Recent observations from TRACE in the photospheric white light channel have shown sunspots that rotate up to 200 • about their umbral centre over a period of 3-5 days. The corresponding loops in the coronal fan are often seen to twist and can erupt as flares. In an ongoing study, seven cases of rotating sunspots have been identified, two of which can be associated with sigmoid structures appearing in Yohkoh/SXT and six with events seen by GOES. This paper analyses the rotation rates of the sunspots using TRACE white light data. Observations from AR 9114 are presented in detail in the main text and a summary of the results for the remaining six sunspots is presented in appendixes. Discussion of the key results, particularly common features, are presented, as well as possible mechanisms for sunspot rotation.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.