Gamma radiation and photospheric white-light flare continuum     

H. S. Hudson  B. N. Dwivedi 《Solar physics》1982,76(1):45-61

Recent gamma-ray observations of solar flares have provided a better means for estimating the heating of the solar atmosphere by energetic protons. Such heating has been suggested as the explanation of the continuum emission of the white-light flare. We have analyzed the effects on the photosphere of high-energy particles capable of producing the intense gamma-ray emission observed in the 1978 July 11 flare. Using a simple energy-balance argument and taking into account hydrogen ionization, we have obtained the following conclusions:

1. Heating near τ₅₀₀₀ = 1 in the input HSRA model atmosphere is negligible, even for very high fluxes of energetic particles.
2. Energy deposition increases with height for the inferred proton spectra, and does not depend strongly upon the assumed angle of incidence. The computed energy inputs fall in the range 10–100 ergs (cm³ s)^?1 at the top of the photosphere.
3. H^? continuum dominates for column densities as small as 10²² cm^?3, but at greater heights hydrogen ionizes sufficiently for the higher continua to dominate the energy balance.
4. The total energy deposited in the ‘photospheric’ region of H^? dominance could be within a factor of 3 of the necessary energy deposition, by comparison with the white-light flare of 1972 August 7, but the emergent spectrum is quite red so that the intensity excess in the visible band is insufficient to explain the observations.

In summary, it remains energetically possible, within observational limits, that high-energy protons could cause sufficient heating of the upper photosphere to produce detectable excess continuum, but emission from the vicinity of τ = 1 is not significant.  相似文献   

Flares and changing magnetic fields     

David M. Rust 《Solar physics》1972,25(1):141-157

An observational study of maps of the longitudinal component of the photospheric fields in flaring active regions leads to the following conclusions:

1. The broad-wing Hα kernels characteristic of the impulsive phase of flares occur within 10″ of neutral lines encircling features of isolated magnetic polarity (‘satellite sunspots’).
2. Photospheric field changes intimately associated with several importance 1 flares and one importance 2B flare are confined to satellite sunspots, which are small (10″ diam). They often correspond to spot pores in white-light photographs.
3. The field at these features appears to strengthen in the half hour just before the flares. During the flares the growth is reversed, the field drops and then recovers to its previous level.
4. The magnetic flux through flare-associated features changes by about 4 × 10¹⁹ Mx in a day. The features are the same as the ‘Structures Magnétiques Evolutives’ of Martres et al. (1968a).
5. An upper limit of 10²¹ Mx is set for the total flux change through McMath Regions 10381 and 10385 as the result of the 2B flare of 24 October, 1969.
6. Large spots in the regions investigated did not evince flux changes or large proper motions at flare time.
7. The results are taken to imply that the initial instability of a flare occurs at a neutral point, but the magnetic energy lost cannot yet be related to the total energy of the subsequent flare.
8. No unusual velocities are observed in the photosphere at flare time.

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X-ray imaging of three flares during the impulsive phase     

André Duijveman  Peter Hoyng  Marcos E. Machado 《Solar physics》1982,81(1):137-157

The impulsive phases of three flares that occurred on April 10, May 21, and November 5, 1980 are discussed. Observations were obtained with the Hard X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (HXIS) and other instruments aboard SMM, and have been supplemented with Hα data and magnetograms. The flares show hard X-ray brightenings (16–30 keV) at widely separated locations that spatially coincide with bright Hα patches. The bulk of the soft X-ray emission (3.5–5.5 keV) originates from in between the hard X-ray brightenings. The latter are located at different sides of the neutral line and start to brighten simultaneously to within the time resolution of HXIS. Concluded is that:

1. The bright hard X-ray patches coincide with the footpoints of loops.
2. The hard X-ray emission from the footpoints is most likely thick target emission from fast electrons moving downward into the dense chromosphere.
3. The density of the loops along which the beam electrons propagate to the footpoints is restricted to a narrow range (10⁹ < n < 2 × 10¹⁰ cm^-3), determined by the instability threshold of the return current and the condition that the mean free path of the fast electrons should be larger than the length of the loop.
4. For the November 5 flare it seems likely that the acceleration source is located at the merging point of two loops near one of the footpoints.

