Chen Xing

Observations suggest a connection between steady-wind mass loss and coronal X-ray activity in low-mass main-sequence stars. Interpreting this connection is challenging because the wind is controlled mainly by the large-scale open field, whereas X-ray emission traces heating in small-scale closed fields often unresolved in global wind models. Here we use Space Weather Modeling Framework–Alfvén-Wave Solar Model with global convective dynamo-generated magnetic maps and solar magnetograms. We model Alfvén-wave-heated winds for four solar-type stars plus the Sun, spanning rotation rates of 1.0–23.3 times the solar rate, and magnetic field strengths of 6.0–1200 G. Our models show that faster rotation yields a more tightly wound spiral, a larger Alfvén surface, higher terminal wind speeds, and a harsher wind-pressure environment for orbiting exoplanets, different from that of the present-day Sun. We estimate the mass- and angular-momentum-loss rates and find systematic differences from Zeeman–Doppler imaging based predictions. Building on the successful reproduction of X-ray coronae in our Paper I, we obtain the first self-consistent activity–wind relation in a unified modeling framework: the mass-loss rate scales with the surface X-ray flux following a power law with an index of ∼0.67. We also reexamine magnetic braking via open-flux magnetization, finding that the effective Alfvénic lever arm depends on the magnetization parameter with a power-law index of ∼0.35. Finally, we quantify the stellar wind pressure at the orbits of several super-Earths. Together with our Paper I, the series of results shows the distinct roles of multiscale magnetic fields and provides physically grounded inputs for assessing habitable-zone space weather.

The evolution of magnetic fields in the tenuous solar corona is predominantly governed by the motions of the underlying dense photosphere. Despite this, coronal magnetic restructuring driven by magnetic reconnection between interacting coronal fields can sometimes react backward to change photospheric magnetic fields. However, the mechanism of reactions remains undetermined. Here, we report the discovery of a back-reaction phenomenon: The untwisting of coronal loops that become twisted during reconnection in an eruption results in enhanced currents at the boundary of their footpoint away from the eruption, manifesting as the growth of a sunspot scar. It is revealed to arise from the Alfvénic reverse transfer of magnetic twist from the corona to the lower atmosphere, through joint space observations and a magnetohydrodynamic simulation. These findings provide a viable and quantitative interpretation for the majority of puzzling photospheric changes associated with coronal mass ejections and/or flares and warn for unexpected magnetic field evolutions in sunspots and starspots.

Solar magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation is an indispensable method for studying solar activities. Modern MHD simulations are increasingly realistic and need to be synthesized with multiwavelength radiation to validate observations. We developed radiation synthesis tools (RST), a Cython-optimized Python program to solve the radiative transfer equation, enabling efficient multiwavelength synthesis of optically thick radiation from arbitrary perspectives. By directly calculating the ray traversal distance ds per cell, RST eliminates interpolation. As a result, the computational complexity in Cartesian coordinates is reduced from O ( N ) (where N = n _x · n _y · n _z is the total number of voxels in the simulation volume) to O ( k · n ) (where k is the number of ray footpoints and n is the number of sampling steps along each ray), significantly improving efficiency, especially for localized high-resolution synthesis. For spherical coordinates, RST offers two methods. The first interpolates data into Cartesian coordinates for fast O ( k · n ) integration, sacrificing small r resolution. And the second computes ray-plane intersections directly, with O ( k · n · log n ) complexity. RST features a user-friendly interface where users simply specify absorption ( κ ) and emissivity ( j ). It includes physical modules for white-light corona, H α , EUV, radio, and pseudo-radiation.

Although interactions between filaments and other atmospheric structures are frequently observed, detailed studies on how these interactions affect the dynamics of the involved structures remain scarce. Here we present an analysis of a filament eruption on 2023 December 31, during which the filament interacted with a nearby coronal loop (L1). Throughout the interaction, the filament continued erupting. At the interaction site, the bright emission appeared within L1 while the filament exhibited a local deceleration here, regaining its velocity only after the bright emission disappeared. Multiwavelength observations and differential emission measure analysis indicated that the bright emission resulted from a marked increase in plasma density rather than in temperature. We propose that the plasma accumulation in L1 was a consequence of condensation induced by the interaction with the filament. The condensation influenced the velocity of the erupting filament in turn. As the condensation drained away, the filament recovered its velocity. Our observations suggest that condensation induced by the interaction can exert dynamic feedback on the erupting filaments.

Le rôle de la reconnexion magnétique dans l'évolution des tubes de flux des éruptions solaires: Les éjections de masse coronale (CME) sont des éruptions impulsives de plasmas dans la couronne solaire. Leur interaction avec la magnétosphère de la Terre peut induire des conditions extrêmes de la météorologie de l’espace, avec un impact important sur les activités humaines liées aux technologies de pointe. Une compréhension approfondie de l'évolution des CMEs et de leurs progéniteurs est extrêmement importante pour prédire les éruptions de CMEs et les phénomènes de météorologie de l'espace qui en découlent. Dans cette thèse, à l'aide de simulations numériques et d'observations spatiales, nous étudions la cinématique, les propriétés thermiques et l'évolution du champ magnétique des tubes de flux dans les progéniteurs de CMEs et les CMEs elles-mêmes, avec en particulier le rôle spécifique de la reconnexion magnétique. Nous avons découvert que l'initiation des CMEs avant leur éruption impulsive est un processus couplé à plusieurs processus physiques. Nous avons montré que l'initiation des CMEs est d'abord déclenchée et pilotée par la reconnexion dans des tubes de flux hyperboliques, puis par le couplage de l'instabilité de tore et de cette même. Nous avons aussi montré que les cœurs chauds avant l'éjection impulsive sont formés par les lignes de champ des tubes de flux torsadés chauds, ces dernières étant progressivement formées et chauffées par la reconnexion glissante, dans des feuillets de courant minces entourant le tube de flux. Nous avons également étudié l'évolution du flux magnétique dans les CMEs, et avons trouvé que le tube torsadé pré-éruptif lui-même, plutôt que la reconnexion magnétique pendant l'éruption, est très probablement le principal contributeur au flux toroïdal de la CME. Plus spécifiquement, la reconnexion magnétique augmente d'abord, puis diminue le flux toroïdal des tubes de flux de la CME pendant l'éruption. En outre, nous avons étudié deux nouveaux phénomènes observationnels liés aux CMEs and flashs des éruptions dans la basse atmosphère solaire, notamment des manifestations de la croissance et de la déformation des tubes de flux des CMEs et de leurs progéniteurs, induites par la reconnexion magnétique. Enfin, nous avons proposé deux méthodes pour l'identification des points d’ancrage des tubes de flux associés aux CMEs, qui seront d'une grande utilité pour des futurs travaux visant à étudier leurs évolutions dans la couronne solaire et dans l'espace interplanétaire.

Magnetic flux ropes are fundamental magnetic structures in solar eruptions, whose formation is generally attributed to: (1) the emergence of subsurface flux tubes; or (2) flux cancellation driven by photospheric horizontal flows and magnetic reconnection. Both mechanisms can operate simultaneously during active region (AR) evolution, making their relative contributions challenging to quantify. Here, we analyze the formation of a flux rope in a MURaM radiative magnetohydrodynamic simulation, which formed and evolved for approximately 3 hr before an M-class flare. The formation process is quantified by the magnetic helicity flux, which drives the nonpotential evolution of the magnetic field, with its advection and shear terms on the photosphere corresponding to the emergence and photospheric horizontal flows, respectively. Examining the helicity injected into the flux rope through the photosphere, we find both terms increase significantly as the eruption approaches, with the shear term prevailing overall. Height-dependent analysis of the helicity flux, together with the magnetic field and velocity distributions, further reveals a gradual transition from the shear to the advection term with an increasing altitude, which is driven by magnetic reconnection above the photosphere. Our results provide quantitative evidence that flux cancellation governs flux rope formation, arising naturally from magnetic field reorganization during AR evolution: as the flux emergence transports the magnetic flux upward, photospheric shearing motions adjust the magnetic field and inject helicity into the solar atmosphere, and magnetic reconnection ultimately assembles the main body of flux ropes.

