Where do solar filaments form?

In the present study, we consider where large, stable solar filaments form relative to underlying magnetic polarities. We find that 92% of all large stable filaments form in magnetic configurations involving the interaction of two or more bipoles. Only 7% form above the Polarity Inversion Line (PIL) of a single bipole. This indicates that a key element in the formation of largescale stable filaments is the convergence of magnetic flux, resulting in either flux cancellation or coronal reconnection.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye