Evolution of flare ribbons, electric currents, and quasi-separatrix layers during an X-class flare

Abstract

Context. The standard model for eruptive flares has been extended to three dimensions (3D) in the past few years. This model predicts typical J-shaped photospheric footprints of the coronal current layer, forming at similar locations as the quasi-separatrix layers (QSLs). Such a morphology is also found for flare ribbons observed in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) band, and in nonlinear force-free field (NLFFF) magnetic field extrapolations and models.