It is found that the total flare energy is always larger than the total energy residing in the beam electrons. However, it is also estimated that at the time of the peak of the impulsive hard X-ray emission a large fraction (at least 20%) of the dissipated flare power has to go into electron acceleration. The explanation of such a high acceleration efficiency remains a major theoretical problem.  相似文献   

10–100 keV electron acceleration and emission from solar flares     

R. P. Lin  H. S. Hudson 《Solar physics》1971,17(2):412-435

We present an analysis of spacecraft observations of non-thermal X-rays and escaping electrons for 5 selected small solar flares in 1967. OSO-3 multi-channel energetic X-ray measurements during the non-thermal component of the solar flare X-ray bursts are used to derive the parent electron spectrum and emission measure. IMP-4 and Explorer-35 observations of > 22 keV and > 45 keV electrons in the interplanetary medium after the flares provide a measure of the total number and spectrum of the escaping particles. The ratio of electron energy loss due to collisions with the ambient solar flare gas to the energy loss due to bremsstrahlung is derived. The total energy loss due to collisions is then computed from the integrated bremsstrahlung energy loss during the non-thermal X-ray burst. For > 22 keV flare electrons the total energy loss due to collisions is found to be 10⁴ times greater than the bremsstrahlung energy loss and 10² times greater than the energy loss due to escaping electrons. Therefore the escape of electrons into the interplanetary medium is a negligible energetic electron loss mechanism and cannot be a substantial factor in the observed decay of the non-thermal X-ray burst for these solar flares.We present a picture of electron acceleration, energy loss and escape consistent with previous observations of an inverse relationship between rise and decay times of the non-thermal X-ray burst and X-ray energy. In this picture the acceleration of electrons occurs throughout the 10–100 sec duration of the non-thermal X-ray burst and determines the time profile of the burst. The average energy of the accelerated electrons first rises and then falls through the burst. Collisions with the ambient gas provide the dominant energetic electron loss mechanism with a loss time of 1 sec. This picture is consistent with the ratio of the total number of energetic electrons accelerated in the flare to the maximum instantaneous number of electrons in the flare region. Typical values for the parameters derived from the X-ray and electron observations are: total energy in > 22 keV electrons total energy lost by collisions = 10^28–29 erg, total number of electrons accelerated above 22 keV = 10³⁶, total energy lost by non-thermal bremsstrahlung = 10²⁴erg, total energy lost in escaping > 22 keV electrons = 10²⁶erg, total number of > 22 keV electrons escaping = 10^33–34.The total energy in electrons accelerated above 22 keV is comparable to the energy in the optical or quasi-thermal flare, implying a flare mechanism with particle acceleration as one of the dominant modes of energy dissipation.The overall efficiency for electron escape into the interplanetary medium is 0.1–1% for these flares, and the spectrum of escaping electrons is found to be substantially harder than the X-ray producing electrons.Currently at Tokyo Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan.  相似文献   

Observation of the impulsive phase of a simple flare     

E. Tandberg-Hanssen  P. Kaufmann  E. J. Reichmann  D. L. Teuber  R. L. Moore  L. E. Orwig  H. Zirin 《Solar physics》1984,90(1):41-62

We present a broad range of complementary observations of the onset and impulsive phase of a fairly large (1B, M1.2) but simple two-ribbon flare. The observations consist of hard X-ray flux measured by the SMM HXRBS, high-sensitivity measurements of microwave flux at 22 GHz from Itapetinga Radio Observatory, sequences of spectroheliograms in UV emission lines from Ov (T ≈ 2 × 10⁵ K) and Fexxi (T ≈ 1 × 10⁷ K) from the SMM UVSP, Hα and Hei D₃ cine-filtergrams from Big Bear Solar Observatory, and a magnetogram of the flare region from the MSFC Solar Observatory. From these data we conclude:

