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Zhenjun Zhou

Publications and source records attributed to Zhenjun Zhou.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

The Internal Magnetic Field Structure of ICMEs in the Heliosphere

Interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) are major drivers of heliospheric disturbances and space-weather effects. Here we present a multi-spacecraft study of 96 magnetic clouds (MCs) distributed over a broad range of heliocentric distances, and reconstruct their internal magnetic structure with a uniform-twist Gold--Hoyle (GH) flux-rope model. From the fits, we derive the axial field strength $B_0$, the twist density (turn density) $\tau$, the GH parameter $\omega$, and the integrated twist number $n$. We find that $B_0$ and the turn density $\tau$ both decrease with increasing heliocentric distance, consistent with expansion and axial stretching during propagation. A key result is that the upper envelope in the $\tau$--$R$ plane corresponds to a nearly constant boundary in the dimensionless GH parameter $\omega=2\pi R\tau$, close to $\omega\sim2$. Therefore, the inferred upper value of $\tau$ is not scale-independent, but follows $\tau_{\max}\simeq \omega_{\max}/(2\pi R)$ for a given flux-rope radius. In contrast, the estimated integrated turn number $n$ shows no similarly clear radial organization in the present sample. This study investigates the ICME structure and magnetic field characteristics across heliocentric distances from 0.07 to 5.4~AU, thereby providing observational constraints on the large-scale evolution of interplanetary magnetic flux ropes.

astro-ph.SR

Magnetic Cloud Boundary Identification Using a Local-Normalized Magnetic Field Parameter

Due to the lack of quantitative and reproducible criteria for identifying magnetic cloud (MC) boundaries, we propose a parameter that characterizes short-timescale variability in magnetic field strength. The parameter, referred to as the Local-Normalized Magnetic field parameter (LNM), is defined as $\mathrm{LNM}(t)=\log_{10}\left(B(t)/\langle B \rangle_{\mathrm{5m\text{-}med}}(t)\right)$, where $B(t)$ is the total magnetic field strength and $\langle B \rangle_{\mathrm{5m\text{-}med}}(t)$ is its 5-minute running median ending at time $t$. This parameter measures the deviation of the magnetic field magnitude from its local background and reveals a clear contrast between the coherent magnetic structure inside MCs and the more variable ambient solar wind. Based on this parameter, we develop a semi-automated method for MC boundary identification, supported by Time Series Scalogram visualization. We further analyze 76 MC events using power spectral density (PSD) and slab fraction diagnostics. The results show that the dissipation-range spectral index inside MCs ($\sim f^{-2.21}$) is systematically smaller than that outside ($\sim f^{-2.59}$ and $f^{-2.89}$), and the slab fraction is reduced, indicating suppressed small-scale variability and enhanced anisotropy. These results support the applicability of the proposed parameter for MC boundary identification.

physics.space-ph

A model of failed solar eruption initiated and destructed by magnetic reconnection

Solar eruptions are explosive disruption of coronal magnetic fields, and often launch coronal mass ejections into the interplanetary space. Intriguingly, many solar eruptions fail to escape from the Sun, and the prevailing theory for such failed eruption is based on ideal MHD instabilities of magnetic flux rope (MFR); that is, a MFR runs into kink instability and erupts but cannot reach the height for torus instability. Here, based on numerical MHD simulation, we present a new model of failed eruption in which magnetic reconnection plays a leading role in the initiation and failure of the eruption. Initially, a core bipolar potential field is embedded in a background bipolar field, and by applying shearing and converging motions to the core field, a current sheet is formed within the core field. Then, tether-cutting reconnection is triggered at the current sheet, first slow for a while and becoming fast, driving an erupting MFR. Eventually, the rise of MFR is halted by the downward magnetic tension force of the overlying field, although the MFR apex has well exceeded the critical height of torus instability. More importantly, during the rise of the MFR, it experiences a significant rotation around the vertical axis (with a direction contrary to that predicted by kink instability), rendering the field direction at the rope apex almost inverse to the overlying field. As a result, a strong current sheet is formed between the MFR and the overlying flux, and reconnection occurring in this current sheet ruins completely the MFR.

astro-ph.SR

The Structure of Coronal Mass Ejections Recorded by the K-Coronagraph at Mauna Loa Solar Observatory

