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Research Topics

My research field is solar plasma physics, now focusing on....
i.  MHD modeling of magnetic fields in solar active region and solar corona
ii. MHD modeling of the solar storm: eruptions, flares, CMEs, dynamics of solar flux tube.
iii. Nonlinear magnetohydrodynamic phenomena in the sun.
iv. in future...flare CME prediction to contribute to space weather.

i. Data-Based Modeling of Solar Magnetic Fields

Coronal magnetic field is a source of energetic phenomena observed in the solar corona, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections(CMEs). In order to clarify these dynamics , it is important to find out the three-dimensional(3D) magnetic structure in the solar corona. But, unfortunately, we cannot directly measure the 3D coronal magnetic field, rather only on the photosphere.  We thus need the extrapolation based on the observed photospheric magnetic field to extract the information of the 3D magnetic fields. In figures below, the reconstructed fields under the force-free approximation can successfully show the strong sheared fields, which are often called as 'Sigmoid' and widely accepted as a source of the solar eruptions. We further develop new extrapolation method to achieve the force-free field or magnetohydro-static field, and further analysis to find out properties of magnetic fields of solar active regions.

​Nonlinear Force-Free Field of AR12017.

​From Inoue PEPS, 2016

ii.Data-Based/Inspired MHD Simulation of Solar Eruptions

Solar eruptions are widely considered as cause of the space storm in our Geospace. These phenomena are interesting too for a nonlinear dynamics of the solar plasma, not only for the space weather forecasts. In order to understand the dynamics of the solar eruptions covering from the triggering process to CME formation, we conduct the research in term of the magnetohydrodynamic simulations.  Recently, we conduct the simulations combined with the observation, which are often called as data-constrained or data-driven simulation. We further develop new simulation techniques to consistently interact with observed data as well as clarify the basic physics of solar eruptions.   

ar12673_mhd+j_b+post0029.jpg

​Solar Eruption from AR11158.

Inoue + Nature Communications 2018 

Formation of erupting flux rope 

in AR12371.

Erupting flux rope in AR12673.

​Inoue et al. 2018, ApJ

Summary of Flare-CME relationship from Inoue et al. PEPS 2016

iii.MHD Phenomena in the Sun and Astrophysical Phenomena

We can observe a lot of nonlinear plasma dynamics, e.g., in dynamo process, convection, eruptions, coronal heating...so, the sun is good experiment laboratory of the plasma physics. We try to reveal these nonlinear process in term of numerical approach. Right figure shows one of numerical experiments in which a nonlinear dynamics of the kink instability in the solar corona. We found a criteria from our numerical simulation whether the eruption occurs or not. We further found that the kink instability is not 

enough to explain the solar eruption, which requires the further instability or loss of equilibrium in the upper corona. 

​Dynamics of a solar erupting magnetic flux rope. 

From Inoue & Kusano ApJ, 2006

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