SWAP Observations of Post-flare Giant Arches in the Long-Duration 14 October 2014 Solar Eruption

TL;DR

This paper reports SWAP observations of the largest post-eruptive loop system in solar cycle 24, revealing that giant arches and ordinary post-flare loops share the same magnetic reconnection origin.

Contribution

It demonstrates that post-flare giant arches and ordinary post-eruptive loops are fundamentally the same phenomena formed by magnetic reconnection.

Findings

Giant arches grew up to 400,000 km in height.

Growth rates of loops ranged between 2-6 km/s.

Giant arches and ordinary loops share a common formation mechanism.

Abstract

On 14 October 2014 the Sun Watcher with Active Pixels and Image Processing (SWAP) EUV solar telescope on-board the Project for On-Board Autonomy 2 (PROBA2) spacecraft observed an eruption that led to the formation of perhaps the largest post-eruptive loop system seen in the solar corona in solar cycle 24. The initial eruption occurred at about 18:30 UT on 14 October, behind the East Solar limb, and was observed as a a coronal mass ejection and an M2.2 solar flare. In the 48 hours following the eruption, the associated post-eruptive loops grew to a height of approximately 400000 km (>0.5 solar-radii) at rates between 2-6 km/s. We conclude from our observations of this event that ordinary post-eruptive loops and so-called post-flare giant arches are fundamentally the same and are formed by the same magnetic reconnection mechanism.