Simultaneous transverse oscillations of a coronal loop and a filament excited by a circular-ribbon flare

TL;DR

This study analyzes how a circular-ribbon flare triggers simultaneous transverse kink oscillations in a coronal loop and a filament, revealing different excitation mechanisms and providing new insights into solar magnetic dynamics.

Contribution

It demonstrates that a small flare can excite both coronal loop and filament oscillations through different processes, including blast waves and secondary magnetic reconnection.

Findings

Coronal loop oscillation likely excited by flare-induced blast wave at ≥1300 km/s.

Filament oscillation triggered by secondary magnetic reconnection and jet-like flows.

Oscillations lasted multiple cycles with specific periods and damping times.

Abstract

To investigate the excitation of kink oscillations in coronal loops and filaments, a C3.4 circular-ribbon flare (CRF) associated with a blowout jet in active region 12434 on 2015 October 16 is analyzed. The flare excited small-amplitude kink oscillation of a remote coronal loop. The oscillation lasted for $\ge$4 cycles without significant damping. The amplitude and period are 0.3$\pm$0.1 Mm and 207$\pm$12 s. Interestingly, the flare also excited transverse oscillation of a remote filament. The oscillation lasted for $\sim$3.5 cycles with decaying amplitudes. The initial amplitude is 1.7$-$2.2 Mm. The period and damping time are 437$-$475 s and 1142$-$1600 s. The starting times of simultaneous oscillations of coronal loop and filament were concurrent with the hard X-ray peak time. Though small in size and short in lifetime, the flare set off a chain reaction. It generated a bright secondary flare ribbon (SFR) in the chromosphere, remote brightening (RB) that was cospatial with the filament, and intermittent, jet-like flow propagating in the northeast direction. The loop oscillation is most probably excited by the flare-induced blast wave at a speed of $\ge$1300 km s$^{-1}$. The excitation of the filament oscillation is more complicated. The blast wave triggers secondary magnetic reconnection far from the main flare, which not only heats the local plasma to higher temperatures (SFR and RB), but produces jet-like flow (i.e., reconnection outflow) as well. The filament is disturbed by the secondary magnetic reconnection and experiences transverse oscillation. The findings give new insight into the excitation of transverse oscillations of coronal loops and filaments.