DELTA-SUNSPOTS AND X CLASS FLARES IN SOLAR CYCLE 22

Asample of 221 active region with magnetic configurations from 1986 to 1991 in solar cycle 22 is used to investigate the characteristics of δ-sunspots and the relationship between the δ-sunspots and Xclass X-ray flares.(1) The previous findings from Tang (1983), Zirin and Liggett (1987) are confirmed that all δ-sunspots form from penetration of leading and following sunspots from two dipolar regions, and have strong sheared transverse field on the polarity inversion line. However, unlike that concluded by Zirin (1987), examples of separation of δ-sunspots have been identified in this study. The separation is caused by individual proper motions of each dipole.(2) The δ-sunspots tend to have an imbalanced flux in opposite polarities. For 35 δ-sunspots with available sunspot data and Huairou magnetograms at hand, which produce 104 Xclase X-ray flares, the average ratio of flux in majority polarity to minority polarity is about 5.3; and in all highly flare productive regions, such as AR5395, 5629, 6555, 6659 and 6891, the a ratio is≥5.(3) There are relationship intimately between lifetime of δ-sunspots and productivety of Xclass X-ray flares.