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J. Jing, J. Qiu, M. Qu, Y. Xu, H. Wang (Center for Solar Terrestrial Research)
We recently developed a new imaging processing technique, which applies region growing and adaptive boundary-base methods (Qu, M., 2004), to derive ribbon separation speed of two-ribbon flares automatically. From that, we can derive two important parameters of two-ribbon flares: the electric field inside the reconnecting current sheet (RCS), and the rate of magnetic flux involved in the reconnection (\phic = \partial/\partial~t \int Bn da) in the low corona. For the M1.5 flare event on May 21, 2002, and the M8.7 flare event on July 26, 2002, the derived rate of magnetic reconnection is about 8\times 1018 and 6\times 1018 Mx/sec while the maximum electric field is 8 and 4 V/cm, respectively. The time profile of electric field and reconnection rate are in good correlation with the time derivative of the GOES soft X-ray light curve and the accompanying CME acceleration. For another two-ribbon flare event on September 27, 2000, which was not visible in GOES soft X-ray light curve, the magnetic reconnection rate is only 0.5\times 1018 Mx/sec. Our results support the earlier report that there is a physical link between the mass acceleration and the magnetic reconnection rate in flares/CMEs (Qiu, J., et al., 2004).
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 #2
© YEAR. The American Astronomical Soceity.