X-ray and EUV Observations of Simultaneous Short and Long Period Oscillations in Hot Coronal Arcade Loops

TL;DR

This study reports simultaneous short and long period oscillations in hot coronal arcade loops observed in X-ray and EUV channels during a solar flare, revealing insights into wave dynamics and flare-related processes.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed observation of concurrent short and long period oscillations in coronal loops across multiple wavelengths, linking them to flare activity and magnetoacoustic waves.

Findings

Detected 202 s and 409 s oscillation periods in X-ray and EUV channels.

Observed EUV disturbances bouncing between loop footpoints at 560 km/s.

Linked oscillations to flare-induced magnetoacoustic waves and reconnection processes.

Abstract

We report decaying quasi-periodic intensity oscillations in the X-ray (6-12 keV) and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) channels (131, 94, 1600, 304 \AA) observed by the Fermi GBM (Gamma-ray Burst Monitor) and SDO/AIA, respectively, during a C-class flare. The estimated period of oscillation and decay time in the X-ray channel (6-12 keV) was about 202 s and 154 s, respectively. A similar oscillation period was detected at the footpoint of the arcade loops in the AIA 1600 and 304 \AA channels. Simultaneously, AIA hot channels (94 and 131 \AA) reveal propagating EUV disturbances bouncing back and forth between the footpoints of the arcade loops. The period of the oscillation and decay time were about 409 s and 1121 s, respectively. The characteristic phase speed of the wave is about 560 km/s for about 115 Mm loop length, which is roughly consistent with the sound speed at the temperature about 10-16 MK (480-608 km/s). These EUV oscillations are consistent with the SOHO/SUMER Doppler-shift oscillations interpreted as the global standing slow magnetoacoustic wave excited by a flare. The flare occurred at one of the footpoints of the arcade loops, where the magnetic topology was a 3D fan-spine with a null-point. Repetitive reconnection at this footpoint could cause the periodic acceleration of non-thermal electrons that propagated to the opposite footpoint along the arcade and precipitating there, causing the observed 202-s periodicity. Other possible interpretations, e.g. the second harmonics of the slow mode are also discussed.