Issue |
A&A
Volume 488, Number 2, September III 2008
|
|
---|---|---|
Page(s) | L29 - L32 | |
Section | Letters | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:200810164 | |
Published online | 23 July 2008 |
Letter to the Editor
Different triggering mechanisms for solar flares and coronal mass ejections
1
Department of Information Engineering and CNISM, Second University of Naples, 81031 Aversa (CE), Italy e-mail: dearcangelis@na.infn.it
2
Department of Environmental Sciences and CNISM, Second University of Naples, 81100 Caserta, Italy e-mail: cataldo.godano@unina2.it
Received:
8
May
2008
Accepted:
15
July
2008
Context. Experimental observations indicate that flares and CMEs are often associated, even if the precise relationship between the two phenomena is a still hot and open question.
Aims. We present a study of the statistical properties of solar flare and CME temporal organisation, in order to enlighten differences in the mechanisms at the basis of their occurrence.
Methods. We analyse experimental catalogs and compare the occurrence rate of flares and CME with the sunspot number. We also perform numerical simulations of simple stochastic models to be compared with experimental data.
Results. We find that the CME and flare occurrence rates are related, respectively, linearly and quadratically to the level of solar activity.
Conclusions. This behaviour could be understood in terms of correlations among flares: the occurrence of a flare, by perturbing the magnetic configuration, may eventually trigger further flares. This interpretation is supported by the existence of Omori sequences of after-flares following more energetic flares.
Key words: Sun: flares / Sun: coronal mass ejections (CMEs) / sunspots / methods: data analysis / methods: numerical / methods: statistical
© ESO, 2008
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