Pre-flare coronal jet and evolutionary phases of a solar eruptive prominence associated with M1.8 flare: SDO and RHESSI observations

TL;DR

This study analyzes the multi-phase eruption of a solar prominence associated with an M1.8 flare, highlighting the roles of coronal jets, magnetic reconnection, and plasmoid ejection using SDO and RHESSI data.

Contribution

It provides a detailed multi-step model of prominence eruption involving internal and external processes supported by multi-instrument observations.

Findings

Coronal blowout jet triggered prominence activation.

Eruption involved splitting, rotation, and a hot EUV plasmoid.

Magnetic reconnection facilitated fast prominence ejection.

Abstract

We investigate triggering, activation, and ejection of a solar eruptive prominence that occurred in a multi-polar flux system of active region NOAA 11548 on 2012 August 18 by analyzing data from AIA on board SDO, RHESSI, and EUVI/SECCHI on board STEREO. Prior to the prominence activation, we observed striking coronal activities in the form of a blowout jet which is associated with rapid eruption of a cool flux rope. Further, the jet-associated flux rope eruption underwent splitting and rotation during its outward expansion. These coronal activities are followed by the prominence activation during which it slowly rises with a speed of ~12 km/s while the region below the prominence emits gradually varying EUV and thermal X-ray emissions. From these observations, we propose that the prominence eruption is a complex, multi-step phenomenon in which a combination of internal (tether-cutting reconnection) and external (i.e., pre-eruption coronal activities) processes are involved. The prominence underwent catastrophic loss of equilibrium with the onset of the impulsive phase of an M1.8 flare suggesting large-scale energy release by coronal magnetic reconnection. We obtained signatures of particle acceleration in the form of power law spectra with hard electron spectral index (delta ~ 3) and strong HXR footpoint sources. During the impulsive phase, a hot EUV plasmoid was observed below the apex of the erupting prominence that ejected in the direction of the prominence with a speed of ~177 km/s. The temporal, spatial and kinematic correlations between the erupting prominence and the plasmoid imply that the magnetic reconnection supported the fast ejection of prominence in the lower corona.