Previous survey studies reported that coronal mass ejections (CMEs) can exhibit various structures in white-light coronagraphs, and $\sim$30\% of them have the typical three-part feature in the high corona (e.g., 2--6 $R_\odot$), which has been taken as the prototypical structure of CMEs. It is widely accepted that CMEs result from eruption of magnetic flux ropes (MFRs), and the three-part structure can be understood easily by means of the MFR eruption. It is interesting and significant to answer why only $\sim$30\% of CMEs have the three-part feature in previous studies. Here we conduct a synthesis of the CME structure in the field of view (FOV) of K-Coronagraph (1.05--3 $R_\odot$). In total, 369 CMEs are observed from 2013 September to 2022 November. After inspecting the CMEs one by one through joint observations of the AIA, K-Coronagraph and LASCO/C2, we find 71 events according to the criteria: 1) limb event; 2) normal CME, i.e., angular width $\geq$ 30$^{\circ}$; 3) K-Coronagraph caught the early eruption stage. All (or more than 90\% considering several ambiguous events) of the 71 CMEs exhibit the three-part feature in the FOV of K-Coronagraph, while only 30--40\% have the feature in the C2 FOV (2--6 $R_\odot$). For the first time, our studies show that 90--100\% and 30--40\% of normal CMEs possess the three-part structure in the low and high corona, respectively, which demonstrates that many CMEs can lose the three-part feature during their early evolutions, and strongly supports that most (if not all) CMEs have the MFR structures.

astro-ph.SR

Quantification of the Writhe Number Evolution of Solar Filament Axes

Solar filament eruptions often show complex and dramatic geometric deformation that is highly relevant to the underlying physical mechanism triggering the eruptions. It has been well known that the writhe of filament axes is a key parameter characterizing its global geometric deformation, but a quantitative investigation of the development of writhe during its eruption is still lacking. Here we introduce the Writhe Application Toolkit (WAT) which can be used to characterize accurately the topology of filament axes. This characterization is achieved based on the reconstruction and writhe number computation of three-dimensional paths of the filament axes from dual-perspective observations. We apply this toolkit to four dextral filaments located in the northern hemisphere with a counterclockwise (CCW) rotation during their eruptions. Initially, all these filaments possess a small writhe number (=<0.20) indicating a weak helical deformation of the axes. As the CCW rotation kicks in, their writhe numbers begin to decrease and reach large negative values. Combined with the extended C\u{a}lug\u{a}reanu theorem, the absolute value of twist is deduced to decrease during the rotation. Such a quantitative analysis strongly indicates a consequence of the conversion of twist into writhe for the studied events.

astro-ph.SR

The Mechanism of Magnetic Flux Rope Rotation During Solar Eruption

Solar eruptions often show the rotation of filaments, which is a manifestation of the rotation of erupting magnetic flux rope (MFR). Such a rotation of MFR can be induced by either the torque exerted by a background shear-field component (which is an external cause) or the relaxation of the magnetic twist of the MFR (an internal cause). For a given chirality of the erupting field, both the external and internal drivers cause the same rotation direction. Therefore, it remains elusive from direct observations which mechanism yields the dominant contribution to the rotation. In this paper, we exploit a full MHD simulation of solar eruption by tether-cutting magnetic reconnection to study the mechanism of MFR rotation. In the simulation, the MFR's height-rotation profile suggests that the force by the external shear-field component is a dominant contributor to the rotation. Furthermore, the torque analysis confirms that it is also the only factor in driving the counterclockwise rotation. On the contrary, the Lorentz torque inside the MFR makes a negative effect on this counterclockwise rotation.

astro-ph.SR

On the nature of photospheric horizontal magnetic field increase in major solar flares

Rapid increase of horizontal magnetic field ($B_h$) around the flaring polarity inversion line is the most prominent photospheric field change during flares. It is considered to be caused by the contraction of flare loops, the details behind which is still not fully understood. Here we investigate the $B_h$-increase in 35 major flares using HMI high-cadence vector magnetograms. We find that $B_h$-increase is always accompanied by the increase of field inclination. It usually initiates near the flare ribbons, showing step-like change in between the ribbons. In particular, its evolution in early flare phase shows close spatio-temporal correlation to flare ribbons. We further find that $B_h$-increase tends to have similar intensity in confined and eruptive flares, but larger spatial-extent in eruptive flares in a statistical sense. Its intensity and timescale have inverse and positive correlations to the initial ribbon separations, respectively. The results altogether are well consistent with a recent proposed scenario which suggests that the reconnection-driven contraction of flare loops enhances photospheric $B_h$ according to the ideal induction equation, providing statistical evidence to the reconnection-driven origin for $B_h$-increase for the first time.