1. The overall magnetic field configuration in which the flare occurred was a fairly simple, closed arch containing nonpotential substructure.
2. The flare occurred spontaneously within the arch; it was not triggered by emerging magnetic flux.
3. The impulsive energy release occurred in two major spikes. The second spike took place within the flare arch heated in the first spike, but was concentrated on a different subset of field lines. The ratio of Ov emission to hard X-ray emission decreased by at least a factor of 2 from the first spike to the second, probably because the plasma density in the flare arch had increased by chromospheric evaporation.
4. The impulsive energy release most likely occurred in the upper part of the arch; it had three immediate products:

1. An increase in the plasma pressure throughout the flare arch of at least a factor of 10. This is required because the Fexxi emission was confined to the feet of the flare arch for at least the first minute of the impulsive phase.
2. Nonthermal energetic (～ 25 keV) electrons which impacted the feet of the arch to produce the hard X-ray burst and impulsive brightening in Ov and D₃. The evidence for this is the simultaneity, within ± 2 s, of the peak Ov and hard X-ray emissions.
3. Another population of high-energy (～100keV) electrons (decoupled from the population that produced the hard X-rays) that produced the impulsive microwave emission at 22 GHz. This conclusion is drawn because the microwave peak was 6 ± 3 s later than the hard X-ray peak.

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The Alfvén-wave theory of solar flares     

J. H. Piddington 《Solar physics》1974,38(2):465-481

Evidence is discussed showing that a representative solar flare event comprises three or more separate but related phenomena requiring separate mechanisms. In particular it is possible to separate the most energetic effect (the interplanetary blast) from the thermal flare and from the rapid acceleration of particles to high energies. The phenomena are related through the magnetic structure characteristic of a composite flare event, being a bipolar surface field with most of its field lines ‘closed’. Of primary importance are helical twists on all scales, starting with the ‘flux rope’ of the spot pair which was fully twisted before it emerged. Subsequent untwisting by the upward propagation of an Alfvén twist wave provides the main flare energy.

1. The interplanetary blast model is based on subsurface, helically twisted flux ropes which erupt to form spots and then transfer their twists and energy by Alfvén-twist waves into the atmospheric magnetic fields. The blast is triggered by the prior-commencing flash phase or by a coronal wave.
2. The thermal flare is explained in terms of Alfvén waves travelling up numerous ‘flux strands’ (Figure 3) which have frayed away from the two flux ropes. The waves originate in interaction (collisions, bending, twisting, rubbing) between subsurface flux strands; the sudden flash is caused by a collision. The classical twin-ribbon flare results from the collision of a flux rope with a tight bunch of S-shaped flux strands.
3. The impulsive acceleration of electrons (hard X-ray, EUV, Hα and radio bursts) is tentatively attributed to magnetic reconnection between fields in two parallel, helically twisted flux strands in the low corona.
4. Flare (Moreton) waves in the corona have the same origin as the interplanetary blast. Sympathetic flares represent only the start of enhanced activity in a flare event already in the slow phase. Filament activation also occurs during the slow phase as twist Alfvén waves store their energy in the atmosphere.
5. Flare ejecta are caused by Alfvén waves moving up flux strands. Surges are attributed to packets of twist Alfvén waves released into bundles of flux strands; the waves become non-linear and drive plasma upwards. Spray-type prominences result from accumulations of Alfvén wave energy in dome-shaped fields; excessive energy density eventually explodes the field.

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The flare of September 7, 1973: A typical example of a newly recognized class of solar transients     

R. Pallavicini  G. S. Vaiana 《Solar physics》1980,67(1):127-142

X-ray, extreme-ultraviolet and optical observations of a solar flare are discussed. It is shown that the flare exemplifies a class of transient events characterized by long duration and long decay time and by the development of high systems of loops, generally brighter at the top. In contrast with compact short lifetime events, the distinctive properties of this class of transients are:

1. The disruption of the magnetic configuration at the flare onset, as indicated by prominence eruption or activation and by associated white-light coronal transients;
2. a continuous energy deposition, presumably at the top of loops, during a large fraction of the flare development and well after the intensity peak;
3. a continuous supply of additional material to the top of loops, with subsequent downflows and out-of-hydrostatic equilibrium conditions.

