| name | brennan-2024-tracing-reconnecting-expanding-field-lines |
| description | Per-entry paper-skill in wave500_coronal_source_mapping_pfss_045 (HelioSI 501-corpus). See body and metadata.yaml for paper identity and claim boundary. |
| paper | {"authors_verified":false} |
brennan-2024-tracing-reconnecting-expanding-field-lines
Runtime-neutral paper-skill. Layered: (1) scientific invariants, (2) executable protocol against abstract capabilities, (3) adapter notes (optional examples only), (4) research-generation affordances.
Trigger
Reach for this skill when distinguishing reconnecting from expanding field lines in time-dependent extrapolations.
Layer 1 — Scientific invariant
Paper identity
- Title: Tracing Field Lines That Are Reconnecting or Expanding or Both
- First author: TODO_verify
- Authors: TODO_verify
- Year: 2024
- arXiv: 2409.04573 (posted 2024-09-06)
- Journal: TODO_verify_with_full_text
- DOI: TODO_verify_with_full_text
Claim (narrow form)
A field-line classification scheme distinguishes reconnecting vs purely expanding field lines in time-dependent extrapolations by comparing footpoint-mapping derivatives to expansion-rate derivatives, with the difference recoverable from PFSS+trajectory snapshots.
Method assumptions
- Footpoint mapping derivatives are computable to required precision.
- Expansion-rate is bounded over the time interval.
Data assumptions
- Time-dependent extrapolation outputs.
- PFSS snapshots for validation.
Failure modes (skill memory)
- Numerical noise dominates derivatives for short intervals.
- Mapping-derivative singularities at QSLs need regularization.
Figure / numerical targets
- Classification map of reconnecting vs expanding lines.
- QSL alignment panel.
Claim boundary
In scope. The time-dependent runs studied.
Out of scope — do NOT generalize:
- Do NOT apply the classifier in steady PFSS without redefining time-derivatives.
Layer 2 — Executable protocol (capability-typed)
Required capabilities (abstract)
| Capability | Purpose | Notes |
|---|
coronal.time_dependent_solve() | time-dependent field | |
topology.footpoint_mapping_derivative() | derivatives | |
topology.expansion_rate() | expansion rate | |
classifier.reconnect_vs_expand() | classifier | |
pfss.solve() | validation snapshot | |
Procedure
- Run time-dependent extrapolation.
- Compute footpoint-mapping and expansion derivatives.
- Classify field lines.
- Validate against PFSS snapshots.
Validation target
Classifier vs PFSS agreement.
Layer 3 — Adapter / runtime notes (optional examples)
- Time-dependent code paper-specific; sunkit-magex.pfss for validation.
Layer 4 — Research-generation affordances
- Compose with [[mackay-2026-tracking-magnetic-topology-change-corona]] — classifier feeds topology-change tracker.
- Generative hypothesis: reconnecting-line density correlates with magnetic-separator reconnection flux ([[nadol-2026-magnetic-separator-reconnection-flare-ribbons]]).
Skill graph → depends_on
- [[mackay-2026-tracking-magnetic-topology-change-corona]]
Links
TODOs for full-text verification
- DOI
- classifier definition
- regularization