HR: 14:55h
AN: SH23B-06    [Abstracts]
TI: Photospheric Flows and Flares/CMEs: A Progress Report
AU: * Welsch, B T
EM: welsch@ssl.berkeley.edu
AF: Space Sciences Lab, UC-Berkeley, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720-7450, United States
AU: Li, Y
AF: Space Sciences Lab, UC-Berkeley, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720-7450, United States
AU: Fisher, G H
AF: Space Sciences Lab, UC-Berkeley, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720-7450, United States
AB: Coupling between magnetic fields in the solar photosphere and corona implies that flows at the photosphere --- the only atmospheric layer where the magnetic field is routinely measured --- can inject magnetic energy and helicity into the coronal field. Fluxes of magnetic energy and helicity into the corona might play an important role in flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Some flow patterns --- including shear flows, converging flows, and rotational flows --- have been proposed as particularly important processes leading to flares and CMEs. How common are these flow patterns? Which flows, if any, are statistically associated with flares and CMEs? To answer these questions and others, we have estimated photospheric flows using sequences of full-disk, MDI magnetograms, with a nominal 96-minute cadence, from more than 60 active regions. Our active region sample includes both regions that produced many flares and CMEs, and regions that produced little activity. Our analysis is not yet complete, but we present a progress report here.
DE: 7513 Coronal mass ejections (2101)
DE: 7519 Flares
DE: 7524 Magnetic fields
DE: 7529 Photosphere
DE: 7594 Instruments and techniques
SC: SPA-Solar and Heliospheric Physics [SH]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting