Connection between a Small-Scale Emerging Island and Double Arc Loops Producing a M6.5 Flare in Active Region 12371

  • Kang, Jihye (Department of Astronomy and Space Science, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Inoue, Satoshi (Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University) ;
  • Moon, Yong-Jae (School of Space Research, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Magara, Tetsuya (School of Space Research, Kyung Hee University) ;
  • Kusano, Kanya (Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University)
  • Published : 2017.10.10

Abstract

In this paper, we report a small-scale emerging island and double arc loops, which are associated with a M6.5 flare, in Active Region 12371. We investigate the spatial and temporal changes of both photospheric magnetic fields using SDO/HMI data and coronal magnetic structures obtained from nonliner force-free field (NLFFF) extrapolation. From the vector magnetograms, we find a small-scale emerging island near the main polarityy inversion line about three hours before the flare. The island has a strong shear angle, which is determined by difference between transverse component of observed field and potential field, of around 90 degrees. Furthermore, the NLFFF well reproduces a sigmoidal structure seen in SDO/AIA 94, which is consistent with the double arc loops configuration suggested by Ishiguro and Kusano (2017) who introduced a magnetic configuration showing the double arc instability. The observed emerging island is located among the double arc loops, which is also supproted by their model. Finally, there was an eruption (M6.5 flare) associated with the loops. We discuss a possible role of the double arc instability for the eruption.

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