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Energetic solar electrons in the interplanetary medium   总被引：3，自引：0，他引：3  

R. P. Lin 《Solar physics》1985,100(1-2):537-561

ISEE-3 measurements extending down to 2 keV energy have provided a new perspective on energetic solar electrons in the interplanetary medium. Impulsive solar electron events are observed, on average, several times a day near solar maximum, with 40% detected only below 15 keV. The electron energy spectra have a nearly power-law shape extending smoothly down to 2 keV, indicating that the origin of these events is high in the corona. These coronal flare-like events often produced ³He-rich particle events.In large solar flares which accelerate electrons and ions to relativistic energies, the electron spectrum appears to be modified by a second acceleration which results in a double power-law shape above 10 keV with a break near 100 keV and flattening from 10–100 keV. Large flares result in long-lived (many days) streams of outflowing electrons which dominate the interplanetary fluxes at low energies. Even in the absence of solar activity, significant fluxes of low energy electrons flow out from the Sun.Solar type-III radio bursts are produced by the escaping 2–10² keV electrons through a beam-plasma instability. The detailed ISEE-3 measurements show that electron plasma waves are generated by the bump-on-tail distribution created by the faster electrons running ahead of the slower ones. These plasma waves appear to be converted into radio emission by nonlinear wave-wave interactions.  相似文献   

Energy of microwave-emitting electrons and hard X-ray/microwave source model in solar flares     

Nariaki Nitta  Takeo Kosugi 《Solar physics》1986,105(1):73-85

We present a new method of estimating the energy of microwave-emitting electrons from the observed rate of increase of the microwave flux relative to the hard X-ray flux measured at various energies during the rising phase of solar flares. A total of 22 flares observed simultaneously in hard X-rays (20–400 keV) and in microwaves (17 GHz) were analyzed in this way and the results are as follows:

1. The observed energy of X-rays which vary in proportion to the 17 GHz emission concentrates mostly below 100 keV with a median energy of 70 keV. Since the mean energy of electrons emitting 70 keV X-rays is ?130 keV or ?180 keV, depending on the assumed hard X-ray emission model (thin-target and thick-target, respectively), this photon energy strongly suggests that the 17 GHz emission comes mostly from electrons with an energy of less than a few hundred keV.
2. Correspondingly, the magnetic field strength in the microwave source is calculated to be 500–1000 G for the thick-target case and 1000–2000 G for the thin-target case. Finally, judging from the values of the source parameters required for the observed microwave fluxes, we conclude that the thick-target model in which precipitating electrons give rise to both X-rays and microwaves is consistent with the observations for at least 16 out of 22 flares examined.

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Stellar flare statistics — Physical consequences     

N. I. Shakhovskaya 《Solar physics》1989,121(1-2):375-386

The observational data permit us to establish clear statistical correlations between different parameters of stellar flare activity and the characteristics of quiet stars. These relations are:

1. between energies and frequencies of flares on stars of different luminosities;
2. between total radiation energies of flares and quiet stars both in X-ray and Balmer emission lines;
3. between flare decay rates just after the maxima and flare luminosities at maxima.

