Structural properties of the dynamics in flare fragmentation

Solar flares have a fragmented structure. Dynamical systems theory, for instance in its form of dimensional analysis, can analyze such structures. It answers the question whether the underlying process is deterministic or stochastic. If the process is deterministic, it provides a measure of how complicated the process is (the fractal dimension). In order to be reliable, the analysis has to be combined with the investigation of stationarity.We apply this method to ms-spikes, observed in the decimetric range, which are possibly a manifestation of flare fragmentation. We compare the system-theoretical properties - such as stationarity, stochasticity or deterministic behaviour - of the ms-spikes to the properties of several classes of suggested scenarios. This permits us to discuss different scenarios from a general point of view and to derive general properties of the source.Paper presented at the 4th CESRA Workshop in Ouranopolis (Greece) 1991.     

Radio emission from flare stars

Observations of radio emission from flare stars are reviewed, including surveys of flare stars in the solar neighborhood and in stellar associations, studies of quiescent emission, and continuum and spectral studies of radio burst emission. The radio observations are placed in an observational context provided by soft X-ray, UV, and optical observations. It is stressed that, as is the case for the latter wavelength regimes, observations of rado bursts on flare stars are qualitatively similar to those on the Sun, albeit in a dramatically scaled-up fashion.     

An evidence of flare energy buildup and release related to magnetic shear and reconnection

We study series of homologous flares, observed in the active region NOAA 2372 by the HXIS on the Solar Maximum Mission and ground based observatories. Changes in the flare homology, particularly those related to the location of the hard X-ray emission, show clear correlation with the development of magnetic shear within the active region. Following our early study (Machado et al., 1983) we propose that magnetic shear and reconnection are necessary for high power energy release, but the former may not be a sufficient condition in an isolated magnetic loop. These results are discussed within the context of a broader study, in order to explore their generality.     

Multiple loop activations and continuous energy release in the solar flare of June 15, 1973

The spatial and temporal evolution of the high temperature plasma in the flare of 1973 June 15 has been studied using the flare images photographed by the NRL XUV spectroheliograph on Skylab.The overall event involves the successive activations of a number of different loops and arches bridging the magnetic neutral line. The spatial shifts and brightenings observed in the Fe xxiii–xxiv lines are interpreted as the activation of new structures. These continued for four or five minutes after the end of the microwave burst phase, implying additional energy-release unrelated to the nonthermal phase of the flare. A shear component observed in the coronal magnetic field may be a factor in the storage and release of the flare energy.The observed Fe xxiii–xxiv intensities define a post-burst heating phase during which the temperature remained approximately constant at 13 × 10⁶ K while the Fe xxiv intensity and 0–3 Å flux rose to peak values. This phase coincided with the activation of the densest structure (N _e = 2 × 10¹¹ cm^–3). Heating of higher loops continued into the decay phase, even as the overall temperature and flux declined with the fading of the lower Fe xxiv arches.The observed morphology of individual flaring arches is consistent with the idea of energy release at altitude in the arch (coincident with a bright, energetic core in the Fe xxiv image) and energy flow downward into the ribbons. The Doppler velocity of the Fe xxi 1354 Å line is less than 5 km s^–1, indicating that the hot plasma region is stationary.The relation of this flare to the larger class of flares associated with filament eruptions and emerging magnetic flux is discussed.     

Source of the solar flare energy

Recent Skylab and magnetograph observations indicate that strong photospheric electric currents underlie small flare events such as X-ray loops and surges. What is not yet certain, because of the non-local dynamics of a fluid with embedded magnetic field, is whether flare emission derives from the energy of on-site electric currents or from energy which is propagated to the flare site through an intermediary, such as a stream of fast electrons or a group of waves. Nevertheless, occurrences of: (1) strong photospheric electric currents beneath small flares; (2) similar magnetic fine structure inside and outside active regions; (3) eruptive prominences and coronal white light transients in association with big flares; and, (4) active boundaries of large unipolar regions suggest the possibility that all phenomena of solar activity are manifestations of the rapid ejection and/or gradual removal of electric currents of various sizes from the photosphere. The challenge is to trace the precise magnetofluid dynamics of each active phenomenon, particularly the role of electric current build-up and dissipation in the low corona.     

