Emerging flux as a driver for homologous flares

Abstract

We present multi-wavelength observations of 2 M-class solar flares observed by SoHO and Yohkoh, which appear to be homologous. By examination of the flare loop morphology and footpoints we propose a schematic reconnection scenario of a two loop interaction in a quadrupolar magnetic configuration, for both flares (Machado ?; Mandrini ?). After the first flare, the combination of chance emergence of new flux at an opportune location and a subsequent flare, of the type described by Heyvaerts et al. (?), form a new quadrupolar configuration in which the second flare occurred. Therefore though the two M-class flares are homologous by definition, they appear to conform to a scenario in which the preflare conditions are reformed after the first flare by emerging flux, rather than models which involve the continual shearing of a single magnetic structure.