arXiv subjects

Jaroslav Dudík

Publications and source records attributed to Jaroslav Dudík.

17 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Understanding Solar Flares and Energetic Events: Open questions, observational requirements, and instrumental needs over the coming decade

Solar flares are the largest energy-release events in the Solar System, allowing us to study fundamental physical phenomena under extreme conditions. Those include magnetic reconnection, particle acceleration, radiation transport, and various plasma physics processes, all of which occur throughout the heliosphere and rest of the Universe. Flares and eruptive events are also components of geo-effective space weather. Their impacts from a space weather perspective are numerous, such as harm to satellites, disruption to GPS, communications and power systems, and impacts on passenger air travel. A comprehensive understanding of solar flares is therefore not just a compelling science problem, but also important for national security and infrastructure. This white paper (WP) addresses critical open science questions related to solar flares. Key observations and capabilities required to make significant advancements over the coming decade are identified. The UK has a robust and vibrant solar flare community. We are key partners in international collaborations, and also provide instrumentation for existing and upcoming ESA/NASA/JAXA space missions. Continuing this effort over the coming decade is vital to maintain UK leadership in this field, achieve Solar System Advisory Panel roadmap goals, and to work under the UK Space Agency's National Space Strategy Pillars. Several complementary WPs have been submitted that discuss instruments or concepts that would directly address the observational requirements we describe (including: SPARK, solar optimised IFUs, Solar-C/EUVST, and OSIRIS), as well as required numerical modelling efforts and infrastructure.

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arXiv2025

Radio, X-ray, and EUV signatures of internal and external reconnection of an erupting flux rope

We analyse imaging (EUV, X-ray) and spectral (radio, X-ray) data obtained by ground based and space instruments on board space missions both on Earth (Fermi, Hinode, Solar Dynamics Observatory) and solar orbit (Solar Orbiter, STEREO-A), which provide a multi-directional view on the same event. The combination of EUV and X-ray images and X-ray spectra allowed us to identify hot loops in the vicinity of the filament before its eruption. We interpreted their interaction with the rising filament as a signature of an arcade-to-rope reconnection geometry. The subsequent EUV brightening within the filament revealed helical structure of the erupting rope. We explained co-temporal radio slowly positively drifting bursts as a result of beam acceleration within the magnetic rope and propagation along the helical structure. Corresponding X-ray spectra were consistent with a thermal origin. The filament rising was accompanied by co-temporal normal and reverse drift type III radio bursts. We interpreted them as a signature of a reconnection event and estimated electron density at the reconnection site. Further untwisting of the helical structure led to formation of a quasi-circular EUV structure seen from Earth and STEREO-A. Its occurrence was co-temporal with a unique tangle of radio U- and inverse U-bursts. We proposed that several accelerated beams propagate within that complex structure and generate the burst tangle. During the start of the flare hard X-ray emission was concentrated near the filament leg only suggesting predominant propagation of the beams towards its rooting. We collected multi-wavelength observations indicating interaction of the erupting magnetic flux rope with the overlying arcade and internal magnetic reconnection inside the rising flux rope.

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arXiv2025

Spectroscopic investigations of a filament reconnecting with coronal loops during a two-ribbon solar flare

In the standard 2D model of eruption, the eruption of a magnetic flux rope is associated with magnetic reconnection occurring beneath it. However, in 3D, additional reconnection geometries are possible, in particular the AR-RF, where external reconnection involving the overlying arcades (A) and erupting flux rope (R) turns into another arcade and a flare loop (F). This process results in the drifting of the legs of the erupting flux rope. We investigated spectroscopic signatures of such AR-RF reconnection occurring in an erupting filament reconnecting with coronal arcades during a two-ribbon flare. The evolution of the erupting filament eruption is examined using observations by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) and the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS). As the filament rises into the corona, it reconnects with the surrounding arcade of coronal loops with localized brightenings, resulting in the disappearance of the coronal loops and formation of a hot flux rope, showing slipping motion of its footpoints extending to the previous footpoints of the coronal loops (AR-RF reconnection) as predicted by the 3D extensions to the Standard solar flare model. These brightenings are accompanied by the presence of strong blue-shifts in both the IRIS Si IV and Mg II lines, upto about 200 km/s. The lines are also extremely wide, with non-thermal widths above 100 km/s. Furthermore, a strongly non-Gaussian profile of the most blue-shifted component is detected at the start of the AR-RF reconnection, indicating the presence of accelerated particles and MHD turbulence, and associated with the appearance of hot plasma in the AIA 94 A passband. For the first time, an observation has been reported in which the IRIS slit successfully captures AR-RF reconnection between a filament and overlying arcades, resulting in strong blue-shifts and very broad line profiles.

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arXiv2024

Slowly positively drifting bursts generated by large-scale magnetic reconnection

The slowly positively drifting bursts (SPDBs) are rarely observed in radio emission of solar flares. To understand how the SPDBs are generated, we studied the radio observations at 600--5000 MHz together with the imaging observations made in ultraviolet (UV) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) during the SPDB-rich C8.7 flare of 2014 May 10 (SOL2014-05-10T0702). Because the SPDBs propagate towards locations of higher plasma density, we studied their associations with individual flare kernels, located either within the flare core itself, or distributed at longer distances, but connected to the flaring region by large-scale hot loops. For each kernel we constructed light curves using 1600 A and 304 A observations and compared these light curves with the temporal evolution of radio flux at 1190 MHz, representing all observed groups of SPDBs. We also analysed the UV/EUV observations to understand the evolution of magnetic connectivity during the flare. The flare starts with a growing hot sigmoid observed in 131 A. As the sigmoid evolves, it extends to and interacts with a half dome present within the active region. The evolving sigmoid reconnects at the respective hyperbolic flux tube, producing large-scale magnetic connections and an EUV swirl. Three groups of SPDBs are observed during this large-scale magnetic reconnection, along with a group of narrow-band type III bursts. The light curves of a kernel corresponding to the footpoint of spine line analogue show good agreement with the radio flux at 1190 MHz, indicating that the SPDBs are produced by the large-scale magnetic reconnection at the half dome. In addition, one of the kernels appeared in the neighbouring active region and also showed a similar evolution to the radio flux, implying that beams of accelerated particles can synchronize radio and UV/EUV light curves across relatively large distances.

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arXiv2022

Blueshifted Si IV 1402.77Å line profiles in a moving flare kernel observed by IRIS

We analyze spectra of a slipping flare kernel observed during the 2015 June 22 M6.5-class flare by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS). During the impulsive and peak phases of the flare, loops exhibiting an apparent slipping motion along the ribbons were observed in the 131Å channel of SDO/AIA. The IRIS spectrograph slit observed a portion of the ribbons, including a moving kernel corresponding to a flare loop footpoint in Si IV, C II, and Mg II at a very-high 1 s cadence. The spectra observed in the kernel were mostly redshifted and exhibited pronounced red wings, as typically observed in large flares. However, in a small region in one of the ribbons, the Si IV 1402.77Å line was partially blueshifted, with the corresponding Doppler velocity |v_{D}| exceeding 50 km s$^{-1}$. In the same region, the C II 1334.53Å, 1335.66Å and 1335.71Å lines were weakly blueshifted (|v_{D}| < 20 km s$^{-1}$) and showed pronounced blue wings, which were observed also in the Mg II k 2796.35Å as well as the Mg II triplet 2798.75Å and 2798.82Å lines. Using high-cadence AIA observations we found that the region where the blueshifts occurred corresponds to the accelerating kernel front as it moved through a weak-field region. The IRIS observations with high resolution allowed us to capture the acceleration of the kernel under the slit for the first time. The unique observations of blueshifted chromospheric and TR lines provide new constrains for current models of flares.

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arXiv2021

Saddle-shaped solar flare arcades

Arcades of flare loops form as a consequence of magnetic reconnection powering solar flares and eruptions. We analyse the morphology and evolution of flare arcades that formed during five well-known eruptive flares. We show that the arcades have a common saddle-like shape. The saddles occur despite the fact that the flares were of different classes (C to X), occurred in different magnetic environments, and were observed in various projections. The saddles are related to the presence of longer, relatively-higher, and inclined flare loops, consistently observed at the ends of the arcades, which we term `cantles'. Our observations indicate that cantles typically join straight portions of flare ribbons with hooked extensions of the conjugate ribbons. The origin of the cantles is investigated in stereoscopic observations of the 2011 May 9 eruptive flare carried out by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) and Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUVI). The mutual separation of the instruments led to ideal observational conditions allowing for simultaneous analysis of the evolving cantle and the underlying ribbon hook. Based on our analysis we suggest that the formation of one of the cantles can be explained by magnetic reconnection between the erupting structure and its overlying arcades. We propose that the morphology of flare arcades can provide information about the reconnection geometries in which the individual flare loops originate.

