CME Associated with Transequatorial Loops and a Bald Patch Flare

Abstract

We study a flare which occurred on 3 November 1997 at 10:31 UT in the vicinity of a parasitic polarity of AR 8100. Using SOHO/EIT 195 Å observations, we identify the brightening of thin transequatorial loops connecting AR 8100 and AR 8102, and dimmings located between the two active regions. Difference images highlight the presence of a loop-like structure rooted near the flare location usually called an EIT wave. The corona] magnetic field derived from potential extrapolations from a SOHO/MDI magnetogram shows that the topology is complex near the parasitic polarity. There, a ‘bald patch’ (defined as the locations where the magnetic field is tangent to the photosphere) is present. We conclude that the flare was a ‘bald patch flare’. Moreover, the extrapolation confirms that there is a large coronal volume filled with transequatorial field lines interconnecting AR 8100 and AR 8102, and overlaying the bald patch.

We show that the dimmings are located at the footpoints of these large field lines, which can be also related to the thin bright loops observed during the flare. As this event was related to a coronal mass ejection (CME) observed by SOHO/LASCO, we propose that the observed dimmings are due to a decrease in plasma density during the opening of the transequatorial loops connecting both ARs. We propose a scenario where these large field lines are in fact pushed up by the opening of low-lying sheared field lines forming the bald patch. We finally discuss how the fast opening of these field lines can produce the brightening near the footpoints of the separatrix, observed as an ‘EIT wave’.