Chain Reconnections observed in Sympathetic Eruptions

TL;DR

This study presents multi-wavelength observations of sympathetic solar eruptions, revealing multiple magnetic reconnection stages that link filaments, flares, and CMEs, enhancing understanding of complex solar eruptive processes.

Contribution

It provides detailed observational evidence of successive magnetic reconnections driving sympathetic eruptions and their causal relationships, which was previously not well understood.

Findings

Multiple reconnection events observed during eruptions.

Reconnection destabilized neighboring filaments leading to successive eruptions.

Confirmed magnetic links between filaments and eruptions through extrapolation.

Abstract

The nature of various plausible causal links between sympathetic events is still a controversial issue. In this work, we present multi-wavelength observations of sympathetic eruptions, associated flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) occurring on 2013 November 17 in two close-by active regions. Two filaments i.e., F1 and F2 are observed in between the active regions. Successive magnetic reconnections, caused by different reasons (flux cancellation, shear and expansion) have been identified during the whole event. The first reconnection occurred during the first eruption via flux cancellation between the sheared arcades overlying filament F2, creating a flux rope and leading to the first double ribbon solar flare. During this phase we observed the eruption of overlaying arcades and coronal loops, which leads to the first CME. The second reconnection is believed to occur between the expanding flux rope of F2 and the overlying arcades of the filament F1. We suggest that this reconnection destabilized the equilibrium of filament F1, which further facilitated its eruption. The third stage of reconnection occurred in the wake of the erupting filament F1 between the legs of overlying arcades. This may create a flux rope and the second double ribbon flare and a second CME. The fourth reconnection was between the expanding arcades of the erupting filament F1 and the nearby ambient field, which produced the bi-directional plasma flows towards both upward and downward. Observations and a nonlinear force-free field extrapolation confirm the possibility of reconnection and the causal link between the magnetic systems.