Na-light flare observations: McMath 13043-July 1974

We extract a temporal sequence of the 1355 UT 4 July, 1974 event from monochromatic filtergrams in Na light obtained in Rome on the McMath region No. 13043-July 1974. It is, to our knowledge, the first temporal sequence of a flare seen through a narrow-band filter (80 mÅ) in the Na-D lines. Due to the properties of Na filtergrams we could also derive quite easily the exact relative position among sunspots, magnetic fields and flare-knots. The last result is indeed a very useful tool when studying an active region. For the McMath No. 13043 we were able to infer some interesting remarks about the magnetic pattern at the flaring site.     

Motions in the solar atmosphere associated with the white light flare of 11 July 1978

Series of white light heliograms and oft- and on-band H filtergrams have been obtained, with an average spatial resolution of 1, to study the flare active McMath region 15403 on 11 July, 1978. A great number of accurate heliographic positions were determined for the umbrae, the white light flare patches and several bright H flare knots, as well as along the principal zero filament and an arch prominence. Using the measured heliographic coordinates of these objects their motions could be analyzed in some detail. The velocities of several different objects could be deduced from the coordinates. Since the heliocentric angle of the region was about 45°, the variation in apparent heliographic coordinates also enabled some variations in heights to be determined.It is pointed out that the flare when fully developed, consisted almost entirely of loops. The zero filament which was activated prior to the flare ran between two umbrae of common penumbra and opposite polarity, one belonging to an old, the other to a new spot group. The white light flare developed on both sides of the filament where it passed between these two umbrae; it was also the place where the flare started. Observational evidence appears to indicate that the erupted filament re-formed from below.An indication has been found that there was a link between the motion of some umbrae and the major flare occurrence.     

On the color of the 26 February 1981 white light flare

We describe visual observations of a white light flare which displayed a pink color in a part of the flare which covered a sunspot umbra. We then show that visible pink tint, if attributable to strong H emission, requires a minimum equivalent emission line width of approximately 140 A, or three times larger than in any flare previously measured. Such extreme line broadening might be interpreted to result from flare penetration to unusually high chromospheric densities ( 10¹⁴ cm^–3), or from anomalous Stark broadening due to turbulent electric fields in an unstable plasma (Spicer and Davis, 1975) at lower density.Operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under contract with the National Science Foundation.     

Spectrograph,filtergraph and magnetograph observations of the two-ribbon flare of 29 July, 1973

We present high resolution detailed observations of the class 3N two-ribbon flare of 1973, July 29 (McMath 12461), which was associated with the disappearance of a large filament (disparition brusque). This flare occurred in a diffuse bipolar magnetic region completely devoid of sunspots, and was further associated with a type IV radio burst and a soft X-ray event. Extensive H filtergraph, spectrograph and magnetograph records during the main phase of the flare suggest that downfalling and streaming material is present on both ribbons for several hours during the H emission enhancement, but only at a small number of points located both on and off the ribbons. We find a poor spatial correspondence between bright emission knots in the H ribbons and the positions of the observed downward motion. We conclude that the model of infall-impact of Hyder (1967a, b) is not consistent with our filtergraph and spectrograph observations.Presently at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.     

A scenario of the X4.8 flare of 2002 July 23 based on RHESSI and TRACE observations

From an inter-comparison among TRACE, RHESSI, and Hα images of the X4.8 flare of 2002 July 23, we found it to be a typical two-ribbon flare. The Hα and TRACE 195Å images are all shown to have the two-ribbon pattern, while the TRACE 195Å images show also a loop-arch whose footpoints deviate slightly from the ribbons. The TRACE 195Å ribbons match well the higher energy hard X-ray images. During the impulsive phase, the hard X-ray images above 38 keV present a low-lying loop connecting the two ribbons of TRACE 195Å. Above the low-lying loop, there is a coronal low energy hard X-ray source. The spatial structure and evolutionary patterns as a whole are presented. Possible theoretical explanations are briefly discussed.     

A single loop of 21 January 1974 flare

A single loop associated with a flare of 21 January 1974 was studied with NRL spectroheliograms in order to understand the phenomenon of evaporation. The loop seen in the emission lines of Fe xv reached its maximum brightness 15 min after the onset. The loop is different from a flare loop because of the time sequence in which it appeared and is different from a post-flare loop prominence system because of its morphology. The electron density in the loop increases gradually to 4 × 10¹⁰ cm^–3. The material of the loop is thought to be supplied from the lower atmosphere of the chromosphere or the photosphere. The loop is an associated phenomenon of the main flare event distinguished by a longer rise time (15 min) and a lower peak temperature (2 × 10⁶ K).     

