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The Role of Magnetic Helicity in Solar Flares

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 March 2016

Mark G. Linton
Mark G. Linton*
Affiliation:
Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20375-5352

Abstract

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Helicity in coronal magnetic fields, often occurring in the form of twisted or sheared fields, can provide surplus energy which is available for release in solar flares. In this paper, several models of how this extra, non-potential, energy can be released will be reviewed. For example, twisted flux tubes can release excess energy via the kink instability. Or energy can be released via a transfer of helicity between different magnetic tubes. For untwisted field, the mutual helicity between flux tubes provides a measure of the shear in the fields, and therefore how much energy is available for release in a flare. For twisted flux tubes, the twist helicity of each tube in combination with the mutual helicity between the tubes dictate what type of reconnection the tubes can undergo and how much energy is available for release. Measuring the helicity of coronal active regions, and studying how this helicity affects magnetic energy release is therefore vital for our understanding of and our ability to predict solar flares.

Type
I. Joint Discussions
Information
Highlights of Astronomy , Volume 13 , 2005 , pp. 128 - 131
Copyright
Copyright © Astronomical Society of Pacific 2005

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