Detecting Solar Flare Precursors Using DEFT

The Detection and EUV Flare Tracking (DEFT) tool automatically identifies flare precursors in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) observations in a fast and consistent manner, with minimal computational overhead. DEFT currently uses GOES/SUVI 304 Å observations to detect, group, and flag sudden impulses that...

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Main Author: Larisza D. Krista
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2024-01-01
Series:The Astrophysical Journal
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad98fa
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author Larisza D. Krista
author_facet Larisza D. Krista
author_sort Larisza D. Krista
collection DOAJ
description The Detection and EUV Flare Tracking (DEFT) tool automatically identifies flare precursors in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) observations in a fast and consistent manner, with minimal computational overhead. DEFT currently uses GOES/SUVI 304 Å observations to detect, group, and flag sudden impulses that could be precursors to flares. In this study, we analyzed precursor signatures before 351 flares (150 C, 150 M, and 51 X class flares) that occurred from 2017 to date. Across these magnitudes, precursors were detected for 93% of the flares when using a 6 hr window before the flare start times. Using superposed epoch analysis, we found that elevated precursor activity tends to occur across all magnitude flares in the last 2 hr before the flares. The frequency of precursors gradually increases before M class flares but decreases for C class flares. We also found that in the last 20 minutes there is a significantly higher precursor frequency, pixel count, and power associated with M class flares than C class flares. We suggest that the observed EUV precursors are the observable signatures of small-scale magnetic reconnection events, and the consistently increasing frequency of precursor activity could indicate that the region is becoming increasingly unstable and reaching a critical stage that could result in flare initiation. Continuing research on EUV precursors is essential to better understand preflare processes that build and reduce magnetic instability prior to main-stage flares. The consistent and reliable detection and differentiation of EUV precursors could also complement and significantly improve current flare forecasting efforts.
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spelling doaj-art-99b772c7a0af4c2f96e4775d52b3760e2025-08-20T01:53:25ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572024-01-01978212110.3847/1538-4357/ad98faDetecting Solar Flare Precursors Using DEFTLarisza D. Krista0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4627-8967Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado , Boulder, CO 80309, USA; National Centers for Environmental Information, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , Boulder, CO 80305, USA; Space Science Institute , Boulder, CO 80301, USAThe Detection and EUV Flare Tracking (DEFT) tool automatically identifies flare precursors in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) observations in a fast and consistent manner, with minimal computational overhead. DEFT currently uses GOES/SUVI 304 Å observations to detect, group, and flag sudden impulses that could be precursors to flares. In this study, we analyzed precursor signatures before 351 flares (150 C, 150 M, and 51 X class flares) that occurred from 2017 to date. Across these magnitudes, precursors were detected for 93% of the flares when using a 6 hr window before the flare start times. Using superposed epoch analysis, we found that elevated precursor activity tends to occur across all magnitude flares in the last 2 hr before the flares. The frequency of precursors gradually increases before M class flares but decreases for C class flares. We also found that in the last 20 minutes there is a significantly higher precursor frequency, pixel count, and power associated with M class flares than C class flares. We suggest that the observed EUV precursors are the observable signatures of small-scale magnetic reconnection events, and the consistently increasing frequency of precursor activity could indicate that the region is becoming increasingly unstable and reaching a critical stage that could result in flare initiation. Continuing research on EUV precursors is essential to better understand preflare processes that build and reduce magnetic instability prior to main-stage flares. The consistent and reliable detection and differentiation of EUV precursors could also complement and significantly improve current flare forecasting efforts.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad98faSolar flaresSolar extreme ultraviolet emissionAstronomy image processing
spellingShingle Larisza D. Krista
Detecting Solar Flare Precursors Using DEFT
The Astrophysical Journal
Solar flares
Solar extreme ultraviolet emission
Astronomy image processing
title Detecting Solar Flare Precursors Using DEFT
title_full Detecting Solar Flare Precursors Using DEFT
title_fullStr Detecting Solar Flare Precursors Using DEFT
title_full_unstemmed Detecting Solar Flare Precursors Using DEFT
title_short Detecting Solar Flare Precursors Using DEFT
title_sort detecting solar flare precursors using deft
topic Solar flares
Solar extreme ultraviolet emission
Astronomy image processing
url https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad98fa
work_keys_str_mv AT lariszadkrista detectingsolarflareprecursorsusingdeft