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arXiv2021

Flare Expansion to a Magnetic Rope Accompanied by Rare Radio Bursts

We present multispectral analysis (radio, H$α$, UV/EUV, and hard X-ray) of a confined flare from 2015 March 12. This flare started within the active region NOAA 12 297 and then it expanded into a large preexisting magnetic rope embedded with a cold filament. The expansion started with several brightenings located along the rope. This process was accompanied by a group of slowly positively drifting bursts in the 0.8--2 GHz range. The frequency drift of these bursts was 45 -- 100 MHz s$^{-1}$. One of the bursts had an S-like form. During the brightening of the rope we observed an unique bright EUV structure transverse to the rope axis. The structure was observed in a broad range of temperatures and it moved along the rope with the velocity of about 240 km s$^{-1}$. When the structure dissipated, we saw a plasma further following twisted threads in the rope. The observed slowly positively drifting bursts were interpreted considering particle beams and we show that one with the S-like form could be explained by the beam propagating through the helical structure of the magnetic rope. The bright structure transverse to the rope axis was interpreted considering line-of-sight effects and the dissipation-spreading process, which we found to be more likely.

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arXiv2020

Electron Densities in the Solar Corona Measured Simultaneously in the Extreme-Ultraviolet and Infra-Red

Accurate measurements of electron density are critical for determination of the plasma properties in the solar corona. We compare the electron densities diagnosed from Fe XIII lines observed by the Extreme-Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) onboard the Hinode mission with the near infra-red (NIR) measurements provided by the ground-based Coronal Multichannel Polarimeter (COMP). To do that, the emissivity-ratio method based on all available observed lines of Fe XIII is used for both EIS and CoMP. The EIS diagnostics is further supplemented by the results from Fe XII lines. We find excellent agreement, within 10%, between the electron densities measured from both EUV and NIR lines. In the five regions selected for detailed analysis, we obtain electron densities of log(Ne [cm-3]) = 8.2-8.6. Where available, the background subtraction has a significant impact on the diagnostics, especially on the NIR lines, where the loop contributes less than a quarter of the intensity measured along the line of sight. For the NIR lines, we find that the line center intensities are not affected by stray light within the instrument, and recommend using these for density diagnostics. The measurements of the Fe XIII NIR lines represent a viable method for density diagnostics using ground-based instrumentation.

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arXiv2020

Imaging evidence for solar wind outflows originating from a CME footpoint

We report on the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) observations of plasma outflows originating in a coronal dimming during the 2015 April 28th filament eruption. After the filament started to erupt, two flare ribbons formed, one of which had a well-visible hook enclosing a core (twin) dimming region. Along multiple funnels located in this dimming, a motion of plasma directed outwards started to be visible in the 171 and 193 filter channels of the instrument. In time-distance diagrams, this motion generated a strip-like pattern, which lasted for more than five hours and which characteristics did not change along the funnel. We therefore suggest the motion to be a signature of outflows corresponding to velocities ranging between $\approx70$ and 140 km s$^{-1}$. Interestingly, the pattern of the outflows as well as their velocities were found to be similar to those we observed in a neighboring ordinary coronal hole. Therefore, the outflows were most likely a signature of a CME-induced slow solar wind flowing along the open-field structures rooted in the dimming region. Further, the evolution of the hook encircling the dimming region was examined in the context of the latest predictions imposed for the three-dimensional magnetic reconnection. The observations indicate that the filament's footpoints were, during their transformation to the dimming region, reconnecting with surrounding canopies. To our knowledge, our observations present the first imaging evidence for outflows of plasma from a dimming region.

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arXiv2020

Plasma Diagnostics From Active Region and Quiet Sun Spectra Observed by Hinode/EIS: Quantifying the Departures from a Maxwellian Distribution

We perform plasma diagnostics, including that of the non-Maxwellian $κ$-distributions, in several structures observed in the solar corona by the Extreme-Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) onboard the Hinode spacecraft. To prevent uncertainties due to the in-flight calibration of EIS, we selected spectral atlases observed shortly after the launch of the mission. One spectral atlas contains an observation of an active region, while the other is an off-limb quiet Sun region. To minimize the uncertainties of the diagnostics, we rely only on strong lines and we average the signal over a spatial area within selected structures. Multiple plasma parameters are diagnosed, such as the electron density, differential emission measure, and the non-Maxwellian parameter $κ$. To do that, we use a simple, well-converging iterative scheme based on refining the initial density estimates via the DEM and $κ$. We find that while the quiet Sun spectra are consistent with a Maxwellian distribution, the coronal loops and moss observed within active region are strongly non-Maxwellian with $κ$ $\lessapprox$ 3. These results were checked by calculating synthetic ratios using DEMs obtained as a function of $κ$. Ratios predicted using the DEMs assuming $κ$-distributions converged to the ratios observed in the quiet Sun and coronal loops. To our knowledge, this work presents a strong evidence of a presence of different electron distributions between two physically distinct parts of the solar corona.