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Observations of limb flares with a soft X-ray telescope     

Edward G. Gibson 《Solar physics》1977,53(1):123-138

The structure and evolution of 26 limb flares have been observed with a soft X-ray telescope flown on Skylab. The results are:

1. One or more well defined loops were the only structures of flare intensity observed during the rise phase and near flare maximum, except for knots which were close to the resolution of the telescope in size (≈2 arc seconds) and whose structure can therefore not be determined.
2. The flare core features were always sharply defined during the rise phase.
3. For the twenty events which contain loops, the geometry of the structure near maximum was that of a loop in ten cases, a loop with a spike at the top in four cases, a cusp or triangle in four cases, and a cusp combined with a spike in another two cases.
4. Of the fifteen cases in which sufficient data were available to allow us to follow a flare's evolution, five showed no significant geometrical deviation from a loop structure, one displayed little change except for a small scale short-lived perturbation on one side of the loop 10 seconds before a type III radio burst was observed, eight underwent a large scale deformation of the loop or loops on a time scale comparable to that of the flare itself and one double loop event changed in a complex and undetermined manner, with reconnection being one possibility.

Based on observation of the original film, it is suggested that the eight flares which underwent large scale deformations had become unstable to MHD kinks. This implies that these flares occurred in magnetic flux tubes through which significant currents were flowing. It is suggested that the high energy electrons responsible for type III bursts accompanying these flares could have been accelerated by the V x B electric field induced by a small scale short-lived perturbation of parts of a flaring flux tube, similar to the one perturbation which was observed having these characteristics.  相似文献   

The emission and propagation of ∼ 40keV solar flare electrons     

R. P. Lin 《Solar physics》1970,12(2):266-303

Observations of prompt 40 keV solar flare electron events by the IMP series of satellites in the period August, 1966 to December, 1967 are tabulated along with prompt energetic solar proton events in the period 1964–1967. The interrelationship of the various types of energetic particle emission by the sun, including relativistic energy electrons reported by Cline and McDonald (1968) are investigated. Relativistic energy electron emission is found to occur only during proton events. The solar optical, radio and X-ray emission associated with these various energetic particle emissions as well as the propagation characteristics of each particle species are examined in order to study the particle acceleration and emission mechanisms in a solar flare. Evidence is presented for two separate particle acceleration and/or emission mechanisms, one of which produces 40 keV electrons and the other of which produces solar proton and possibly relativistic energy electrons. It is found that solar flares can be divided into three categories depending on their energetic particle emission: (1) small flares with no accompanying energetic phenomena either in particles, radio or X-ray emission; (2) small flares which produce low energy electrons and which are accompanied by type III and microwave radio bursts and energetic ( 20 keV) X-ray bursts; and (3) major solar flare eruptions characterized by energetic solar proton production and type II and IV radio bursts and accompanied by intense microwave and X-ray emission and relativistic energy electrons.  相似文献   

An evaluation of the possibility of studying flare plasma turbulence using the satellites of Hei line forbidden components     

N. M. Firstova 《Solar physics》1984,90(2):269-279

Using the Baranger-Mozer method, we explore the possibility of diagnosing the flare plasma of forbidden Hei lines, that permits the determination of the plasma oscillation frequency and noise level. Examination of the Hei lines observed in solar flare has led us to conclude that:

1. the appearance of satellites of forbidden components in the flares spectrum, due to turbulent electric fields, is the most probable for Hei 3819.606 Å lines;
2. the Baranger-Mozer method is more sensitive to the high-frequency component of turbulent fields than to the low-frequency ones;
3. the upper limit of the turbulent oscillation level in flares is evaluated.

In the spectrum of the solar flare of 26 September, 1963 we detected satellites of the forbidden component of the 3820 Å line and used its relative intensity to derive the level of low-frequency oscillations (～1.5 kVcm^-1).  相似文献   

On some transient Hα features associated with metric type III bursts     

F. Axisa  M. J. Martres  M. Pick  I. Soru-Escaut 《Solar physics》1973,29(1):163-182

The question of the chromospheric features type III association is reconsidered by using Hα filtergrams both on and off band. A set of 44 metric type III groups, for which an association can be ascertained with a high degree of confidence leads to the following results:

1. The type III's have a dual chromospheric association. Sometimes they are related to a flare, sometimes to a perturbation of a different kind. The latter is seen in absorption in the Hα core and ±0.75 Å away. It is interpreted as a rather dense and cool material in motion in the chromosphere or the low corona. A part of which moves downward, the other upward. The type III's are more closely related to the downward motion.
2. The type III associated absorbing features take place at the border of an active center and along an H_∥ = 0 line. At the present time this appears as the most conspicuous property for marking them off from the great variety of the Hα absorbing features commonly observed on the Sun.
3. Most of the type III associated flares are related to an absorbing feature of the same kind, which appears before the flare itself. This indicates that the initial instability which is responsible for the type III emission is basically the same, whether the bursts are flare associated or not.