astro-ph.SR

The Rotation of Magnetic Flux Rope Formed during Solar Eruption

The eruptions of solar filaments often show rotational motion about their rising direction, but it remains elusive what mechanism governs such rotation and how the rotation is related to the initial morphology of the pre-eruptive filament (and co-spatial sigmoid), filament chirality, and magnetic helicity. The conventional view regarding the rotation as a result of a magnetic flux rope (MFR) under-going the ideal kink instability still has confusion in explaining these relationships. Here we proposed an alternative explanation for the rotation during eruptions, by analyzing a magnetohydrodynamic simulation in which magnetic reconnection initiates an eruption from a sheared arcade configuration and an MFR is formed during eruption through the reconnection. The simulation reproduces a reverse S-shaped MFR with dextral chirality, and the axis of this MFR rotates counterclockwise while rising, which compares favorably with a typical filament eruption observed from dual viewing angles. By calculating the twist and writhe numbers of the modeled MFR during its eruption, we found that accompanied with the rotation, the nonlocal writhe of the MFR's axis decreases while the twist of its surrounding field lines increases, and this is distinct from the kink instability, which converts magnetic twist into writhe of the MFR axis.

astro-ph.SR

Resolving Two Distinct Thermal X-ray Components in A compound Solar Flare

X-ray emission provides the most direct diagnostics of the energy-release process in solar flares. Occasionally, a superhot X-ray source is found to be above hot flare loops of ~10 MK temperature. While the origin of the superhot plasma is still elusive, it has conjured up an intriguing image of in-situ plasma heating near the reconnection site high above the flare loops, in contrast to the conventional picture of chromospheric evaporation. Here we investigate an extremely long-duration solar flare, in which EUV images show two distinct flare loop systems that appear successively along a Gamma-shaped polarity inversion line (PIL). When both flare loop systems are present, the HXR spectrum is found to be well fitted by combining a hot component (Te ~12 MK) and a superhot component (Te ~30 MK). Associated with a fast CME, the superhot X-ray source is located at top of the flare arcade that appears earlier, straddling and extending along the long "arm" of the Gamma-shaped PIL. Associated with a slow CME, the hot X-ray source is located at the top of the flare arcade that appears later and sits astride the short "arm" of the Gamma-shaped PIL. Aided by observations from a different viewing angle, we are able to verify that the superhot X-ray source is above the hot one in projection, but the two sources belong to different flare loop systems. Thus, this case study provides a stereoscopic observation explaining the co-existence of superhot and hot X-ray emitting plasmas in solar flares.

astro-ph.SR

The configuration and failed eruption of a complex magnetic flux rope above a δ sunspot region

Aims. We investigate the configuration of a complex flux rope above a δ sunspot region in NOAA AR 11515, and its eruptive expansion during a confined M5.3-class flare. Methods. We study the formation of the δ sunspot using continuum intensity images and photospheric vector magnetograms provided by SDO/HMI. We use EUV and UV images provided by SDO/AIA, and hard X-ray emission recorded by RHESSI to investigate the eruptive details. The coronal magnetic field is extrapolated with a non-linear force free field (NLFFF) method, based on which the flux rope is identified by calculating the twist number Tw and squashing factor Q. We search the null point via a modified Powell hybrid method. Results. The collision between two emerging spot groups form the δ sunspot. A bald patch (BP) forms at the collision location, above which a complex flux rope is identified. The flux rope has multiple layers, with one compact end and one bifurcated end, having Tw decreasing from the core to the boundary. A null point is located above the flux rope. The eruptive process consists of precursor flaring at a 'v'-shaped coronal structure, rise of the filament, and flaring below the filament, corresponding well with the NLFFF topological structures, including the null point and the flux rope with BP and hyperbolic flux tube (HFT). Two sets of post-flare loops and three flare ribbons support the bifurcation configuration of the flux rope. Conclusions. The precursor reconnection, which occurs at the null point, weakens the overlying confinement to allow the flux rope to rise, fitting the breakout model. The main phase reconnection, which may occur at the BP or HFT, facilitates the flux rope rising. The results suggest that the δ spot configuration presents an environment prone to the formation of complex magnetic configurations which will work together to produce activities.

astro-ph.SR

How flux feeding causes eruptions of solar magnetic flux ropes with the hyperbolic flux tube configuration?

