An analysis of two active regions shows that differently evolving ARs may produce major eruptive flares even when, in addition to the accumulation of significant free magnetic energy budgets, they accumulate large amounts of both left- and right-handed helicity without a strong dominance of one handedness over the other.
Inverse Evershed flow is derived from chromospheric observations. Coupling these flow with the non force-free model, the authors find that the flow is driven along magnetic field lines connecting network elements with the outer penumbra by a gas pressure difference.
This analysis shows that a new bipolar emergence, whose positive polarity collided with the pre-existing negative polarity, in AR11283 led to energy and helicity buildup in the form of magnetic flux ropes. Recurrent energy releases caused a few homologous CMEs from this region.
In order to make the properties of magnetic features observed by SDO/HMI more accessible, the Solar Photospheric Ephemeral and Active Region (SPEAR) catalogue has been created as an easy-to-read tabulated text file. Tilt angles from the SPEAR catalogue are shown as a histogram (top) and as a function of latitude (bottom) with colors indicating all regions (blue), regions with anti-Joy (red), and anti-Hale (purple) tilts. Over 40% of regions disobey the laws of Joy and Hale.
Instead of the center-annulus measurement geometry that time-distance helioseismology typically uses, a new one-sided center-arc measurement scheme is developed. This method shows advantage in measuring subsurface flows in in a close neighborhood of magnetic regions.
Magnetic-field dependence of active regions’ tilt angles are analyzed using the MDI and HMI observations for two solar cycles. The variation of the tilt angles with the maximum magnetic-field strength of the ARs indicates a nonlinear tilt quenching in the Babcock–Leighton process.
Similar to sunspots, the stable regions of pores on the Sun are also found to be defined by a critical value of the vertical component of the magnetic field. The critical value is comparable to that found in stable sunspots.
To search for signatures of Alfvénic waves in the solar photosphere, the authors analyze the oscillation amplitudes, phases and time-distance behavior between different observables in a sunspot umbra, its polarity inversion line, and surrounding area.
Through studying three homologous eruptive events in an active region, the authors conclude that shearing motions and magnetic flux cancellation play a dominant role leading to the recurrent eruptions, and are key processes forming the eruptive structures.
Using the solar axial magnetic dipole moment obtained prior to the solar minimum, the author predicts that the maximum sunspot number of Solar Cycle 25 is about 128.