Our observations give good evidence that an efficient acceleration of 10–100 keV electrons occur also in the absence of flares. Furthermore the chromospheric perturbation involved in this acceleration is, in many cases, clearly associated to the triggering of a flare. A tentative model is proposed. We assume that in relation with the Hα absorbing feature a stream of fast electrons is accelerated which in turn, under suitable conditions, triggers both the flare and the type III's at the same time.  相似文献   

Solar flare physics enlivened by TRACE and RHESSI     

Markus J. Aschwanden 《Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy》2008,29(1-2):115-124

The Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE) gave us the highest EUV spatial resolution and the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectrometric Imager (RHESSI) gave us the highest hard X-ray and gammaray spectral resolution to study solar flares. We review a number of recent highlights obtained from both missions that either enhance or challenge our physical understanding of solar flares, such as:

1. Multi-thermal Diagnostic of 6.7 and 8.0 keV Fe and Ni lines
2. Multi-thermal Conduction Cooling Delays
3. Chromospheric Altitude of Hard X-Ray Emission
4. Evidence for Dipolar Reconnection Current Sheets
5. Footpoint Motion and Reconnection Rate
6. Evidence for Tripolar Magnetic Reconnection
7. Displaced Electron and Ion Acceleration Sources.

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On the infrared observations of stellar flares     

G. A. Gurzadyan 《Astrophysics and Space Science》1979,62(1):45-53

In connection with the appearance of the first results of infrared observations of stellar flares, a more elaborate analysis ofnegative infrared flares as a phenomenon, predicted by the fastelectron hypothesis, has been carried out. As a result, the wavelength regions of negative flares are established for the stars of different spectral types as well as the calculated amplitudes of the negative flares (Tables I and II). The analysis of the infrared observations (c.f. Kilyachkoet al., 1978) lead to the following conclusions:

1. The negative infrared flares discovered around 8000 Å is not in agreement with the theory in the case of the flare star UV Cet. Some traces of negative flares have been noted for a number of less powerful flares of EV Lac.
2. The amplitudes of the recorded positive flares of UV Cet and EV Lac on λ8000 Å are in good agreement with the magnitudes predicted by the fast-electron hypothesis (non-thermal bremsstrahlung).
3. In the future the negative flares around 8000 Å should be looked for in early-type flare stars of types M0-K5.
4. For a positive discovery of negative flares, future observations must be carried out in the wavelength region of 1–3 μm.

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The phase of particle acceleration in the flare development     

Z. Švestka 《Solar physics》1970,13(2):471-489

Evidence is given that the particle acceleration in flares is confined to the initial phase of the flare development preceding the H flare maximum and lasting for less than 10 min. The impulsive acceleration process is confined to a relatively small limited volume of about 5 × 10²⁷ cm³ in the region of highest magnetic gradient in the flare, and its size represents about 0.05 or less of the total extent of the hot condensation which produces the soft X-ray and gradual microwave bursts. About one in fifty particles in this volume is accelerated to energy exceeding 100 keV, the total particle density being 10¹⁰ cm^–3. The accelerated electrons produce the impulsive hard X-ray burst, but synchrotron losses greatly reduce the number of relativistic electrons participating in the bremsstrahlung process. Protons above 20 MeV penetrate to the lowest chromosphere and upper photosphere and temporarily increase the temperature in the bombarded region. As the result a flash of continuous emission appears, which should be most expressive below 1527 Å. The associated white-light emission shows the bottom of the region where the impulsive acceleration process occurs.  相似文献   

