Properties of magnetic null points associated with X-class flares during solar cycle 24

TL;DR

This study examines magnetic null points in solar active regions during cycle 24 to understand their role in X-class solar flares, revealing that a significant portion of these flares are associated with stable, positive-type null points with specific magnetic configurations.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed analysis of magnetic null point properties and their correlation with X-class flares during solar cycle 24, using potential field extrapolations and EUV observations.

Findings

35% of X-class flares are associated with magnetic null points.

87.5% of associated null points are of positive type.

Most null points are located between 0.5 and 2 Mm height.

Abstract

Since the launch of the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) in 2010 and throughout the solar cycle 24, the Sun has produced few tens of xclass flares, which are the most energetic solar events. Those flares are produced in regions where the magnetic flux/energy is large and the magnetic configurations are complex. To provide more insights into the flaring process, we investigate the properties of magnetic null points (MNPs) and their correlation with the energy release sites. During solar cycle 24, we identify 17 xclass flares satisfying selection criteria. From SDO/HMI magnetograms, we perform potential extrapolations around the peak time of the flare to access the 3D coronal magnetic field and thus investigate the existence of coronal MNPs. We then correlate the flaring sites with the existing MNPs using SDO/AIA 171A EUV observations, and deduce their properties (sign, spine, fan). Six active regions out of 10 possess at least one MNP, which is stable and with large magnetic field gradients: this implies that 35% of xclass flares are associated with a MNP; of which 87.5% of MNPs are of positive type. The MNPs associated with the flare sites are predominantly located ata height between 05 and 2 Mm, and with a vertical/radial spine field line. We also find a slight correlation between the MNPs not associated with a flare and negative-type MNPs (55%) within the active region. Regarding the physics of flares, the association between the enhanced intensity at the flaring site and a MNP represents about a third of the possible scenarios for triggering xclass flares.