Successive X-class flares and coronal mass ejections driven by shearing motion and sunspot rotation in active region NOAA 12673

TL;DR

This study analyzes how shearing motion and sunspot rotation in active region NOAA 12673 led to successive X-class solar flares and CMEs, highlighting the role of magnetic energy buildup and flux rope formation.

Contribution

It provides detailed observational evidence linking sunspot dynamics to flare and CME initiation, emphasizing the importance of rotation and shearing in energy accumulation.

Findings

Sunspot rotation speeds increase before flares

Flux ropes are present prior to flare onset

Shearing motion sustains after the second flare

Abstract

We present a clear case study on the occurrence of two successive X-class flares including a decade-class flare (X9.3) and two coronal mass ejections (CMEs) triggered by shearing motion and sunspot rotation in active region NOAA 12673 on 2017 September 6. A shearing motion between the main sunspots with opposite polarities started on September 5 and even lasted after the second X-class flare on September 6. Moreover, the main sunspot with negative polarity rotated around its umbral center and another main sunspot with positive polarity also exhibited a slow rotation. The sunspot with negative polarity at the northwest of active region also began to rotate counter-clockwise before the onset of the first X-class flare. The successive formation and eruption of two S-shaped structures were closely related to the counter-clockwise rotation of three sunspots. It is also found that the rotation of sunspots is faster during four hours prior to the onset of the flares than the period before. The existence of a flux rope is found prior to the onset of two flares by using non-linear force free field extrapolation based on the vector magnetograms observed by SDO/HMI. These results suggest that shearing motion and sunspot rotation play an important role in the buildup of the free energy and the formation of flux ropes in the corona which produces solar flares and CMEs.