Fast Downflows Observed during a Polar Crown Filament Eruption

Abstract

Solar filaments can undergo eruptions that result in the formation of coronal mass ejections, which can significantly impact planetary space environments. Observations of eruptions involving polar crown filaments, situated in the polar regions of the Sun, are limited. In this study, we report a polar crown filament eruption (SOL2023-06-12), characterized by fast downflows below the filament. The downflows appear instantly after the onset of the filament eruption and persist for approximately 2 hr, exhibiting plane-of-sky velocities ranging between 92 and 144 km s−1. They originate from the leading edge of the filament, and no clear acceleration is observed. Intriguingly, these downflows appear at two distinct sites, symmetrically positioned at the opposite ends of the conjugate flare ribbons. Based on the observations, we propose that the filament might be supported by a magnetic flux rope (MFR), and these downflows possibly occur along the legs of the MFR. The downflows likely result from continuous reconnections between the MFR and the overlying magnetic field structures and could either be reconnection outflows or redirected filament materials. We also observed horizontal drifting of the locations of downflows, which might correspond to the MFR’s footpoint drifting. This type of downflow can potentially be utilized to track the footpoints of MFRs during eruptions.