The footpoints of giant arches
H-alpha photographs are presented, which show chromospheric footpoints of the giant post-flare arches discovered by the Hard X-ray Imaging Spectrometer on the SMM satellite. The photographs display chromospheric signatures associated with five sequential giant arch events observed during November 6-10, 1980. The sets of footpoints at both ends of the arches have very slow brightness variations correlated in time with the brightness variations of the X-ray arches. The identifications of the two sets of footpoints is confirmed by current-free modeling of the coronal magnetic field (Kopp and Poletto, 1989). Possible explanations for the giant arch phenomenon are discussed.