Sunspot shearing and sudden retraction motion associated with the 2013 August 17 M3.3 Flare

TL;DR

This study analyzes the 2013 August 17 M3.3 solar flare, revealing how sunspot shearing motion and sudden retraction are interconnected, driven by magnetic field reconfiguration during the flare.

Contribution

It provides direct observational evidence linking sunspot shearing and retraction motions to magnetic field changes during a solar flare, highlighting the back reaction mechanism.

Findings

Sunspot shearing motion preceded the flare by about 10 hours.

Sudden sunspot retraction occurred during the flare impulsive phase.

Lorentz force changes aligned with sunspot retraction motion.

Abstract

In this Letter, we give a detailed analysis to the M3.3 class flare that occurred on August 17, 2013 (SOL2013-08-17T18:16). It presents a clear picture of mutual magnetic interaction initially from the photosphere to the corona via the abrupt rapid shearing motion of a small sunspot before the flare, and then suddenly from the corona back to the photosphere via the sudden retraction motion of the same sunspot during the flare impulsive phase. About 10 hours before the flare, a small sunspot in the active region NOAA 11818 started to move northeast along a magnetic polarity inversion line (PIL), creating a shearing motion that changed the quasi-static state of the active region. A filament right above the PIL was activated following the movement of the sunspot and then got partially erupted. The eruption eventually led to the M3.3 flare. The sunspot was then suddenly pulled back to the opposite direction upon the flare onset. During the backward motion, the Lorentz force underwent a simultaneous impulsive change both in magnitude and direction. Its directional change is found to be conformable with the retraction motion. The observation provides direct evidence for the role of the shearing motion of the sunspot in powering and triggering the flare. It especially confirms that the abrupt motion of a sunspot during a solar flare is the result of a back reaction caused by the reconfiguration of the coronal magnetic field.