Journal
SOLAR PHYSICS
Volume 286, Issue 2, Pages 453-477Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s11207-013-0269-9
Keywords
Magnetic fields, corona; Active regions, models; Coronal mass ejections, initiation and propagation; Sunspots, velocity
Categories
Funding
- CNES
- NASA
- Belgian SPPS
- European Commission [218816, 284461]
- NASA's HTP program
- NASA's LWS program
- NASA's SRT program
- Hungarian Science Foundation [OTKA K81421]
- STFC [ST/H00260X/1] Funding Source: UKRI
- Science and Technology Facilities Council [ST/H00260X/1] Funding Source: researchfish
- Div Atmospheric & Geospace Sciences
- Directorate For Geosciences [1135432] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
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We study a filament eruption, two-ribbon flare, and coronal mass ejection (CME) that occurred in NOAA Active Region 10898 on 6 July 2006. The filament was located South of a strong sunspot that dominated the region. In the evolution leading up to the eruption, and for some time after it, a counter-clockwise rotation of the sunspot of about 30 degrees was observed. We suggest that the rotation triggered the eruption by progressively expanding the magnetic field above the filament. To test this scenario, we study the effect of twisting the initially potential field overlying a pre-existing flux-rope, using three-dimensional zero-beta MHD simulations. We first consider a relatively simple and symmetric system, and then study a more complex and asymmetric magnetic configuration, whose photospheric-flux distribution and coronal structure are guided by the observations and a potential field extrapolation. In both cases, we find that the twisting leads to the expansion of the overlying field. As a consequence of the progressively reduced magnetic tension, the flux-rope quasi-statically adapts to the changed environmental field, rising slowly. Once the tension is sufficiently reduced, a distinct second phase of evolution occurs where the flux-rope enters an unstable regime characterised by a strong acceleration. Our simulations thus suggest a new mechanism for the triggering of eruptions in the vicinity of rotating sunspots.
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