Coronal magnetic flux ropes are generally considered to be the core structure of large-scale solar eruptions. Recent observations found that solar eruptions could be initiated by a sequence of "flux feeding," during which chromospheric fibrils rise upward from below, and merge with a pre-existing prominence. Further theoretical study has confirmed that the flux feeding mechanism is efficient in causing the eruption of flux ropes that are wrapped by bald patch separatrix surfaces. But it is unclear how flux feeding influences coronal flux ropes that are wrapped by hyperbolic flux tubes (HFT), and whether it is able to cause the flux-rope eruption. In this paper, we use a 2.5-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic model to simulate the flux feeding processes in HFT configurations. It is found that flux feeding injects axial magnetic flux into the flux rope, whereas the poloidal flux of the rope is reduced after flux feeding. Flux feeding is able to cause the flux rope to erupt, provided that the injected axial flux is large enough so that the critical axial flux of the rope is reached. Otherwise, the flux rope system evolves to a stable equilibrium state after flux feeding, which might be even farther away from the onset of the eruption, indicating that flux feeding could stabilize the rope system with the HFT configuration in this circumstance.

astro-ph.SR

The Source Locations of Major Flares and CMEs in the Emerging Active Regions

Major flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) tend to originate from the compact polarity inversion lines (PILs) in the solar active regions (ARs). Recently, a scenario named as "collisional shearing" is proposed by \citet{Chintzoglou_2019} to explain the phenomenon, which suggests that the collision between different emerging bipoles is able to form the compact PIL, driving the shearing and flux cancellation that are responsible to the subsequent large activities. In this work, through tracking the evolution of 19 emerging ARs from their birth until they produce the first major flares or CMEs, we investigated the source PILs of the activities, i.e., the active PILs, to explore the generality of "collisional shearing". We find that none of the active PILs is the self PIL (sPIL) of a single bipole. We further find that 11 eruptions originate from the collisional PILs (cPILs) formed due to the collision between different bipoles, 6 from the conjoined systems of sPIL and cPIL, and 2 from the conjoined systems of sPIL and ePIL (external PIL between the AR and the nearby preexisting polarities). Collision accompanied by shearing and flux cancellation is found developing at all PILs prior to the eruptions, with $84\%$ (16/19) cases having collisional length longer than 18~Mm. Moreover, we find that the magnitude of the flares is positively correlated with the collisional length of the active PILs, indicating that the intenser activities tend to originate from the PILs with severer collision. The results suggest that the "collisional shearing", i.e., bipole-bipole interaction during the flux emergence is a common process in driving the major activities in emerging ARs.

astro-ph.SR

Variation of Magnetic Flux Ropes Through Major Solar Flares

It remains unclear how solar flares are triggered and in what conditions they can be eruptive with coronal mass ejections. Magnetic flux ropes (MFRs) has been suggested as the central magnetic structure of solar eruptions, and their ideal instabilities including mainly the kink instability (KI) and torus instability (TI) provide important candidates for triggering mechanisms. Here using magnetic field extrapolations from observed photospheric magnetograms, we systematically studied the variation of coronal magnetic fields, focusing on MFRs, through major flares including 29 eruptive and 16 confined events. We found that nearly 90\% events possess MFR before flare and 70\% have MFR even after flare. We calculated the controlling parameters of KI and TI, including the MFR's maximum twist number and the decay index of its strapping field. Using the KI and TI thresholds empirically derived from solely the pre-flare MFRs, two distinct different regimes are shown in the variation of the MFR controlling parameters through flares. For the events with both parameters below their thresholds before flare, we found no systematic change of the parameters after the flares, in either the eruptive or confined events. In contrast, for the events with any of the two parameters exceeding their threshold before flare (most of them are eruptive), there is systematic decrease in the parameters to below their thresholds after flares. These results provide a strong constraint for the values of the instability thresholds and also stress the necessity of exploring other eruption mechanisms in addition to the ideal instabilities.

astro-ph.SR

The Relationship between Chirality, Sense of Rotation, and Hemispheric Preference of Solar Eruptive Filaments

The orientation, chirality, and dynamics of solar eruptive filaments is a key to understanding the magnetic field of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and therefore to predicting the geoeffectiveness of CMEs arriving at Earth. However, confusion and contention remain over the relationship between the filament chirality, magnetic helicity, and sense of rotation during eruption. To resolve the ambiguity in observations, in this paper, we used stereoscopic observations to determine the rotation direction of filament apex and the method proposed by Chen et al. (2014) to determine the filament chirality. Our sample of 12 eruptive active-region filaments establishes a strong one-to-one relationship, i.e., during the eruption, sinistral/dextral filaments (located in the southern/northern hemisphere) rotate clockwise/counterclockwise when viewed from above, and corroborates a weak hemispheric preference, i.e., a filament and related sigmoid both exhibit a forward (reverse) S shape in the southern (northern) hemisphere, which suggests that the sigmoidal filament is associated with a low-lying magnetic flux rope with its axis dipped in the middle. As a result of rotation, the projected S shape of a filament is anticipated to be reversed during eruption.

astro-ph.SR

Formation of a Magnetic Flux Rope in the Early Emergence Phase of NOAA Active Region 12673

