Changes in Photospheric Lorentz Force in Eruptive and Confined Solar Flares

Abstract

Solar flares are known to leave imprints on the magnetic field in the photosphere, often manifested as an abrupt and permanent change in the downward-directed Lorentz force in localized areas inside the active region. Our study aims to differentiate eruptive and confined solar flares based on the variations in vertical Lorentz force. We select 26 eruptive and 11 confined major solar flares (stronger than the GOES M5 class) observed during 2011–2017. We analyze these flaring regions using SHARP vector magnetograms obtained from NASA’s Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager. We also compare data corresponding to two synthetic flares from a δ-sunspot simulation reported by Chatterjee et al. We estimate the change in the horizontal magnetic field and the total Lorentz force integrated over an area around the polarity inversion line (PIL) that encompasses the location of the flare. Our results indicate a rapid increase in the horizontal magnetic field along the flaring PIL, accompanied by a significant change in the downward-directed Lorentz force in the same vicinity. Notably, we find that all the confined events under study exhibit a total change in Lorentz force of <1.8 × 1022 dyn. This threshold plays an important role in effectively distinguishing eruptive and confined flares. Further, our analysis suggests that the change in total Lorentz force also depends on the reconnection height in the solar corona at the associated flare onset. The results provide significant implications for understanding the flare-related upward impulse transmission for the associated coronal mass ejection.