Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Topological Departures from Translational Invariance along a Filament Observed by THEMIS

  • Published:
Solar Physics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We study the topology of the 3D magnetic field in a filament channel to address the following questions: Is a filament always formed in a single flux tube? How does the photospheric magnetic field lead to filament interruptions and to feet formation? What is the relation between feet-related field lines and the parasitic polarities? What can topological analyses teach us about EUV filament channels? To do so, we consider a filament observed on 6 October 2004 with THEMIS/MTR, in Hα with the full line profile simultaneously and cospatially with its photospheric vector magnetic field. The coronal magnetic field was calculated from a “linear magnetohydrostatic” extrapolation of a composite THEMIS-MDI magnetogram. Its free parameters were adjusted to get the best match possible between the distribution of modeled plasma-supporting dips and the Hα filament morphology. The model results in moderate plasma β≤1 at low altitudes in the filament, in conjunction with non-negligible departures from force-freeness measured by various metrics. The filament here is formed by a split flux tube. One part of the flux tube is rooted in the photosphere aside an observed interruption in the filament. This splitted topology is due to strong network polarities on the edge of the filament channel, not to flux concentrations closer to the filament. We focus our study to the northwest portion of the filament. The related flux tube is highly fragmented at low altitudes. This fragmentation is due to small flux concentrations of two types. First, some locally distort the tube, leading to noticeable thickness variations along the filament body. Second, parasitic polarities, associated with filament feet, result in secondary dips above the related local inversion line. These dips belong to long field lines that pass below the flux tube. Many of these field lines are not rooted near the related foot. Finally, the present model shows that the coronal void interpretation cannot be ruled out to interpret the wideness of EUV filament channels.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anzer, U., Heinzel, P.: 2003, Astron. Astrophys. 404, 1139.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Anzer, U., Heinzel, P.: 2005, Astrophys. J. 622, 714.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Anzer, U., Heinzel, P.: 2007, Astron. Astrophys. 467, 1285.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Aulanier, G., Démoulin, P.: 1998, Astron. Astrophys. 329, 1125.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Aulanier, G., Schmieder, B.: 2002, Astron. Astrophys. 386, 1106.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Aulanier, G., Srivastava, N., Martin, S.F.: 2000, Astrophys. J. 543, 447.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Aulanier, G., Démoulin, P., van Driel-Gesztelyi, L., Mein, P., DeForest, C.: 1998, Astron. Astrophys. 335, 309.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Aulanier, G., Démoulin, P., Mein, N., van Driel-Gesztelyi, L., Mein, P., Schmieder, B.: 1999, Astron. Astrophys. 342, 867.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Berlicki, A., Mein, P., Schmieder, B.: 2006, Astron. Astrophys. 445, 1127.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Bommier, V., Leroy, J.-L.: 1998, In: Webb, D., Schmieder, B., Rust, D. (eds.) New Perspectives on Solar Prominences, IAU Colloq. 167 CS-150, Astron. Soc. Pac., San Francisko, 434.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bommier, V., Landi Degl’Innocenti, E., Landolfi, M., Molodij, G.: 2007, Astron. Astrophys. 445, 1127.

    Google Scholar 

  • Démoulin, P., Bagalá, L.G., Mandrini, C.H., Hénoux, J.C., Rovira, M.G.: 1997, Astron. Astrophys. 325, 305.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • DeVore, C.R., Antiochos, S.K., Aulanier, G.: 2005, Astrophys. J. 629, 1122.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Dunn, R.B.: 1960, Ph.D. Thesis, Harvard University.

