2014/09/23 by M. Mendoza, A. Kaydul, L. de Arcangelis +4
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Complex Systems and Time Series Analysis #Coronal mass ejection #Criticality #Earthquake Detection and Analysis #Flare #Magnetic field #Mechanics #Nanoflares #Photosphere #Physics #Plasma #Range (aeronautics) #Self-organized criticality #Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics #Solar flare #Solar wind #Sunspot #Turbulence #astro-ph.SR #cond-mat.stat-mech #physics.comp-ph #physics.flu-dyn #physics.plasm-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1038/ncomms6035
published as Nat. Commun. 5:5035 (2014) · 24 pages, 8 figures
openalex publication_date 2014/09/23 · arxiv created 2014/10/16 · arxiv updated 2014/10/17 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Solar flares stem from the reconnection of twisted magnetic field lines in the solar photosphere. The energy and waiting time distributions of these events follow complex patterns that have been carefully considered in the past and that bear some resemblance with earthquakes and stockmarkets. Here we explore in detail the tangling motion of interacting flux tubes anchored in the plasma and the energy ejections resulting when they recombine. The mechanism for energy accumulation and release in the flow is reminiscent of self-organized criticality. From this model we suggest the origin for two important and widely studied properties of solar flare statistics, including the time-energy correlations. We first propose that the scale-free energy distribution of solar flares is largely due to the twist exerted by the vorticity of the turbulent photosphere. Second, the long-range temporal and time-energy correlations appear to arise from the tube-tube interactions. The agreement with satellite measurements is encouraging.