Disintegration of an Eruptive Filament via Interactions with Quasi-Separatrix Layers

Abstract

The disintegration of solar filaments via mass drainage is a frequently observed phenomenon during a variety of filament activities. It is generally considered that the draining of dense filament material is directed by both gravity and magnetic field, yet the detailed process remains elusive. Here we report on a partial filament eruption during which filament material drains downward to the surface not only along the filament's legs, but to a remote flare ribbon through a fan-out curtain-like structure. It is found that the magnetic configuration is characterized by two conjoining dome-like quasi-sepratrix layers (QSLs). The filament is located underneath one QSL dome, whose footprint apparently bounds the major flare ribbons resulting from the filament eruption, whereas the remote flare ribbon matches well with the other QSL dome's far-side footprint. We suggest that the interaction of the filament with the overlying QSLs results in the splitting and disintegration of the filament.

Accepted for publication in SCIENCE CHINA Physics, Mechanics & Astronomy

References in corpus (20)

• Torus instability
• The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) Vector Magnetic Field Pipeline: SHARPs -- Space-weather HMI Active Region Patches
• The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) Vector Magnetic Field Pipeline: Overview and Performance
• Optimization code with weighting function for the reconstruction of coronal magnetic fields
• Preprocessing of vector magnetograph data for a non-linear force-free magnetic field reconstruction
• Structure, Stability, and Evolution of Magnetic Flux Ropes from the Perspective of Magnetic Twist
• Generalized Squashing Factors for Covariant Description of Magnetic Connectivity in the Solar Corona
• Numerical simulations of fast and slow coronal mass ejections
• On the 2012 October 23 circular ribbon flare: emission features and magnetic topology
• Multiwavelength observations of a partially eruptive filament on 2011 September 8
• Coronal magnetic reconnection driven by CME expansion -- the 2011 June 7 event
• A Circular-ribbon Solar Flare Following an Asymmetric Filament Eruption
• Helical Kink Instability in a Confined Solar Eruption
• Critical Height of the Torus Instability in Two-Ribbon Solar Flares
• Partially-erupting prominences: a comparison between observations and model-predicted observables
• Investigating Energetic X-Shaped Flares on the Outskirts of A Solar Active Region
• Field topologies in ideal and near ideal magnetohydrodynamics and vortex dynamics
• Tornado-Like Evolution of A Kink-Unstable Solar Prominence
• Observations of an X-shaped Ribbon Flare in the Sun and Its Three-dimensional Magnetic Reconnection
• Early Evolution of an Energetic Coronal Mass Ejection and Its Relation to EUV Waves

Cited by in corpus (10)

• Double-Decker Filament Configuration Revealed by Mass Motions
• Partial Eruption, Confinement, and Twist Buildup and Release of a Double-decker Filament
• The Relationship between Chirality, Sense of Rotation, and Hemispheric Preference of Solar Eruptive Filaments
• Tether-cutting and Overlying Magnetic Reconnections in an MHD Simulation of Prominence-cavity System
• Where and how does a decay-index profile become saddle-like?
• On the partial eruption of a bifurcated solar filament structure
• Multi-wavelength Observation of a Failed Eruption from a Helical Kink-unstable Prominence
• Electric Currents through J-shaped and Non-J-shaped Flare Ribbons
• Falling Threads During Solar Filament Eruptions
• Chirality and magnetic configuration associated with two-ribbon solar flares: AR 10930 versus AR 11158