TY - JOUR A1 - Dalmasse, Kevin A1 - Aulanier, Guillaume A1 - Demoulin, Pascal A1 - Kliem, Bernhard A1 - Török, Tibor A1 - Pariat, E. T1 - The origin of net electric currents in solar active regions JF - The astrophysical journal : an international review of spectroscopy and astronomical physics N2 - There is a recurring question in solar physics regarding whether or not electric currents are neutralized in active regions (ARs). This question was recently revisited using three-dimensional (3D) magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) numerical simulations of magnetic flux emergence into the solar atmosphere. Such simulations showed that flux emergence can generate a substantial net current in ARs. Other sources of AR currents are photospheric horizontal flows. Our aim is to determine the conditions for the occurrence of net versus neutralized currents with this second mechanism. Using 3D MHD simulations, we systematically impose line-tied, quasi-static, photospheric twisting and shearing motions to a bipolar potential magnetic field. We find that such flows: (1) produce both direct and return currents, (2) induce very weak compression currents-not observed in 2.5D-in the ambient field present in the close vicinity of the current-carrying field, and (3) can generate force-free magnetic fields with a net current. We demonstrate that neutralized currents are in general produced only in the absence of magnetic shear at the photospheric polarity inversion line-a special condition that is rarely observed. We conclude that. photospheric flows,. as magnetic flux emergence, can build up net currents in the solar atmosphere, in agreement with recent observations. These results thus provide support for eruption models based on pre-eruption magnetic fields that possess a net coronal current. KW - magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) KW - Sun: corona KW - Sun: coronal mass ejections (CMEs) KW - Sun: flares Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/810/1/17 SN - 0004-637X SN - 1538-4357 VL - 810 IS - 1 PB - IOP Publ. Ltd. CY - Bristol ER -