Photospheric Magnetic Free Energy Density of Solar Active Regions

Abstract: We present the photospheric energy density of magnetic fields in two solar active regions inferred from observational vector magnetograms, and compare it with the possible different defined energy parameters of magnetic fields in the photosphere. We analyze the magnetic fields in active region NOAA 6580-6619-6659 and 11158. It is noticed that the quantity 1/4pi Bn.Bp is an important energy parameter that reflects the contribution of magnetic shear on the difference between the potential magnetic field (Bp) and non-potential one (Bn), and also the contribution to the free magnetic energy near the magnetic neutral lines in the active regions. It is found that the photospheric mean magnetic energy density changes obviously before the powerful solar flares in the active region NOAA 11158, it is consistent with the change of magnetic fields in the lower atmosphere with flares.