Authors: Graham Barnes (NWRA), Karin Dissauer (University of Graz), Peter W. Schuck (NASA GSFC)

Solar flare ribbons, manifesting as transient brightenings in the upper photosphere and chromosphere, are believed to trace out the footpoints of magnetic field lines that are reconnecting higher in the solar atmosphere.  These field lines lie in a separatrix or quasi-separatrix layer that separates domains of different magnetic connectivity and hence forms a natural location for reconnection.  Solar flares are typically characterized as being circular ribbon flares, two-ribbon flares, or complex ribbon flares based on the number and shape of the ribbons.  There are relatively well-developed models to explain the first two types of flares based on the location of the reconnection powering the flare.  The case of complex ribbons is less well understood, but is often posited to be a result of reconnection at multiple locations.  By locating magnetic null points and their associated separatrix surfaces, and using Carl’s Indirect Coronal Current Imager (CICCI; Schuck et al. 2022) to determine the location of current channels, and comparing their photospheric footprints to the location of flare ribbons, we demonstrate how reconnection at a sequence of sites can result in complex ribbons.