A statistical correlation of sunquakes based on their seismic and white-light emission

Buitrago-Casas, J. C.; Martínez Oliveros, J. C.; Lindsey, C.; Calvo-Mozo, B.; Krucker, S.; Glesener, L.; Zharkov, S.

Abstract

Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the transient seismic emission, i.e. “sunquakes,” from some solar flares. Some theories associate high-energy electrons and/or white-light emission with sunquakes. High-energy charged particles and their subsequent heating of the photosphere and/or chromosphere could induce acoustic waves in the solar interior. We carried out a correlative study of solar flares with emission in hard X-rays, enhanced continuum emission at 6173 Å, and transient seismic emission. We selected those flares observed by the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) with a considerable flux above 50 keV between 1 January 2010 and 26 June 2014. We then used data from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager onboard the Solar Dynamic Observatory to search for excess visible-continuum emission and new sunquakes not previously reported. We found a total of 18 sunquakes out of 75 flares investigated. All of the sunquakes were associated with an enhancement of the visible continuum during the flare. Finally, we calculated a coefficient of correlation for a set of dichotomic variables related to these observations. We found a strong correlation between two of the standard helioseismic detection techniques, and between sunquakes and visible-continuum enhancements. We discuss the phenomenological connectivity between these physical quantities and the observational difficulties of detecting seismic signals and excess continuum radiation.

Citation

Buitrago-Casas, J. C., Martínez Oliveros, J. C., Lindsey, C., Calvo-Mozo, B., Krucker, S., Glesener, L., & Zharkov, S. (2015). A statistical correlation of sunquakes based on their seismic and white-light emission. Solar Physics, 290(11), 3151-3162. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-015-0786-9

• Acceptance Date: Sep 18, 2015
• Online Publication Date: Nov 10, 2015
• Publication Date: 2015-11
• Deposit Date: Jul 19, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 19, 2016
• Journal: Solar physics
• Print ISSN: 0038-0938
• Electronic ISSN: 1573-093X
• Publisher: Springer Verlag
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 290
• Issue: 11
• Pages: 3151-3162
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-015-0786-9
• Keywords: Helioseismology; Flares, white light flares
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/441283
• Publisher URL: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11207-015-0786-9
• Additional Information: Authors' accepted manuscript of article published in: Solar physics, 2015, v.290 issue 11. The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11207-015-0786-9