Abstract
We consider the physical origin of the hemispheric pattern of filament chirality on the Sun. Our 3D simulations of the coronal field evolution over a period of six months, based on photospheric magnetic measurements, were previously shown to be highly successful at reproducing observed filament chiralities. In this paper we identify and describe the physical mechanisms responsible for this success. The key mechanisms are found to be (1) differential rotation of north – south polarity inversion lines, (2) the shape of bipolar active regions, and (3) evolution of skew over a period of many days. As on the real Sun, the hemispheric pattern in our simulations holds in a statistical sense. Exceptions arise naturally for filaments in certain locations relative to bipolar active regions or from interactions among a number of active regions.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Canfield, R.C., Pevtsov, A.A.: 1999, In: Brown, M.R., Canfield, R.C., Pevtsov, A.A. (eds.) Magnetic Helicity in Space and Laboratory Plasmas, Geophys. Monogr. Ser. 111, AGU, Washington, 197.
Choudhuri, A.R., Chatterjee, P., Nandy, D.: 2004, Astrophys. J. 615, L57.
Gaizauskas, V., Zirker, J.B., Sweetland, C., Kovacs, A.: 1997, Astrophys. J. 479, 448.
Gibson, S.E., Fan, Y., Mandrini, C., Fisher, G., Démoulin, P.: 2004, Astrophys. J. 617, 600.
Hagino, M., Sakurai, T.: 2004, Publ. Astron. Soc. Japan 56, 831.
Hindman, B.W., Haber, D.A., Toomre, J.: 2006, Astrophys. J. 653, 725.
Holder, Z.A., Canfield, R.C., McMullen, R.A., Nandy, D., Howard, R.F., Pevtsov, A.A.: 2004, Astrophys. J. 611, 1149.
Kuijpers, J.: 1997, Astrophys. J. 489, L201.
Leka, K.D., Canfield, R.C., McClymont, A.N., van Driel-Gesztelyi, L.: 1996, Astrophys. J. 462, 547.
Leroy, J.-L., Bommier, V., Sahal-Brechot, S.: 1983, Solar Phys. 83, 135.
Lites, B.W.: 2005, Astrophys. J. 622, 1275.
Litvinenko, Y.E., Wheatland, M.S.: 2005, Astrophys. J. 630, 587.
Longcope, D.W., Fisher, G.H., Pevtsov, A.A.: 1998, Astrophys. J. 507, 417.
Mackay, D.H., van Ballegooijen, A.A.: 2005, Astrophys. J. 621, L77.
Mackay, D.H., van Ballegooijen, A.A.: 2006, Astrophys. J. 641, 577.
Mackay, D.H., Gaizauskas, V., Yeates, A.R.: 2008, Solar Phys. 248, 51.
Martens, P.C., Zwaan, C.: 2001, Astrophys. J. 558, 872.
Martin, S.F., Bilimoria, R., Tracadas, P.W.: 1994, In: Rutten, R.J., Schrijver, C.J. (eds.) Solar Surface Magnetism, NATO Advanced Science Institute 433, Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht, 303.
McAllister, A.H., Hundhausen, A.J., Mackay, D.H., Priest, E.R.: 1998, In: Webb, D., Rust, D., Schmieder, B. (eds.) New Perspectives on Solar Prominences, IAU Colloq. 167, 430.
Pevtsov, A.A., Canfield, R.C., Metcalf, T.R.: 1995, Astrophys. J. 440, L109.
Pevtsov, A.A., Balasubramaniam, K.S., Rogers, J.W.: 2003, Astrophys. J. 595, 500.
Priest, E.R., van Ballegooijen, A.A., Mackay, D.H.: 1996, Astrophys. J. 460, 530.
Rust, D.M.: 1967, Astrophys. J. 150, 313.
Rust, D.M., Kumar, A.: 1994, Solar Phys. 155, 69.
van Ballegooijen, A.A., Martens, P.C.H.: 1989, Astrophys. J. 343, 971.
van Ballegooijen, A.A., Martens, P.C.H.: 1990, Astrophys. J. 361, 283.
van Ballegooijen, A.A., Priest, E.R., Mackay, D.H.: 2000, Astrophys. J. 539, 983.
Wang, Y.-M., Muglach, K.: 2007, Astrophys. J. 666, 1284.
Welsch, B.T., Devore, C.R., Antiochos, S.K.: 2005, Astrophys. J. 634, 1395.
Yeates, A.R., Mackay, D.H., van Ballegooijen, A.A.: 2007, Solar Phys. 245, 87.
Yeates, A.R., Mackay, D.H., van Ballegooijen, A.A.: 2008a, Solar Phys. 247, 103.
Yeates, A.R., Mackay, D.H., van Ballegooijen, A.A.: 2008b, Astrophys. J. 680, L165.
Zirker, J.B., Martin, S.F., Harvey, K., Gaizauskas, V.: 1997, Solar Phys. 175, 27.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yeates, A.R., Mackay, D.H. Modelling the Global Solar Corona: III. Origin of the Hemispheric Pattern of Filaments. Sol Phys 254, 77–88 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-008-9276-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-008-9276-7