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D. Alexander, R. Nightingale, T. R. Metcalf (Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Lab.), D. Brown (University of St. Andrews)
Recent observations of rotating sunspots in TRACE white light images and their apparent association with soft X-ray sigmoids have led to the intriguing possibility that the sunspot rotation serves as the driver for both sigmoid formation and their potential eruption. We discuss the energization of the corona resulting from currents generated by the vortex motions of the rotating sunspot. We will present data from events for which we have good white light coverage of the sunspot, an evolving sigmoid and an associated CME (in those cases where the sigmoid erupts). We investigate the relationship between the sunspot rotation and the evolution of the sigmoid structure and attempt to determine the key physical conditions which result in a sigmoid destabilizing and ultimately producing a CME.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: alexander@lmsal.com
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 34
© 2002. The American Astronomical Soceity.