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arXiv2019

Velocities of flare kernels and the mapping norm of field line connectivity

We report on observations of flare ribbon kernels during the 2012 August 31 filament eruption. In the 1600\,Å and 304\,Å channels of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly, flare kernels were observed to move along flare ribbons at velocities $v_\parallel$ of up to $450$ km\,s$^{-1}$. Kernel velocities were found to be roughly anti-correlated with strength of the magnetic field. Apparent slipping motion of flare loops was observed in the 131\,Å only for the slowest kernels moving through strong-$B$ region. In order to interpret the observed relation between $B_{\text{LOS}}$ and $v_\parallel$, we examined distribution of the norm $N$, a quantity closely related to the slippage velocity. We then calculated the norm $N$ of the quasi-separatrix layers (QSLs) in MHD model of a solar eruption adapted to the magnetic environment which qualitatively agrees to that of the observed event. We found that both the modelled $N$ and velocities of kernels reach their highest values in the same weak-field regions, one located in the curved part of the ribbon hook and the other in the straight part of the conjugate ribbon located close to a parasitic polarity. Oppositely, lower values of the kernel velocities are seen at the tip of the ribbon hook, where the modelled $N$ is low. Since the modelled distribution of $N$ matches the observed dynamics of kernels, this supports that the kernel motions can be interpreted as a signature of QSL reconnection during the eruption.

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arXiv2018

Broad Non-Gaussian Fe XXIV Line Profiles in the Impulsive Phase of the 2017 September 10 X8.3 class Flare Observed by Hinode/EIS

We analyze the spectra of high temperature \fexxiv~lines observed by \emph{Hinode}/EIS during the impulsive phase of the X8.3--class flare on September 10, 2017. The line profiles are broad, show pronounced wings, and clearly depart from a single Gaussian shape. The lines can be well fitted with $κ$ distributions, with values of $κ$ varying between~$\approx$1.7 to 3. The regions where we observe the non-Gaussian profiles coincide with the location of high-energy ($\approx$100--300 keV) HXR sources observed by \emph{RHESSI}, suggesting the presence of particle acceleration or turbulence, also confirmed by the observations of a non-thermal microwave sources with the \emph{Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array} (EOVSA) at and above the HXR looptop source. We also investigate the effect of taking into account $κ$ distributions in the temperature diagnostics based on the ratio of the \fexxiii~263.76~Å~and \fexxiv~255.1~Å~EIS lines. We found that these lines can be formed at much higher temperatures than expected (up to log($T$\,[K])\,$\approx$\,7.8), if departures from Maxwellian distributions are taken into account. Although larger line widths are expected because of these higher formation temperatures, the observed line widths still imply non-thermal broadening in excess of ~200\,\kps. The non-thermal broadening related to HXR emission is better interpreted by turbulence rather than chromospheric evaporation.

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arXiv2017

Non-Equilibrium Processes in the Solar Corona, Transition Region, Flares, and Solar Wind \textit{(Invited Review)}

We review the presence and signatures of the non-equilibrium processes, both non-Maxwellian distributions and non-equilibrium ionization, in the solar transition region, corona, solar wind, and flares. Basic properties of the non-Maxwellian distributions are described together with their influence on the heat flux as well as on the rates of individual collisional processes and the resulting optically thin synthetic spectra. Constraints on the presence of high-energy electrons from observations are reviewed, including positive detection of non-Maxwellian distributions in the solar corona, transition region, flares, and wind. Occurrence of non-equilibrium ionization is reviewed as well, especially in connection to hydrodynamic and generalized collisional-radiative modelling. Predicted spectroscopic signatures of non-equilibrium ionization depending on the assumed plasma conditions are summarized. Finally, we discuss the future remote-sensing instrumentation that can be used for detection of these non-equilibrium phenomena in various spectral ranges.

