Effects of supra-arcade downflows interacting with the post-flare arcade

TL;DR

This study investigates the interactions between supra-arcade downflows and post-flare arcades, revealing that these interactions generate MHD waves and quasi-periodic brightenings, with implications for understanding flare dynamics and plasma behavior.

Contribution

It provides detailed observational analysis of SAD interactions with post-flare arcades, highlighting wave generation and effects on flare ribbon brightening, which were not well understood before.

Findings

SADs near flare maximum contain hot plasma at 5-7 MK.

Interactions produce transverse oscillations and EUV perturbations.

Line-of-sight effects can mimic plasma rebound, not actual heating.

Abstract

Supra-arcade downflows (SADs) are dark voids descending through plasma above the post-flare arcade. Although they are generally viewed as byproducts of flare reconnections in the corona, the nature of SADs is under debate. Here we investigated six distinct episodes of SADs observed in the post-maximum phase of an M-class flare of April 11, 2013. Differential emission measure analysis revealed that SAD cases occurring close to the flare maximum contain an enhanced hot plasma component at 5--7~MK whereas those occurring later exhibited a depression in hot plasma at 7--12~MK compared to the ambient supra-arcade plasma. On-disk location of the flare enabled us to examine in detail the interaction of SADs with the post-flare arcade, whose effects include 1) transverse oscillations of period $\sim\,$160~s in the supra-arcade rays in the wake of voids, 2) footpoint brightening in 1700{~\AA} whose peak is delayed by 22-46~s with respect to the SAD's arrival at the top of the arcade, and 3) EUV intensity perturbations expanding and propagating with a speed $\sim\,$400 km~s$^{-1}$. On the other hand, due to line-of-sight confusion in the optically thin corona, the ribbon enhancement following the interaction produces an illusion of plasma rebound at the top of the arcade, where the interaction fails to yield significant plasma heating. These effects indicate that the interaction mainly generates MHD waves propagating toward the surface, which may further produce quasi-periodic brightening at flare ribbons, therefore contributing to quasi-periodic flare gradual phase emission in EUV.