Multiperiodic irradiance changes caused by r-modes and g-modes     

Charles L. Wolff  John R. Hickey 《Solar physics》1987,111(1):1-18

The acceleration of the influential 100 keV electrons in flares observed in hard X-rays and several radio emissions is unknown. Shock-waves and MHD turbulence, successfully applied to interprete interplanetary energetic particles, have recently been called in question concerning energetic flare electrons and ions. Other possible mechanisms are considered which are closely related to the primary flare energy release. In particular, runaway acceleration by the electric field of the reconnection current sheet, bulk heating by microturbulence, and cross-field ion currents due to bulk motion as a primary result of reconnection are reviewed. All three are likely to occur in some way. Their relative importance cannot be definitively assessed due to the lack of information on non-thermal, low energy protons.Proceedings of the Second CESRA Workshop on Particle Acceleration and Trapping in Solar Flares, held at Aubigny-sur-Nère (France), 23–26 June, 1986.  相似文献   

Location of the electron acceleration region in solar flares     

S. R. Kane  R. P. Lin 《Solar physics》1972,23(2):457-466

Observations of impulsive solar flare X-rays 10 keV by the OGO-5 satellite and the measurements of energetic solar electrons made with the Explorer-35 and Explorer-41 (IMP-5) satellites during the period March 1968–September 1969 have been analyzed in order to determine the ion density in the X-ray source region as well as the location of the electron acceleration region in the solar atmosphere. If we assume that the efficiency of escape of the accelerated electrons into interplanetary space is 10^–3, the observations are found to be consistent with the following interpretation: (i) the ion density in the X-ray source region varies from event to event and lies between 10⁹ and 10¹¹ ions cm^–3 for those events in which the impulsive X-ray emission could be detected; (ii) for those events in which no impulsive emission was detected above threshold, the ion density in the X-ray source was < 10⁹ ions cm^–3; (iii) at least in some small solar flares the region where the electrons are accelerated during the flash phase is located in the lower corona.  相似文献   

A concentric ellipse multiple-arch system in the solar corona     

Kuniji Saito  Lewis L. House 《Solar physics》1968,5(1):61-86

A typical concentric ellipse multiple-arch system was observed in the solar corona during the February 4, 1962 eclipse in New Guinea. The following results have been obtained from analysis of a white-light photograph taken by N. Owaki (see Owaki and Saito, 1967a).

1. The arches are composed of four equidistant components, elliptical in shape, and almost concentric with a prominence at the common center of the ellipses.
2. The prominence and arch system appears to be the lower region of a helmet-shaped streamer.
3. The widths of the arches are observed to increase with height.
4. Analysis was made in the light of three models for the coronal structures that could lead to the observed arches: (a) rod-like concentrations of electrons; (b) tunnel-shaped elliptical shells of electrons; and (c) dome-like ellipsoidal shells of electrons. Electron densities are derived for the models, and the dome-like model is excluded as a possibility for arch systems exhibiting a coronal cavity.
5. The scale height in the arch-streamer region is found to be almost the same as that of the K-corona, suggesting equal temperatures, density distributions, etc. in each region.
6. There is a dark space (a coronal cavity) between the innermost arch and the prominence. The brightness of this cavity is 1/5 that of the adjacent arch. It is 3% brighter than the background corona of the arch-streamer system.
7. A comparison is made between the deficiency of electrons in the coronal cavity and the excess of electrons in the prominence. It is found that the ratio of the excess to the deficiency lies between 0.9 and 40.
8. A comparison between the electron efflux from the ‘leaky magnetic bottle’ possibly formed by rod-shaped coronal arches and the electron influx into those arches from the chromosphere leads us to the conclusion that the rod model is probably valid and that spicules appear to be an adequate supply for the electrons observed in the arches. The tunnel model may be valid, but in that case spicules are probably not the sources of the electrons observed in coronal arches.

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