Re-flaring of a post-flare loop system driven by flux rope emergence and twisting

In this Letter, we study in detail the evolution of the post-flare loops on 2005 January 15 that occurred between two consecutive solar eruption events, both of which generated a fast halo coronal mass ejection (CME) and a major flare. The post-flare loop system, formed after the first CME/flare eruption, evolved rapidly, as manifested by the unusual accelerating rise motion of the loops. Through nonlinear force-free field models, we obtain the magnetic structure over the active region. It clearly shows that the flux rope below the loops also kept rising, accompanied with increasing twist and length. Finally, the post-flare magnetic configuration evolved to a state that resulted in the second CME/flare eruption. This is an event in which the post-flare loops can re-flare in a short period of ∼ 16 hr following the first CME/flare eruption. The observed re-flaring at the same location is likely driven by the rapid evolution of the flux rope caused by the magnetic flux emergence and the rotation of the sunspot. This observation provides valuable information on CME/flare models and their prediction.