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Abstract

Atypical flares cannot be naturally explained with standard models. To predict such flares, we need to define their physical characteristics, in particular, their magnetic environment, and identify pairs of reconnected loops. Here, we present in detail a case study of a confined flare preceded by flux cancellation that leads to the formation of a filament. The slow rise of the noneruptive filament favors the growth and reconnection of overlying loops. The flare is only of C5.0 class but it is a long duration event. The reason is that it is comprised of three successive stages of reconnection. A nonlinear force-free field extrapolation and a magnetic topology analysis allow us to identify the loops involved in the reconnection process and build a reliable scenario for this atypical confined flare. The main result is that a curved magnetic polarity inversion line in active regions is a key ingredient for producing such atypical flares. A comparison with previous extrapolations for typical and atypical confined flares leads us to propose a cartoon for generalizing the concept.