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Explaining the Hemispheric Pattern of Filament Chirality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 January 2014

Duncan H. Mackay
Affiliation:
School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 8HB, UK email: [email protected]
Anthony R. Yeates
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematical Sciences, Durham University, Durham, UK email: [email protected]
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Abstract

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Solar filaments are known to exhibit a hemispheric pattern in their chirality, where dextral/sinistral filaments dominate in the northern/southern hemisphere. We show that this pattern may be explained through data driven 3D global magnetic field simulations of the Sun's large-scale magnetic field. Through a detailed comparison with 109 filaments over a 6 month period, the model correctly reproduces the filament chirality and helicity with a 96% agreement. The data driven simulation is extended to run over a full solar cycle, where predictions are made for the spatial and temporal dependence of the hemispheric pattern over the solar cycle.

Type
Contributed Papers
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2013 

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