A solar eruption driven by rapid sunspot rotation

Abstract

We present the observation of a major solar eruption that is associated with fast sunspot rotation. The event includes a sigmoidal filament eruption, a coronal mass ejection, and a GOES X2.1 flare from NOAA active region 11283. The filament and some overlying arcades were partially rooted in a sunspot. The sunspot rotated at $\sim$10${}^{\circ }$ per hour rate during a period of 6 hours prior to the eruption. In this period, the filament was found to rise gradually along with the sunspot rotation. Based on the HMI observation, for an area along the polarity inversion line underneath the filament, we found gradual pre-eruption decreases of both the mean strength of the photospheric horizontal field ($B_h$) and the mean inclination angle between the vector magnetic field and the local radial (or vertical) direction. These observations are consistent with the pre-eruption gradual rising of the filament-associated magnetic structure. In addition, according to the Non-Linear Force-Free-Field reconstruction of the coronal magnetic field, a pre-eruption magnetic flux rope structure is found to be in alignment with the filament, and a considerable amount of magnetic energy was transported to the corona during the period of sunspot rotation. Our study provides evidences that in this event sunspot rotation plays an important role in twisting, energizing, and destabilizing the coronal filament-flux rope system, and led to the eruption. We also propose that the pre-event evolution of $B_h$ may be used to discern the driving mechanism of eruptions.

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Cited by in corpus (19)

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• Multiwavelength observations of a partially eruptive filament on 2011 September 8
• Structure and Evolution of Magnetic Fields Associated with Solar Eruptions (Invited Review)
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• Three-dimensional Magnetic Restructuring in Two Homologous Solar Flares in the Seismically Active NOAA AR 11283
• Sunspot Rotation as a Driver of Major Solar Eruptions in NOAA Active Region 12158
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• Gradual Magnetic Evolution of Sunspot Structure and Filament-Corona Dynamics Associated with the X1.8 Flare in AR 11283
• Multi-wavelength Observation of a Failed Eruption from a Helical Kink-unstable Prominence
• A Survey of Changes in Magnetic Helicity Flux on the Photosphere During Relatively Low Class Flares
• Harmonic ECME Excited by Energetic Electrons Travelling Inside A Coronal Loop
• Sunspots rotation and magnetic transients associated with flares in NOAA AR 11429
• Buildup of the Magnetic Flux Ropes in Homologous Solar Eruptions
• A Comparison Study of a Solar Active-Region Eruptive Filament and a Neighboring Non-Eruptive Filament
• Transverse Velocity Field Measurement in High-Resolution Solar Images Based on Deep Learning