Observational Analysis on the Early Evolution of a CME Flux-rope: Pre-flare reconnection and Flux-rope's Footpoint Drift

TL;DR

This study investigates the early stages of a magnetic flux rope eruption, highlighting the role of pre-flare reconnection, footpoint drift, and the formation of flare loops, providing new insights into the eruption mechanism.

Contribution

It reveals the significance of pre-flare reconnection at the hyperbolic flux tube and detects the drifting of flux rope footpoints, advancing understanding of eruption dynamics.

Findings

Pre-flare reconnection enlarges the flux rope and triggers eruption.

Footpoint drift affects core dimming and flare ribbon formation.

Mapping flux rope footpoints is more complex due to drift.

Abstract

We study the early evolution of a hot-channel-like magnetic flux rope (MFR) toward eruption. Combining with imaging observation and magnetic field extrapolation, we find that the hot channel possibly originated from a pre-existing seed MFR with a hyperbolic flux tube (HFT). In the precursor phase, three-dimensional tether-cutting reconnection at the HFT is most likely resulting in the heating and buildup of the hot channel. In this process, the forming hot channel was rapidly enlarged at its spatial size and slipped its feet to two remote positions. Afterward, it instantly erupted outwards with an exponential acceleration, leaving two core dimmings near its feet. We suggest that pre-flare reconnection at the HFT played a crucial role in enlarging the seed MFR and facilitating the onset of its final solar eruption. Moreover, a recently predicted drifting of MFR's footpoints was detected at both core dimmings. In particular, we find that MFR's west footpoint drift was induced by a new reconnection geometry among the erupting MFR's leg and thereby inclined arcades. As MFR's west footpoints gradually drifted to a new position, a set of newborn atypical flare loops connected into the west core dimming, causing a rapid decrease of dimmed area inside this core dimming and also generating a secondary flare ribbon at their remote feet. This reveals that core dimmings may suffer a pronounced diminishment due to the eruptive MFR's footpoint drift, implying that mapping the real footpoints of the erupting MFR down to the Sun's surface is more difficult than previously thought.