Evolution of non-stationary quasi-periodic pulsations in solar flares with Aditya-L1/HEL1OS and GOES

Abstract

In the present work, we use a phase-resolved methodology for the detection and characterization of non-stationary quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) in the hard X-ray light curves observed from the High Energy L1-Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer instrument on board the Aditya-L1 mission, complemented by cross-examination using soft X-ray observations from Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites. Our approach combines variational mode decomposition with Hilbert-Huang analysis and wavelet transforms to sharpen transient QPP signatures, extract narrowband amplitude-frequency modulated modes and track instantaneous period drift across various phases of the flares. By applying these tools to pre-flare, impulsive and decay phases and associated intervals, we identify the timing, duration and evolution of statistically significant oscillations and assess their relation to thermal and non-thermal flare components. Finally, we extend the method to the catalogue of non-stationary QPP flares reported by Mehta et al. (Mehta et al. 2023 Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 523, 3689-3698. (doi:10.1093/mnras/stad1619)), where we identify statistically significant QPPs in both impulsive and decay phases for 74 out of 98 flares. Among these, 56.8% exhibit small period drifts, while 43.2% show larger deviations. Positive period drift dominates (73%), indicating a systematic increase in characteristic timescales as flares evolve. A phase-period-duration analysis reveals distinct regimes of non-stationarity, including overlapping multi-mode oscillations, intermittent same-period episodes and strongly evolving multi-modal behaviour. This article is part of the theme issue 'Transferable mechanisms in the oscillatory processes of solar and stellar flares'.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences, 2026 · DOI ↗