Abstracts submitted by Daniel Brown

The magnetic evolution of x-ray bright points

D. Brown

University of Wales Aberystwyth

X-ray bright points are supposedly simple, small-scale loops structures in the solar corona. They are typically associated with bipoles in the network field and live for an average of 8 hours, sometimes ending in eruption.

Simple theories about the evolution of bright points have been around for up to 35 years, for example, the theory that x-ray bright points are due to cancelling magnetic features. However, modern hi-resolution observations show that the actual evolution of x-ray bright points is usually much more complicated than these models suggest.

This paper will present high-resolution observations of x-ray bright points from SOHO/MDI and TRACE, and illustrate the intricate behaviour of the magnetic field in a bright point. It will show that the actual behaviour is more involved than traditional theories would have us believe, and that often a bright point is composed of more than a simple bipole.

Understanding the magnetic evolution of 'simple' magnetic features is an important step in understanding the magnetic processes that can occur in complex, large-scale structures (such as active regions). Studying the processes that can lead to simple eruption in x-ray bright point will provide important clues for understanding how solar flares occur.