Long-Duration Nonthermal Motions in the Supra-Arcade and Loop-Top Region During an Eruptive Solar Flare

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Gou, Tingyu, Reeves, Katharine K.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866916757012217856
author Gou, Tingyu
Reeves, Katharine K.
author_facet Gou, Tingyu
Reeves, Katharine K.
contents Solar flares are widely accepted to be powered by magnetic reconnection that involves complex dynamics in various scales. The flare supra-arcade and loop-top region, directly impacted by fast reconnection downflows, contains a wealth of microscopic dynamics, which are, however, difficult to resolve in imaging. We present simultaneous spectroscopic and imaging observations of hot flaring plasma above the loop tops by IRIS and SDO/AIA. IRIS continuously observed high-temperature Fe XXI 1354.08 A spectral emissions throughout the long-duration gradual phase of the X-class flare. We found weak Doppler blue shifts near the loop-top region, indicative of bulk plasma motions from chromospheric evaporation based on the 3D flare loop orientation. Strong nonthermal velocities are detected at the bottom of the flare supra-arcade fan/plasma sheet, suggestive of the presence of turbulence in the flare current sheet region. In addition, disorganized nonthermal plasma motions are constantly detected until the very end of the flare, indicating irregular unresolved plasma flows in the cusp and loop-top region. The spatial and temporal evolution of spectral parameters follow the dynamics resulting from on-going magnetic reconnection during the prolonged gradual phase. The long-lasting nonthermal plasma motions may contribute to the high and steady temperature of flaring plasmas above flare loops.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2505_18908
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Long-Duration Nonthermal Motions in the Supra-Arcade and Loop-Top Region During an Eruptive Solar Flare
Gou, Tingyu
Reeves, Katharine K.
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
Solar flares are widely accepted to be powered by magnetic reconnection that involves complex dynamics in various scales. The flare supra-arcade and loop-top region, directly impacted by fast reconnection downflows, contains a wealth of microscopic dynamics, which are, however, difficult to resolve in imaging. We present simultaneous spectroscopic and imaging observations of hot flaring plasma above the loop tops by IRIS and SDO/AIA. IRIS continuously observed high-temperature Fe XXI 1354.08 A spectral emissions throughout the long-duration gradual phase of the X-class flare. We found weak Doppler blue shifts near the loop-top region, indicative of bulk plasma motions from chromospheric evaporation based on the 3D flare loop orientation. Strong nonthermal velocities are detected at the bottom of the flare supra-arcade fan/plasma sheet, suggestive of the presence of turbulence in the flare current sheet region. In addition, disorganized nonthermal plasma motions are constantly detected until the very end of the flare, indicating irregular unresolved plasma flows in the cusp and loop-top region. The spatial and temporal evolution of spectral parameters follow the dynamics resulting from on-going magnetic reconnection during the prolonged gradual phase. The long-lasting nonthermal plasma motions may contribute to the high and steady temperature of flaring plasmas above flare loops.
title Long-Duration Nonthermal Motions in the Supra-Arcade and Loop-Top Region During an Eruptive Solar Flare
topic Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2505.18908