Flare fragmentation and type III productivity in the 1980 June 27 flare

We present observations of the solar flare on 1980 June 27, 16:14–16:33 UT, which was observed by a balloon-borne 300 cm² phoswich hard X-ray detector and by the IKARUS radio spectrometer. This flare shows intense hard X-ray (HXR) emission and an extreme productivity of (at least 754) type III bursts at 200–400 MHz. A linear correlation was found between the type III burst rate and the HXR fluence, with a coefficient of 7.6 × 10²⁷ photons keV^–1 per type III burst at 20 keV. The occurrence of 10 type III bursts per second, and also the even higher rate of millisecond spikes, suggests a high degree of fragmentation in the acceleration region. This high quantization of injected beams, assuming the thick-target model, shows up in a linear relationship between hard X-ray fluence and the type III rate, but not as fine structures in the HXR time profile.The generation of a superhot isothermal HXR component in the decay phase of the flare coincides with the fade-out of type III production.Universities Space Research Associates.ST Systems Corporation.     

Magnetic diffusion and flare energy buildup

Photospheric motion shears or twists solar magnetic fields to increase magnetic energy in the corona, because this process may change a current-free state of a coronal field to force-free states which carry electric current. This paper analyzes both linear and nonlinear two-dimensional force-free magnetic field models and derives relations of magnetic energy buildup with photospheric velocity field. When realistic data of solar magnetic field (B ₀ 10³ G) and photospheric velocity field (v _max 1 km s^–1) are used, it is found that 3–4 hours are needed to create an amount of free magnetic energy which is of the order of the current-free field energy. Furthermore, the paper studies situations in which finite magnetic diffusivities in photospheric plasma are introduced. The shearing motion increases coronal magnetic energy, while the photospheric diffusion reduces the energy. The variation of magnetic energy in the coronal region, then, depends on which process dominates.     

A current ribbon model for energy storage and release with application to the flare of 7 January 1992

Observations of the flare on 7 January 1992 are interpreted using a topological model of the magnetic field. The model, developed here, applies a theory of three-dimensional reconnection to the inferred magnetic field configuration for 7 January. In the model field a new bipole ( 10²¹ Mx) emerges amidst pre-existing active region flux. This emergence gives rise to two current ribbons along the boundaries (separators) separating the distinct, new and old, flux systems. Sudden reconnection across these boundary curves transfers 3 ×10²⁰ Mx of flux from the bipole into the surrounding flux. The model also predicts the simultaneous (sympathetic) flaring of the two current ribbons. This explains the complex two-loop structure noted in previous observations of this flare. We subject the model predictions to comparisons with observations of the flare. The locations of current ribbons in the model correspond closely with those of observed soft X-ray loops. In addition the footpoints and apexes of the ribbons correspond with observed sources of microwave and hard X-ray emission. The magnitude of energy stored by the current ribbons compares favorably to the inferred energy content of accelerated electrons in the flare.     

A mechanism for the build-up of flare energy

It is shown how the kinetic energy of the rotational motion of a sunspot can be transferred to electromagnetic energy in filamentary currents. The time needed for preconditioning the solar atmosphere for a flare varies within wide limits. For small flares it may be of the order of minutes; for large flares, of the order of hours or days.Presently Guest Investigator at the Mount Wilson and Palomar Observatories.     

Radio observations of the solar neutron flare of 3 June, 1982

In this paper the solar neutron and white-light flare is studied on the basis of radioastronomical observations. It is shown that the 3 June, 1982 flare had an impulsive character. A strong shock wave (M _A 2.9) was observed unusually soon after the impulsive phase of the flare. The radio spectrum of this event shows that the primary acceleration process probably occurred in the region with an electron density of n _e = 4.4 × 10¹⁵ m^–3. The pulsations of the type IV radio burst, observed 15 min after the mass ejection process, manifest the reconnection process in the post-flare stage.Proceedings of the Workshop on Radio Continua during Solar Flares, held at Duino (Trieste), Italy, 27–31 May, 1985.     