Analysis of the August 7,1972 white light flare: Changes in the magnetic and velocity fields

Measurements with the Doppler-Zeeman Analyzer reveal red shifts and decreasing magnetic fields in the photosphere immediately below the center of the August 7, 1972 proton flare. These observations are combined with spectra and photographs of sunspot developments in the region to produce a consistent picture of fluctuations in orientation and strength in the fields of three spots intimately connected with the flare. Before the flare, the photosphere appears to experience an upheaval of material frozen into rising lines of magnetic force. After the start of the flare and through the following 4 h, the motion is downward.     

The intense microwave burst associated with a white light flare on 1991 June 6

This paper briefly reports on the intense microwave burst associated with a white light flare at 2545 and 2645 MHz on 1991 June 6. The burst had a very high flux density, a very high degree of polarization and very complex changes in polarization state. A chromospheric white light flare was observed during the first peak of the burst. We briefly discuss the time relation between the two and the cause for the changes in polarization.     

X-ray and microwave emissions from the July 19, 2012 solar flare: Highly accurate observations and kinetic models

The M7.7 solar flare of July 19, 2012, at 05:58 UT was observed with high spatial, temporal, and spectral resolutions in the hard X-ray and optical ranges. The flare occurred at the solar limb, which allowed us to see the relative positions of the coronal and chromospheric X-ray sources and to determine their spectra. To explain the observations of the coronal source and the chromospheric one unocculted by the solar limb, we apply an accurate analytical model for the kinetic behavior of accelerated electrons in a flare. We interpret the chromospheric hard X-ray source in the thick-target approximation with a reverse current and the coronal one in the thin-target approximation. Our estimates of the slopes of the hard X-ray spectra for both sources are consistent with the observations. However, the calculated intensity of the coronal source is lower than the observed one by several times. Allowance for the acceleration of fast electrons in a collapsing magnetic trap has enabled us to remove this contradiction. As a result of our modeling, we have estimated the flux density of the energy transferred by electrons with energies above 15 keV to be ～5 × 10¹⁰ erg cm^?2 s^?1, which exceeds the values typical of the thick-target model without a reverse current by a factor of ～5. To independently test the model, we have calculated the microwave spectrum in the range 1–50 GHz that corresponds to the available radio observations.     

Rosat observations of pleiades flare stars

The X-ray data of a sample of 104 flare stars (FSs) in the Pleiades cluster region obtained by Stauffer et al. [1] on the basis of deep ROSAT PSPC observations are analyzed. If we divide the X-ray emission detected in late-type stars of the Pleiades cluster into FSs and non-FSs, we find that X-ray luminosities of stars of both groups can be considered as coming from the same parent population. Moreover, in order to classify stars in a sample of 23 late-type Pleiades stars of unknown nature discriminant analysis in a four-dimensional parameter space (log (L_x, log (L_x/L_bol), and ROSAT hardness ratios HR1 and HR2) has been used. It can be shown that the majority of these stars (16) are very likely FSs rather than non-FSs. Published in Astrofizika, Vol. 40, No. 4, pp. 545–557, October-December, 1997.     

Enhancement of solar heavy nuclei at high energies in the 4 July 1974 event

Relative abundances of energetic nuclei in the 4 July 1974 solar event are presented. The results show a marked enhancement of abundances that systematically increase with nuclear charge numbers in the range of the observation, 6 Z 26 for energies above 15 MeV nucl.^–1 While such enhancements are commonly seen below 10 MeV nucl^–1, most observations at higher energies are found to be consistent with solar system abundances. The energy spectrum of oxygen is observed to be significantly steeper than most other solar events studied in this energy region. It is proposed that these observations are characteristic of particle populations at energies 1 MeV nucl^–1, and that the anomalous features observed here may be the result of the high energy extension of such a population that is commonly masked by other processes or populations that might occur in larger solar events.     