In this work, we investigate the formation of a magnetic flux rope (MFR) above the central polarity inversion line (PIL) of NOAA Active Region 12673 during its early emergence phase. Through analyzing the photospheric vector magnetic field, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and ultraviolet (UV) images, extrapolated three-dimensional (3D) non-linear force-free fields (NLFFFs), as well as the photospheric motions, we find that with the successive emergence of different bipoles in the central region, the conjugate polarities separate, resulting in collision between the non-conjugated opposite polarities. Nearly-potential loops appear above the PIL at first, then get sheared and merge at the collision locations as evidenced by the appearance of a continuous EUV sigmoid on 2017 September 4, which also indicates the formation of an MFR. The 3D NLFFFs further reveal the gradual buildup of the MFR, accompanied by the appearance of two elongated bald patches (BPs) at the collision locations and a very low-lying hyperbolic flux tube configuration between the BPs. The final MFR has relatively steady axial flux and average twist number of around $2.1\times 10^{20}$~Mx and -1.5, respective. Shearing motions are found developing near the BPs when the collision occurs, with flux cancellation and UV brightenings being observed simultaneously, indicating the development of a process named as "collisional shearing" (firstly identified by Chintzoglou et al. 2019). The results clearly show that the MFR is formed by "collisional shearing", i.e., through shearing and flux cancellation driven by the collision between non-conjugated opposite polarities during their emergence.

astro-ph.SR

Extreme-ultraviolet Late Phase Caused by Magnetic Reconnection over Quadrupolar Magnetic Configuration in a Solar Flare

A second emission enhancement in warm coronal extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) lines (about 2-7 MK) during some solar flares is known as the EUV late phase. Imaging observations confirm that the late phase emission originates from a set of longer or higher loops than the main flare loops. Nevertheless, some questions remain controversial: What is the relationship between these two loop systems? What is the heating source of late phase emission, a heating accompany the main phase heating or occuring quite later? In this paper, we present clear evidence for heating source in a late-phase solar flare: magnetic reconnection of overlying field in a quadrupolar magnetic configuration. The event is triggered by an erupted core structure that eventually leads to a coronal mass ejection (CME). Cusp feature and its shrinkage motion high in the late-phase emission region are the manifestation of the later phase reconnection following the main flare reconnection. Using the enthalpy-based thermal evolution of loops (EBTEL) model, we reasonably reproduce the late-phase emissions in some EUV lines. We suggest that a continuous additional heating is responsible for the appearance of the elongated EUV late phase.

astro-ph.SR

Why torus-unstable solar filaments experience failed eruption?

To investigate the factors that control the success and/or failure of solar eruptions, we study the magnetic field and 3-Dimensional (3D) configuration of 16 filament eruptions during 2010 July - 2013 February. All these events, i.e., erupted but failed to be ejected to become a coronal mass ejection (CME), are failed eruptions with the filament maximum height exceeding $100 Mm$. The magnetic field of filament source regions is approximated by a potential field extrapolation method. The filament 3D configuration is reconstructed from three vantage points by the observations of STEREO Ahead/Behind and SDO spacecraft. We calculate the decay index at the apex of these failed filaments and find that in 7 cases, their apex decay indexes exceed the theoretical threshold ($n_{crit} = 1.5$) of the torus instability. We further determine the orientation change or rotation angle of each filament top during the eruption. Finally, the distribution of these events in the parameter space of rotation angle versus decay index is established. Four distinct regimes in the parameter space are empirically identified. We find that, all the torus-unstable cases (decay index $n > 1.5$), have a large rotation angles ranging from $50^\circ - 130^\circ$. The possible mechanisms leading to the rotation and failed eruption are discussed. These results imply that, besides the torus instability, the rotation motion during the eruption may also play a significant role in solar eruptions.

astro-ph.SR

Unraveling the Links among Sympathetic Eruptions

Solar eruptions occurring at different places within a relatively short time interval are considered to be sympathetic. However, it is difficult to determine whether there exists a cause and effect between them. Here we study a failed and a successful filament eruption following an X1.8-class flare on 2014 December 20, in which slipping-like magnetic reconnections serve as a key causal link among the eruptions. Reconnection signatures and effects are: at both sides of the filament experiencing the failed eruption, serpentine ribbons extend along chromospheric network to move away from the filament, while a hot loop apparently grows above it; at the filament undergoing the successful eruption, overlying cold loops contract, while coronal dimming appears at both sides even before the filament eruption. These effects are understood by reconnections continually transforming magnetic fluxes overlying one filament to the other, which adjusts how the magnetic field decays with increasing height above the filaments in opposite trends, therefore either strengthening or weakening the magnetic confinement of each filament.

astro-ph.SR