Slipping Magnetic Reconnection Triggering a Solar Eruption of a Triangle-flag Flux Rope

TL;DR

This study reports the observation of slipping magnetic reconnection and flux rope eruption during a solar flare, revealing complex flux rope topology and dynamic magnetic activities in the solar atmosphere.

Contribution

First detailed observation of simultaneous slipping flare loops and flux rope eruption, illustrating complex flux rope topology and magnetic reconnection processes.

Findings

Slipping motion of flare ribbons propagated at ~50 km/s.

Flux rope's fine structures rose rapidly at 130 km/s.

Flux rope topology is more complex than previously thought.

Abstract

We firstly report the simultaneous activities of a slipping motion of flare loops and a slipping eruption of a flux rope in 131 {\AA} and 94 {\AA} channels on 2014 February 02. The east hook-like flare ribbon propagated slippingly at a speed of about 50 km s$^{-1}$, which lasted about 40 min and extended by more than 100 Mm, but the west flare ribbon moved in the opposite direction with a speed of 30 km s$^{-1}$. At the later phase of the flare activity, a "bi-fan" system of flare loops was well developed. The east footpoints of the flux rope showed an apparent slipping motion along the hook of the ribbon, simultaneously the fine structures of the flux rope rose up rapidly at a speed of 130 km s$^{-1}$, much faster the whole flux rope. We infer that the east footpoints of the flux rope are successively heated by a slipping magnetic reconnection during the flare, which results in the apparent slippage of the flux rope. The slipping motion delineates a "triangle-flag surface" of the flux rope, implying that the topology of a flux rope is more complex than anticipated.