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arXiv2017

Vortex and sink flows in eruptive flares as a model for coronal implosions

Eruptive flares are sudden releases of magnetic energy that involve many phenomena, several of which can be explained by the standard 2D flare model and its realizations in three-dimensions. We analyze a three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics simulation in the framework of this model that naturally explains the contraction of coronal loops in the proximity of the flare sites, as well as the inflow towards the region above the cusp-shaped loops. We find that two vorticity arcs located along the flanks of the erupting magnetic flux rope are generated as soon as the eruption begins. The magnetic arcades above the flux-rope legs are then subjected to expansion, rotation or contraction depending on which part of the vortex-flow advects them. In addition to the vortices, an inward-directed magnetic pressure gradient exists in the current sheet below the magnetic flux rope. It results in the formation of a sink that is maintained by reconnection. We conclude that coronal loop apparent implosions observed during eruptive flares are the result of hydro-magnetic effects related to the generation of vortex- and sink-flows when a flux rope moves in a magnetized environment.

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arXiv2015

KAPPA: A Package for Synthesis of optically thin spectra for the non-Maxwellian kappa-distributions based on the CHIANTI database

The non-Maxwellian $κ$-distributions have been detected in the solar transition region and flares. These distributions are characterized by a high-energy tail and a near-Maxwellian core and are known to have significant impact on the resulting optically thin spectra arising from collisionally dominated astrophysical plasmas. We developed the KAPPA package (http://kappa.asu.cas.cz) for synthesis of such line and continuum spectra. The package is based on the freely available CHIANTI database and software, and can be used in a similar manner. Ionization and recombination rates together with the ionization equilibria are provided for a range of $κ$ values. Distribution-averaged collision strengths for excitation are obtained by an approximate method for all transitions in all ions available within CHIANTI. The validity of this approximate method is tested by comparison with direct calculations. Typical precisions of better than 5% are found, with all cases being within 10%. Tools for calculation of synthetic line and continuum intensities are provided and described. Examples of the synthetic spectra and SDO/AIA responses to emission for the $κ$-distributions are given.

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arXiv2014

Slipping magnetic reconnection during an X-class solar flare observed by SDO/AIA

We present SDO/AIA observations of an eruptive X-class flare of July 12, 2012, and compare its evolution with the predictions of a 3D numerical simulation. We focus on the dynamics of flare loops that are seen to undergo slipping reconnection during the flare. In the AIA 131A observations, lower parts of 10 MK flare loops exhibit an apparent motion with velocities of several tens of km/s along the developing flare ribbons. In the early stages of the flare, flare ribbons consist of compact, localized bright transition-region emission from the footpoints of the flare loops. A DEM analysis shows that the flare loops have temperatures up to the formation of Fe XXIV. A series of very long, S-shaped loops erupt, leading to a CME observed by STEREO. The observed dynamics are compared with the evolution of magnetic structures in the "standard solar flare model in 3D". This model matches the observations well, reproducing both the apparently slipping flare loops, S-shaped erupting loops, and the evolution of flare ribbons. All of these processes are explained via 3D reconnection mechanisms resulting from the expansion of a torus-unstable flux rope. The AIA observations and the numerical model are complemented by radio observations showing a noise storm in the metric range. Dm-drifting pulsation structures occurring during the eruption indicate plasmoid ejection and enhancement of reconnection rate. The bursty nature of radio emission shows that the slipping reconnection is still intermittent, although it is observed to persist for more than an hour.

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arXiv2013

Solar Transition-Region Lines Observed by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph: Diagnostics for the O IV and Si IV Lines

The formation of the transition-region O IV and Si IV lines observable by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) is investigated for both Maxwellian and non-Maxellian conditions characterized by a kappa-distribution exhibiting a high-energy tail. The \ion{Si}{4} lines are formed at lower temperatures than the O IV lines for all kappa. In non-Maxwellian situations with lower kappa, the contribution functions are shifted to lower temperatures. Combined with the slope of the differential emission measure, it is possible for the Si IV lines to be formed at very different regions of solar transition region than the O IV lines; possibly close to solar chromosphere. Such situations might be discernible by IRIS. It is found that photoexcitation can be important for the Si IV lines, but is negligible for the O IV lines. The usefulness of the O IV ratios for density diagnostics independently of kappa is investigated and it is found that the O IV 1404.78A /1399.77A ratio provides a good density diagnostics except for very low T combined with extreme non-Maxwellian situations.

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