Observations and Magnetic Field Modeling of a Solar Polar Crown Prominence

TL;DR

This study combines multi-view observations and magnetic field modeling to analyze the structure and dynamics of a solar polar crown prominence before eruption, revealing insights into its magnetic configuration and material ejections.

Contribution

It introduces a flux rope insertion model with variable axial flux that aligns with observed prominence features, enhancing understanding of prominence magnetic structures.

Findings

The prominence has active and quiet Sun parts with distinct thread orientations.

Bright features are likely the lower legs of magnetic field lines forming the flux rope.

Models replicate the prominence height and dips but miss vertical threads and dense-column formation.

Abstract

We present observations and magnetic field modeling of the large polar crown prominence that erupted on 2010 December 6. Combination of SDO/AIA and STEREO$\_$Behind/EUVI allows us to see the fine structures of this prominence both at the limb and on the disk. We focus on the structures and dynamics of this prominence before the eruption. This prominence contains two parts: an active region part containing mainly horizontal threads, and a quiet Sun part containing mainly vertical threads. On the northern side of the prominence channel, both AIA and EUVI observe bright features which appear to be the lower legs of loops that go above then join in the filament. Filament materials are observed to frequently eject horizontally from the active region part to the quiet Sun part. This ejection results in the formation of a dense-column structure (concentration of dark vertical threads) near the border between the active region and the quiet Sun. Using the flux rope insertion method, we create non-linear force-free field models based on SDO/HMI line-of-sight magnetograms. A key feature of these models is that the flux rope has connections with the surroundings photosphere, so its axial flux varies along the filament path. The height and location of the dips of field lines in our models roughly replicate those of the observed prominence. Comparison between model and observations suggests that the bright features on the northern side of the channel are the lower legs of the field lines that turn into the flux rope. We suggest that plasma may be injected into the prominence along these field lines. Although the models fit the observations quiet well, there are also some interesting differences. For example, the models do not reproduce the observed vertical threads and cannot explain the formation of the dense-column structure.