The Role of Magnetic Reconnection in Flares and Prominence Eruptions

Magnetic Reconnection is often invoked as the primary mechanism for driving a flare or a prominence eruption. Here I argue that a catastrophic loss of mechanical equilibrium, rather than reconnection, is probably the primary mechanism for driving these phenomena. However, reconnection is still essential in order for any significant amount of energy to be released. To illustrate this idea we present some recent results from an MHD simulation based on a catastrophe mechanism first proposed by Van Tend and Kuperus. In order for this mechanism to be effective a substantial amount of reconnection must occur within a few Alfvén-scale times. Such rapid reconnection is plausible since the loss of mechanical equilibrium can generate flows which drive the reconnection at a rapid rate.