  • Filippov, B.P.: 1998, In: Webb, D., Schmieder, B., Rust, D. (eds.) New Perspectives on Solar Prominences, IAU Colloq. 167 CS-150, Astron. Soc. Pac., San Francisko, 94.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gary, G.A.: 1989, Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser. 69, 323.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hammerschlag, R.H., Bettonvil, F.C.M.: 1998, New Astron. Rev. 42, 485.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Handy, B.N., Acton, L.W., Kankelborg, C.C., Wolfson, C.J., Akin, D.J., Bruner, M.E., et al.: 1999, Solar Phys. 187, 229.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Heinzel, P., Anzer, U.: 2006, Astrophys. J. 643, 65.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Heinzel, P., Schmieder, B., Tziotziou, K.: 2001, Astrophys. J. 561, 223.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Heinzel, P., Anzer, U., Schmieder, B.: 2003, Solar Phys. 216, 159.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Landolfi, M., Landi Degl’Innocenti, E., Arena, P.: 1984, Solar Phys. 93, 269.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Lionello, R., Mikić, Z., Linker, J.A., Amari, T.: 2002, Astrophys. J. 581, 718.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Leroy, J.-L.: 1977, Astron. Astrophys. 60, 79.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Lin, Y., Engvold, O., Wiik, J.E.: 2003, Solar Phys. 216, 109.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Lin, Y., Engvold, O., van der Voort, L.R., Wiik, J.E., Berger, T.E.: 2005, Solar Phys. 226, 239.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • López Ariste, A., Rayrole, J., Semel, M.: 2000, Astron. Astrophys. Suppl. Ser. 142, 137.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • López Ariste, A., Aulanier, G., Schmieder, B., Sainz Dalda, A.: 2006, Astron. Astrophys. 456, 725.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Low, B.C.: 1991, Astrophys. J. 370, 427.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Low, B.C.: 1992, Astrophys. J. 399, 300.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Martens, P.C., Zwaan, C.: 2001, Astrophys. J. 558, 872.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, S.F.: 1998, In: Webb, D., Schmieder, B., Rust, D. (eds.) New Perspectives on Solar Prominences, IAU Colloq. 167, CS-150, Astron. Soc. Pac., San Francisko, 419.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, S.F., Echols, C.R.: 1994, In: Rutten, R.J., Schrijver, C.J. (eds.) Solar Surface Magnetism, Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht, 339.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mein, N., Schmieder, B., DeLuca, E.E., Heinzel, P., Mein, P., Malherbe, J.M., Staiger, J.: 2001, Astrophys. J. 556, 438.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Metcalf, T.R., DeRosa, M.L., Schrijver, C.J., Barnes, G., van Ballegooijen, A.A., Wiegelmann, T., et al.: 2008, Solar Phys. 247, 269.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • November, L.J., Koutchmy, S.: 1996, Astrophys. J. 466, 512.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Priest, E.R.: 1989, In: Priest, E.R. (ed.) Dynamics and Structure of Quiescent Prominences, Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht, 1.

    Google Scholar 

  • Priest, E.R., Démoulin, P.: 1995, J. Geophys. Res. 100, 23443.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Régnier, S., Amari, T.: 2004, Astron. Astrophys. 425, 345.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Rondi, S., Roudier, T., Molodij, G., Bommier, V., Keil, S., Sütterlin, P., Malherbe, J.M., Meunier, N., Schmieder, S., Maloney, P.: 2007, Astron. Astrophys. 467, 1289.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Rutten, R.J., Hammerschlag, R.F., Bettonvil, F.C.M., Sütterlin, P., de Wijn, A.G.: 2004, Astron. Astrophys. 413, 1183.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Scherrer, P.H., Bogart, R.S., Bush, R.I., Hoeksema, J.T., Kosovichev, A.G., Schou, J., et al.: 1995, Solar Phys. 162, 129.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Schmieder, B., Raadu, M.A., Wiik, J.E.: 1991, Astron. Astrophys. 252, 353.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Schmieder, B., Tziotziou, K., Heinzel, P.: 2003, Astron. Astrophys. 401, 361.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Schmieder, B., Lin, Y., Heinzel, P., Schwartz, P.: 2004, Solar Phys. 221, 297.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Schmieder, B., Aulanier, G., Mein, P., López Ariste, A.: 2006, Solar Phys. 238, 245.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, P., Heinzel, P., Anzer, U., Schmieder, B.: 2004, Astron. Astrophys. 421, 323.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Schrijver, C.J., Derosa, M.L., Metcalf, T.R., Liu, Y., McTiernan, J., Régnier, S., Valori, G., Wheatland, M.S., Wiegelmann, T.: 2006, Solar Phys. 235, 161.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Skumanich, A., Lites, B.W.: 1987, Astrophys. J. 322, 473.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • van Ballegooijen, A.A.: 2004, Astrophys. J. 615, 519.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Y.-M.: 2001, Astrophys. J. 560, 456.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Welsch, B.T., DeVore, C.R., Antiochos, S.K.: 2005, Astrophys. J. 634, 1395.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Wheatland, M.S., Sturrock, P.A., Roumeliotis, G.: 2000, Astrophys. J. 540, 1150.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Wiik, J.E., Schmieder, B., Noëns, J.C.: 1994, Solar Phys. 149, 51.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Astronomy, Physics of the Earth and Meteorology, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, Mlynská Dolina F2, 84248, Bratislava, Slovakia

    J. Dudík

  2. LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, UPMC, Université Paris Diderot, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92190, Meudon, France

    J. Dudík, G. Aulanier & B. Schmieder

  3. LERMA, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, UPMC, UCP, ENS, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92190, Meudon, France

    V. Bommier

  4. Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de l’Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III, NDRS, 57 Avenue d’Azeirex, 65000, Tarbes, France

    T. Roudier

Authors
  1. J. Dudík
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. G. Aulanier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. B. Schmieder
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. V. Bommier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. T. Roudier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Dudík.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dudík, J., Aulanier, G., Schmieder, B. et al. Topological Departures from Translational Invariance along a Filament Observed by THEMIS. Sol Phys 248, 29–50 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-008-9155-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-008-9155-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation