Two‐dimensional illustrations of erupting flux ropes. Left two images: The case in which reconnection occurs at an X‐point below the rope, resulting in the total expulsion of the flux rope. Right two images: The case in which the rope grazes the photosphere and reconnection occurs internally, resulting in a partial expulsion of the flux rope (and possibly of the filament entrained in the rope's dips, represented here with gray shading). Adapted from Gilbert et al. (2001).