Radio observations of the M8.1 solar flare of 23 June, 1988: Evidence for energy transport by thermal processes

The Very Large Array (VLA) and the frequency agile interferometer at the Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO) were used to observe the M8.1 flare of 23 June, 1988. The VLA obtained images prior to and during the flare at 333 MHz, and at 1.5 and 4.7 GHz. The frequency agile interferometer at Owens Valley obtained interferometer amplitude and total power spectra of the flare at 45 frequencies between 1 and 18 GHz. The observations were supplemented by radiometer measurements made by the USAF RSTN network site at Palehua, HI, by GOES soft X-ray observations, by USAF SOON H filtergrams, and by a KPNO photospheric magnetogram.The radio data reveal a wide variety of phenomena, including: (i) a multiply impulsive microwave burst that is essentially thermal in character; (ii) stationary discrete components at 1.5 GHz, associated temporally and spatially with distant brightenings in Ha; (iii) a dynamical component at 1.5 GHz associated with hot plasma moving subsonically into the corona; (iv) the appearance of intense, short-lived, decimetric burst activity near the lead sunspot in the active region at 1.5 GHz, indicative of a high degree of inhomogeneity in the source.The unusually complete radio coverage allows us to investigate the transport of energy from the initial site to sites of distant H brightenings. The transport of energy appears to be most consistent with slow, thermal processes, rather than rapid transport by nonthermal electron beams.     

Global versus local flare energy distributions

The avalanche model of Lu and coworkers successfully reproduces important qualitative features of the flare-energy distribution. We test the prediction of the avalanche model that all active regions share a common power-law exponent by using it to derive a local flare-energy distribution from SXR GOES data, then using the convolution proposed by Wheatland and Sturrock to compare it with the global distribution. The local distribution we derive is not consistent with the global distribution, so it appears that active regions do not share a common power-law distribution.     

Meter-decameter observations of dMe flare stars with the Clark lake Radio telescope

The now-closed Clark Radio Observatory was used in 1984 and 1985 to search for flaring emission from a number of dMe flare stars in the 30.9 to 110.6 MHz frequency range. No emission was found to greatly exceed detection limits which range from about 1 Jy for 1 hr averaging, to about 50 Jy for 1 s averaging, even though flares were often seen to tens of mJy at 20 cm using the VLA for those times when VLA-CLRO observations were coordinated. There are marginal detections of flaring from AD Leo over two periods on December 15, 1985 which mark the beginning and the end of along-lasting, narrow-band flare at 1415 MHz.     

Heating of the solar flare plasma by high energy electrons

Heating of the ambient plasma by high energy electrons in solar flares is discussed. It is shown that for large flares the heating is enough to produce a thermal plasma of a temperature up to a few times of 10⁷K rapidly in the initial phase of the flares. Thus thermal bremsstrahlung in addition to non-thermal bremsstrahlung should be considered for the X-ray emission of solar flares in the initial phase.NAS-NRC Resident Research Associate.     

Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope observations of an M2.8 flare: Insights into the initiation of a flare–coronal mass ejection event

We present the first observations of a solar flare with the GMRT. An M2.8 flare observed at 1060 MHz with the GMRT on 17 November 2001 was associated with a prominence eruption observed at 17 GHz by the Nobeyama radioheliograph and the initiation of a fast partial halo CME observed with the LASCO C2 coronagraph. Towards the start of the eruption, we find evidence for reconnection above the prominence. Subsequently, we find evidence for rapid growth of a vertical current sheet below the erupting arcade, which is accompanied by the flare and prominence eruption.     

Variation of the flare frequency of flare stars

The question of the possible variation of the flare frequency of flare stars is considered. Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 42, No. 4, pp. 555–562, October–December, 1999.