arXiv subjects

Zhenjun Zhou

Publications and source records attributed to Zhenjun Zhou.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2018

Rapid buildup of a magnetic flux rope during a confined X2.2 class flare in NOAA AR 12673

Magnetic flux ropes (MFRs) are believed to be the core structure in solar eruptions, nevertheless, their formation remains intensely debated. Here we report a rapid buildup process of an MFR-system during a confined X2.2 class flare occurred on 2017 September 6 in NOAA AR 12673, three hours after which the structure erupted to a major coronal mass ejection (CME) accompanied by an X9.3 class flare. For the X2.2 flare, we do not find EUV dimmings, separation of its flare ribbons, or clear CME signatures, suggesting a confined flare. For the X9.3 flare, large-scale dimmings, separation of its flare ribbons, and a CME show it to be eruptive. By performing a time sequence of nonlinear force-free fields (NLFFFs) extrapolations we find that: until the eruptive flare, an MFR-system was located in the AR. During the confined flare, the axial flux and the lower bound of the magnetic helicity for the MFR-system were dramatically enhanced by about 86% and 260%, respectively, although the mean twist number was almost unchanged. During the eruptive flare, the three parameters were all significantly reduced. The results evidence the buildup and release of the MFR-system during the confined and the eruptive flare, respectively. The former may be achieved by flare reconnection. We also calculate the pre-flare distributions of the decay index above the main polarity inversion line (PIL) and find no significant difference. It indicates that the buildup of the magnetic flux and helicity of the MFR-system may play a role in facilitating its final eruption.

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arXiv2018

A comparative study between a failed and a successful eruption initiated from the same polarity inversion line in AR 11387

In this paper, we analyzed a failed and a successful eruption that initiated from the same polarity inversion line within NOAA AR 11387 on December 25, 2011. They both started from a reconnection between sheared arcades, having distinct pre-eruption conditions and eruption details: before the failed one, the magnetic fields of the core region had a weaker non-potentiality; the external fields had a similar critical height for torus instability, a similar local torus-stable region, but a larger magnetic flux ratio (of low corona and near-surface region) as compared to the successful one. During the failed eruption, a smaller Lorentz force impulse was exerted on the outward ejecta; the ejecta had a much slower rising speed. Factors that might lead to the initiation of the failed eruption are identified: 1) a weaker non-potentiality of the core region, and a smaller Lorentz force impulse gave the ejecta a small momentum; 2) the large flux ratio, and the local torus-stable region in the corona provided strong confinements that made the erupting structure regain an equilibrium state.

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arXiv2017

The causes of quasi-homologous CMEs

In this paper, we identified the magnetic source locations of 142 quasi- homologous (QH) coronal mass ejections (CMEs), of which 121 are from solar cycle (SC) 23 and 21 from SC 24. Among those CMEs, 63% originated from the same source location as their predecessor (defined as S-type), while 37% origi- nated from a different location within the same active region as their predecessor (defined as D-type). Their distinctly different waiting time distribution, peaking around 7.5 and 1.5 hours for S- and D-type CMEs, suggests that they might involve different physical mechanisms with different characteristic time scales. Through detailed analysis based on non-linear force free (NLFF) coronal mag- netic field modeling of two exemplary cases, we propose that the S-type QH CMES might involve a recurring energy release process from the same source location (by magnetic free energy replenishment), whereas the D-type QH CMEs can happen when a flux tube system disturbed by a nearby CME.

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arXiv2017

Critical Height of the Torus Instability in Two-Ribbon Solar Flares

We studied the background field for 60 two-ribbon flares of M-and-above classes during 2011--2015. These flares are categorized into two groups, i.e., \emph{eruptive} and \emph{confined} flares, based on whether a flare is associated with a coronal mass ejection or not. The background field of source active regions is approximated by a potential field extrapolated from the $B_z$ component of vector magnetograms provided by the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager. We calculated the decay index $n$ of the background field above the flaring polarity inversion line, and defined a critical height $h_\mathrm{crit}$ corresponding to the theoretical threshold ($n_\mathrm{crit}=1.5$) of the torus instability. We found that $h_\mathrm{crit}$ is approximately half of the distance between the centroids of opposite polarities in active regions, and that the distribution of $h_\mathrm{crit}$ is bimodal: it is significantly higher for confined flares than for eruptive ones. The decay index increases monotonously with increasing height for 86\% (84\%) of the eruptive (confined) flares but displays a saddle-like profile for the rest 14\% (16\%), which are found exclusively in active regions of multipolar field configuration. Moreover, $n$ at the saddle bottom is significantly smaller in confined flares than that in eruptive ones. These results highlight the critical role of background field in regulating the eruptive behavior of two-ribbon flares.

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arXiv2016

Damped large amplitude oscillations in a solar prominence and a bundle of coronal loops

We investigate the evolutions of two prominences (P1,P2) and two bundles of coronal loops (L1,L2), observed with SDO/AIA near the east solar limb on 2012 September 22. It is found that there were large-amplitude oscillations in P1 and L1, but no detectable motions in P2 and L2. These transverse oscillations were triggered by a large-scale coronal wave, originating from a large flare in a remote active region behind the solar limb. By carefully comparing the locations and heights of these oscillating and non-oscillating structures, we conclude that the propagating height of the wave is between 50 Mm and 130 Mm. The wave energy deposited in the oscillating prominence and coronal loops is at least of the order of $10^{28}$ erg. Furthermore, local magnetic field strength and Alfvén speeds are derived from the oscillating periods and damping time scales, which are extracted from the time series of the oscillations. It is demonstrated that oscillations can be used in not only coronal seismology, but also revealing the properties of the wave.