Magnetic flux ropes (MFRs) are fundamental magnetic structures in solar eruptions, whose formation is generally attributed to (1) the emergence of subsurface flux tubes or (2) flux cancellation driven by photospheric horizontal flows and magnetic reconnection. Both mechanisms can operate simultaneously during active region evolution, making their relative contributions challenging to quantify. Here, we analyze the formation of a flux rope in a MURaM radiative magnetohydrodynamic (RMHD) simulation, which formed and evolved for approximately three hours before an M-class flare. The formation process is quantified by magnetic helicity flux, which drives the non-potential evolution of magnetic field, with its advection and shear terms on the photosphere corresponding to the emergence and photospheric horizontal flows, respectively. Examining the helicity injected into the flux rope through the photosphere, we find both terms increase significantly as the eruption approaches, with the shear term prevailing overall. Height-dependent analysis of helicity flux, together with magnetic field and velocity distributions, further reveals a gradual transition from the shear to the advection term with an increasing altitude, which is driven by magnetic reconnection above the photosphere. Our results provide quantitative evidence that flux cancellation governs flux rope formation, arising naturally from magnetic field reorganization during active region evolution: as flux emergence transports magnetic flux upward, photospheric shearing motions adjust magnetic field and inject helicity into solar atmosphere, and magnetic reconnection ultimately assembles the main body of flux ropes.

A thorough understanding of the initiation of coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which is manifested as a slow rise of pre-eruptive structures before the impulsive ejection in kinematics, is key for forecasting solar eruptions. In our previous work, we showed that the slow rise of a hot flux rope with coronal mass density is caused by the moderate magnetic reconnection occurring in the hyperbolic flux tube (HFT) combined with the torus instability. However, it remains unclear how the initiation process varies when a filament is present in the pre-eruptive flux rope. In this work, we reveal the complete initiation route of a CME containing filament mass with a state-of-the-art full-magnetohydrodynamics simulation. The comprehensive analyses show that the filament mass has an important impact on the CME initiation through triggering and driving the slow rise of flux rope with its drainage, besides the contributions of HFT reconnection and torus instability. Finally, in combination with our previous work, we propose that the enhanced drainage of filament mass and various features related to the HFT reconnection, such as the split of pre-eruptive structure and the preflare loops and X-ray emissions, can serve as precursors of CME initiation in observations.

We present direct metric-decimetric radio imaging observations of a fascinating quiescent filament eruption on 2024 March 17 using data from the DAocheng Radio Telescope (DART), with a combination of the Solar Dynamics Observatory and the Chinese Ha Solar Explorer. At the radio band, even though the filament is difficult to identify in its early phase, it rapidly became distinct and formed a continuous loop-like dark structure during the eruption, i.e., so-called radio depression. Compared with the fragmentation of the erupting filament observed at the Ha and EUV bands, the radio depression appeared more coherently. Based on synthetic radio images from a three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulation of a flux-rope-filament eruption, it is suggested that the radio depression originates from the absorption of cold and dense materials within the erupting flux rope to the background emission. The absorption seems to be stronger than that at the Ha and EUV bands, thus leading to their apparent discrepancies. Moreover, the radio depression is also found to occupy the lower part but not the whole body of the flux rope.

Context. The properties of pre-eruptive structures and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are characterized by those of their footpoints, the latter of which attract a great deal of interest. However, the matter of how to identify the footpoints of pre-eruptive structures and how to do so with the use of ground-based instruments still remains elusive. Aims. In this work, we study an arc-shaped structure intruding in the sunspot umbra. It is located close to the (pre-)eruptive flux rope footpoint and it is expected to help identify the footpoint. Methods. We analyzed this arc-shaped structure, which we call a “sunspot scar”, in a CME event on July 12, 2012, and in two CME events from observationally inspired magnetohydrodynamic simulations performed by OHM and MPI-AMRVAC. Results. The sunspot scar displays a more inclined magnetic field with a weaker vertical component and a stronger horizontal component relative to that in the surrounding umbra and is manifested as a light bridge in the white light passband. The hot field lines anchored in the sunspot scar are spatially at the transition between the flux rope and the background coronal loops and temporally in the process of the slipping reconnection which builds up the flux rope. Conclusions. The sunspot scar and its related light bridge mark the edge of the CME flux rope footpoint and particularly indicate the edge of the pre-eruptive flux rope footpoint in the framework of “pre-eruptive structures being flux ropes”. Therefore, they provide a new perspective for the identification of pre-eruptive and CME flux rope footpoints, as well as new methods for studying the properties and evolution of pre-eruptive structures and CMEs with photospheric observations only.