Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of an Erupting Filament with SDO and STEREO Observations

TL;DR

This study reconstructs the 3D geometry of a solar filament eruption using multi-viewpoint observations, revealing detailed dynamics and suggesting complex magnetic structures involved in the eruption process.

Contribution

First 3D reconstruction of a polar crown filament eruption using SDO and STEREO data, providing new insights into eruption dynamics and magnetic configurations.

Findings

Filament undergoes two eruption phases with significant inclination change.

Highest filament points exhibit the largest acceleration during eruption.

Separated filament material moves westward at 141.8 km/s, indicating multiple magnetic systems.

Abstract

On 2010 August 1, a global solar event was launched involving almost the entire Earth-facing side of the Sun. This event mainly consisted of a C3.2 flare, a polar crown filament eruption and two Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The observations from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) showed that all the activities were coupled together, suggesting a global character of the magnetic eruption. We reconstruct the three-dimensional geometry of the polar crown filament using observations from three different viewpoints (STEREO A, B and SDO) for the first time. The filament undergoes two eruption processes. Firstly, the main body of the filament rises up, while it also moves towards the low-latitude region with a change in inclination by 48 degree and expands only in the altitudinal and latitudinal direction in the field of view of Atmospheric Imaging Assembly. We investigate the true velocities and accelerations of different locations along the filament, and find that the highest location always has the largest acceleration during this eruption process. During the late phase of the first eruption, part of the filament material separates from the eastern leg. This material displays a projectile motion and moves towards the west at a constant velocity of 141.8 km/s. This may imply that the polar crown filament consists of at least two groups of magnetic systems.