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arXiv2016

Thermodynamic Spectrum of Solar Flares Based on SDO/EVE Observations: Techniques and Statistical Results

SDO/EVE provides rich information of the thermodynamic processes of solar activities, particularly of solar flares. Here, we develop a method to construct thermodynamic spectrum (TDS) charts based on the EVE spectral lines. This tool could be potentially useful to the EUV astronomy to learn the eruptive activities on the distant astronomical objects. Through several cases, we illustrate what we can learn from the TDS charts. Furthermore, we apply the TDS method to 74 flares equal to or greater than M5.0-class, and reach the following statistical results. First, EUV peaks are always behind the soft X-ray (SXR) peaks and stronger flares tend to have a faster cooling rate. There is a power law correlation between the peak delay times and the cooling rates, suggesting a coherent cooling process of flares from SXR to EUV emissions. Second, there are two distinct temperature drift patterns, called Type I and Type II. For Type I flares, the enhanced emission drifts from high to low temperature like a quadrilateral, whereas for Type II flares, the drift pattern looks like a triangle. Statistical analysis suggests that Type II flares are more impulsive than Type I flares. Third, for late-phase flares, the peak intensity ratio of the late phase to the main phase is roughly correlated with the flare class, and the flares with a strong late phase are all confined. We believe that the re-deposition of the energy carried by a flux rope, that unsuccessfully erupts out, into thermal emissions is responsible for the strong late phase found in a confined flare. Besides, with some cases we illustrate the signatures of the flare thermodynamic process in the chromosphere and transition region in TDS charts. These results provide new clues to advance our understanding of the thermodynamic processes of solar flares and associated solar eruptions, e.g., coronal mass ejections.

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arXiv2015

Investigating plasma motion of magnetic clouds at 1 AU through a velocity-modified cylindrical force-free flux rope model

Magnetic clouds (MCs) are the interplanetary counterparts of coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and usually modeled by a flux rope. By assuming the quasi-steady evolution and self-similar expansion, we introduce three types of global motion into a cylindrical force-free flux rope model, and developed a new velocity-modified model for MCs. The three types of the global motion are the linear propagating motion away from the Sun, the expanding and the poloidal motion with respect to the axis of the MC. The model is applied to 72 MCs observed by Wind spacecraft to investigate the properties of the plasma motion of MCs. First, we find that some MCs had a significant propagation velocity perpendicular to the radial direction, suggesting the direct evidence of the CME's deflected propagation and/or rotation in interplanetary space. Second, we confirm the previous results that the expansion speed is correlated with the radial propagation speed and most MCs did not expand self-similarly at 1 AU. In our statistics, about 62\%/17\% of MCs underwent a under/over-expansion at 1 AU and the expansion rate is about 0.6 on average. Third, most interestingly, we find that a significant poloidal motion did exist in some MCs. Three speculations about the cause of the poloidal motion are therefore proposed. These findings advance our understanding of the MC's properties at 1 AU as well as the dynamic evolution of CMEs from the Sun to interplanetary space.

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arXiv2014

Super-elastic Collision of Large-scale Magnetized Plasmoids in The Heliosphere

Super-elastic collision is an abnormal collisional process, in which some particular mechanisms cause the kinetic energy of the system increasing. Most studies in this aspect focus on solid-like objects, but they rarely consider gases or liquids, as the collision of the latter is primarily a mixing process. With cross-field diffusion being effectively prohibited, magnetized plasmoids are different from ordinary gases. But it remains unclear how they act during a collision. Here we present the global picture of a unique collision between two coronal mass ejections in the heliosphere, which are the largest magnetized plasmoids erupting from the Sun. Our analysis for the first time reveals that these two magnetized plasmoids collided like solid-like objects with a 73% likelihood of being super-elastic. Their total kinetic energy surprisingly increased by about 6.6% through the collision, which significantly influenced the dynamics of the plasmoids.

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arXiv2012

Slow Magneto-acoustic Waves Observed above Quiet-Sun Region in a Dark Cavity

Waves play a crucial role in diagnosing the plasma properties of various structures in the solar corona and coronal heating. Slow magneto-acoustic (MA) waves are one of the important magnetohydrodynamic waves. In past decades, numerous slow MA waves were detected above the active regions and coronal holes, but rarely found elsewhere. Here, we investigate a `tornado'-like structure consisting of quasi-periodic streaks within a dark cavity at about 40--110 Mm above the quiet-Sun region on 2011 September 25. Our analysis reveals that these streaks are actually slow MA wave trains. The properties of these wave trains, including the phase speed, compression ratio, kinetic energy density, etc., are similar to those of the reported slow MA waves, except that the period of these waves is about 50 s, much shorter than the typical reported values (3--5 minutes).

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