Microwave Imaging Spectroscopy Diagnosis of the Slow-rise Precursor of a Major Solar Eruption

TL;DR

This study uses microwave imaging spectroscopy combined with EUV data to diagnose the slow-rise phase of a major solar eruption, revealing thermal emissions and precursor reconnection processes that lead to CME eruption.

Contribution

First microwave imaging spectroscopy diagnosis of the slow-rise precursor of a major CME, providing new insights into the heating and rise mechanisms before eruption.

Findings

Microwave emissions mainly along the hot channel during precursor phase.

Thermal emission dominates in the precursor phase, unlike the main phase.

Precursor reconnection drives the build-up and heating of CME progenitors.

Abstract

In this Letter, taking advantage of microwave data from the Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array and extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) data from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly, we present the first microwave imaging spectroscopy diagnosis for the slow-rise precursor of a major coronal mass ejection (CME) on 2022 March 30. The EUV images reveal that the CME progenitor, appearing as a hot channel above the polarity inversion line, experiences a slow rise and heating before the eruption. The microwave emissions are found to mainly distribute along the hot channel, with high-frequency sources located at the ends of the hot channel and along precursor bright loops underneath the hot channel. The microwave spectroscopic analysis suggests that microwave emissions in the precursor phase are dominated by thermal emission, largely different from the main phase when a significant non-thermal component is present. These results support the scenario that the precursor reconnection, seeming to be moderate compared with the flare reconnection during the main phase, drives the build-up, heating, and slow rise of CME progenitors toward the explosive eruption.