Working towards improved space weather predictions, we aim to quantify how the critical height at which the torus instability drives coronal mass ejections (CMEs) varies over time in a sample of solar active regions. Methods. We model the coronal magnetic fields of 42 active regions and quantify the critical height at their central polarity inversion lines throughout their observed lifetimes. We then compare these heights to the changing magnetic flux at the photospheric boundary and identify CMEs in these regions. Results. In our sample, the rates of CMEs per unit time are twice as high during phases when magnetic flux is increasing than when it is decreasing, and during those phases of increasing flux, the rate of CMEs is 63% higher when the critical height is rising than when it is falling. Furthermore, we support and extend the results of previous studies by demonstrating that the critical height in active regions is generally proportional to the separation of their magnetic polarities through time. When the separation of magnetic polarities in an active region increases, for example during the continuous emergence and expansion of a magnetic bipole, the critical height also tends to increase. Conversely, when the polarity separation decreases, for example due to the emergence of a new, compact bipole at the central inversion line of an existing active region or into a quiet Sun environment, the critical height tends to decrease.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2020

Can Sub-photospheric Magnetic Reconnection Change the Elemental Composition in the Solar Corona?

Within the coronae of stars, abundances of those elements with low first ionization potential (FIP) often differ from their photospheric values. The coronae of the Sun and solar-type stars mostly show enhancements of low- FIP elements (the FIP effect) while more active stars such as M-dwarfs have coronae generally characterized by the inverse-FIP effect (I-FIP). Here we observe patches of I-FIP effect solar plasma in AR 12673, a highly complex beta/gamma/delta active region. We argue that the umbrae of coalescing sunspots and more specifically strong light bridges within the umbrae, are preferential locations for observing I-FIP effect plasma. Furthermore, the magnetic complexity of the active region and major episodes of fast flux emergence also lead to repetitive and intense flares. The induced evaporation of the chromospheric plasma in flare ribbons crossing umbrae enables the observation of four localized patches of I-FIP effect plasma in the corona of AR 12673. These observations can be interpreted in the context of the ponderomotive force fractionation model which predicts that plasma with I-FIP effect composition is created by the refraction of waves coming from below the chromosphere. We propose that the waves generating the I-FIP effect plasma in solar active regions are generated by sub-photospheric reconnection of coalescing flux systems. Although we only glimpse signatures of I-FIP effect fractionation produced by this interaction in patches on the Sun, on highly active M-stars it may be the dominant process.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2019

Transient Inverse-FIP Plasma Composition Evolution within a Confined Solar Flare

Understanding elemental abundance variations in the solar corona provides an insight into how matter and energy flow from the chromosphere into the heliosphere. Observed variations depend on the first ionization potential (FIP) of the main elements of the Sun's atmosphere. High-FIP elements (>10 eV) maintain photospheric abundances in the corona, whereas low-FIP elements have enhanced abundances. Conversely, inverse FIP (IFIP) refers to the enhancement of high-FIP or depletion of low-FIP elements. We use spatially resolved spectroscopic observations, specifically the Ar XIV/Ca XIV intensity ratio, from Hinode's Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer to investigate the distribution and evolution of plasma composition within two confined flares in a newly emerging, highly sheared active region. During the decay phase of the first flare, patches above the flare ribbons evolve from the FIP to the IFIP effect, while the flaring loop tops show a stronger FIP effect. The patch and loop compositions then evolve toward the pre-flare basal state. We propose an explanation of how flaring in strands of highly sheared emerging magnetic fields can lead to flare-modulated IFIP plasma composition over coalescing umbrae which are crossed by flare ribbons. Subsurface reconnection between the coalescing umbrae leads to the depletion of low-FIP elements as a result of an increased wave flux from below. This material is evaporated when the flare ribbons cross the umbrae. Our results are consistent with the ponderomotive fractionation model (Laming2015) for the creation of IFIP-biased plasma.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2018

Coronal Magnetic Structure of Earthbound CMEs and In situ Comparison

Predicting the magnetic field within an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection (CME) well before its arrival at Earth is one of the most important issues in space weather research. In this article, we compare the intrinsic flux rope type, i.e. the CME orientation and handedness during eruption, with the in situ flux rope type for 20 CME events that have been uniquely linked from Sun to Earth through heliospheric imaging. Our study shows that the intrinsic flux rope type can be estimated for CMEs originating from different source regions using a combination of indirect proxies. We find that only 20% of the events studied match strictly between the intrinsic and in situ flux rope types. The percentage rises to 55% when intermediate cases (where the orientation at the Sun and/or in situ is close to 45°) are considered as a match. We also determine the change in the flux rope tilt angle between the Sun and Earth. For the majority of the cases, the rotation is several tens of degrees, whilst 35% of the events change by more than 90°. While occasionally the intrinsic flux rope type is a good proxy for the magnetic structure impacting Earth, our study highlights the importance of capturing the CME evolution for space weather forecasting purposes. Moreover, we emphasize that determination of the intrinsic flux rope type is a crucial input for CME forecasting models.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2018

An Observationally-Constrained Model of a Flux Rope that Formed in the Solar Corona

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are large-scale eruptions of plasma from the coronae of stars. Understanding the plasma processes involved in CME initiation has applications to space weather forecasting and laboratory plasma experiments. James et al. (Sol. Phys. 292, 71, 2017) used EUV observations to conclude that a magnetic flux rope formed in the solar corona above NOAA Active Region 11504 before it erupted on 14 June 2012 (SOL2012-06-14). In this work, we use data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory to model the coronal magnetic field of the active region one hour prior to eruption using a nonlinear force-free field extrapolation, and find a flux rope reaching a maximum height of 150 Mm above the photosphere. Estimations of the average twist of the strongly asymmetric extrapolated flux rope are between 1.35 and 1.88 turns, depending on the choice of axis, although the erupting structure was not observed to kink. The decay index near the apex of the axis of the extrapolated flux rope is comparable to typical critical values required for the onset of the torus instability, so we suggest that the torus instability drove the eruption.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2017

Determining the Intrinsic CME Flux Rope Type Using Remote-sensing Solar Disk Observations

A key aim in space weather research is to be able to use remote-sensing observations of the solar atmosphere to extend the lead time of predicting the geoeffectiveness of a coronal mass ejection (CME). In order to achieve this, the magnetic structure of the CME as it leaves the Sun must be known. In this article we address this issue by developing a method to determine the intrinsic flux rope type of a CME solely from solar disk observations. We use several well known proxies for the magnetic helicity sign, the axis orientation, and the axial magnetic field direction to predict the magnetic structure of the interplanetary flux rope. We present two case studies: the 2 June 2011 and the 14 June 2012 CMEs. Both of these events erupted from an active region and, despite having clear in situ counterparts, their eruption characteristics were relatively complex. The first event was associated with an active region filament that erupted in two stages, while for the other event the eruption originated from a relatively high coronal altitude and the source region did not feature the presence of a filament. Our magnetic helicity sign proxies include the analysis of magnetic tongues, soft X-ray and/or EUV sigmoids, coronal arcade skew, filament emission and absorption threads, and filament rotation. Since the inclination of the post-eruption arcades was not clear, we use the tilt of the polarity inversion line to determine the flux rope axis orientation, and coronal dimmings to determine the flux rope footpoints and, therefore, the direction of the axial magnetic field. The comparison of the estimated intrinsic flux rope structure to in situ observations at the Lagrangian point L1 indicated a good agreement with the predictions. Our results highlight the flux rope type determination techniques that are particularly useful for active region eruptions, where most geoeffective CMEs originate.

astro-ph.SR↗