Eruptions of Magnetic Ropes in Two Homologous Solar Events of 2002 June 1 and 2: a Key to Understanding an Enigmatic Flare

• Published in: Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan 2009-08, Vol.61 (4), p.791-803
• Main Authors: Meshalkina, Nataliya S., Uralov, Arkadiy M., Grechnev, Victor V., Altyntsev, Alexander T., Kashapova, Larisa K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0004-6264; 2053-051X
• DOI: 10.1093/pasj/61.4.791

The goal of this paper is to understand the drivers, configurations, and scenarios of two similar eruptive events, which occurred in the same solar active region 9973 on 2002 June 1 and 2. The June 2 event was previously studied by Sui, Holman, and Dennis (2006, ApJ, 646, 605; 2008, Adv. Space Res., 41, 976), who concluded that it was challenging for popular flare models. Using multi-spectral data, we analyzed a combination of the two events. Each of the events exhibited an evolving cusp-like feature. We have revealed that these apparent “cusps” were most likely mimicked by twisted magnetic flux ropes, but unlikely to be related to the inverted Y-like magnetic configuration in the standard flare model. The ropes originated inside a funnel-like magnetic domain whose base was bounded by an EUV ring structure, and the top was associated with a coronal null point. The ropes appear to be the major drivers for the events, but their rise was not triggered by reconnection in the coronal null point. We propose a scenario and a three-dimensional scheme for these events in which the filament eruptions and flares were caused by interaction of the ropes.