Analysis of the August 7, 1972 white light flare: Light curves and correlation with hard X-rays

Cinematic, photometric observations of the 3B flare of August 7, 1972 are described in detail. The time resolution was 2 s; the spatial resolution was 1–2″. Flare continuum emissivity at 4950 Å and at 5900 Å correlated closely in time with the 60–100 keV non-thermal X-ray burst intensity. The observed peak emissivity was 1.5 × 10¹⁰ erg cm^?2 s^?1 and the total flare energy in the 3900–6900 Å range was ～10³⁰ erg. From the close temporal correspondence and from the small distance (3″) separating the layers where the visible emission and the X-rays arose, it is argued that the hard X-ray source must have had the same silhouette as the white light flare and that the emission patches had cross-sections of 3–5″. There was also a correlation between the location of the most intense visible emissions near sunspots and the intensity and polarization of the 9.4 GHz radio emission. The flare appeared to show at least three distinct particle acceleration phases: one, occurring at a stationary source and associated with proton acceleration gave a very bluish continuum and reached peak intensity at ～ 1522 UT. At 1523 UT, a faint wave spread out at 40 km s^?1 from flare center. The spectrum of the wave was nearly flat in the range 4950–5900 Å. Association of the wave with a slow drift of the microwave emission peak to lower frequencies and with a softening of the X-ray spectrum is interpreted to mean that the particle acceleration process weakened while the region of acceleration expanded. The observations are interpreted with the aid of the flare models of Brown to mean that the same beam of non-thermal electrons that was responsible for the hard X-ray bremsstrahlung also caused the heating of the lower chromosphere that produced the white light flare.     

Interpreting Yohkoh hard and soft X-ray flare observations

A simple model is presented to account for theYohkoh flare observations of Feldmanet al. (1994), and Masuda (1994). Electrons accelerated by the flare are assumed to encounter the dense, small regions observed by Feldmanet al. at the tops of impulsively flaring coronal magnetic loops. The values of electron density and volume inferred by Feldmanet al. imply that these dense regions present an intermediate thick-thin target to the energised electrons. Specifically, they present a thick (thin) target to electrons with energy much less (greater) thanE _c , where 15 keV <E _c < 40 keV. The electrons are either stopped at the loop top or precipitate down the field lines of the loop to the footpoints. Collisional losses of the electrons at the loop top produce the heating observed by Feldmanet al. and also some hard X-rays. It is argued that this is the mechanism for the loop-top hard X-ray sources observed in limb flares by Masuda. Adopting a simple model for the energy losses of electrons traversing the dense region and the ambient loop plasma, hard X-ray spectra are derived for the loop-top source, the footpoint sources and the region between the loop top and footpoints. These spectra are compared with the observations of Masuda. The model spectra are found to qualitatively agree with the data, and in particular account for the observed steepening of the loop-top and footpoint spectra between 14 and 53 keV and the relative brightnesses of the loop-top and footpoint sources.     

Optical observations of flare stars in the galaxy

Observations of flare stars in the galaxy are considered. UV Ceti type stars in the solar vicinity and flare stars is star clusters and associations have almost the same properties. The differences between them are connected with the age. Flare stars are one of the richest populations in the galaxy. The evolutionary path for all flare stars is the same.Published in Astrofizika, Vol. 38, No. 4, pp. 501–507, October–December, 1995.     

Simultaneous radio and white light observations of the 1984 June 27 coronal mass ejection event

We present the two-dimensional imaging observations of radio bursts in the frequency range 25–50 MHz made with the Clark Lake multifrequency radioheliograph during a coronal mass ejection event (CME) observed on 1984, June 27 by the SMM Coronagraph/Polarimeter and Mauna Loa K-coronameter. The event was spatially and temporally associated with precursors in the form of meter-decameter type III bursts, soft X-ray emission and a H flare spray. The observed type IV emission in association with the CME (and the H spray) could be interpreted as gyrosynchrotron emission from a plasmoid containing a magnetic field of 2.5 G and nonthermal electrons with a number density of 10⁵ cm^–3 and energy 350 keV.On leave from Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Kodaikanal, India.     

The large solar flare of 1980 July 14 and the velocity field

This paper describes the morphology, photospheric magnetic field and radial velocity distribution of the active region of the Class 3B flare (B. R. 2562) of 1980 July 14. Results show that this flare was formed of two parts and that the Velocity field measurements of active regions are important for investigating flare models.     

An analysis of Martian satellite photographic observations of 1967

Photographic observations of the Martian satellites were made at the opposition of 1967 with the Naval Observatory's 61-inch astrometric reflector. A small partially transparent metallic film filter was used to diminish the light from Mars in order that a measurable image for the planetary disk as well as for the satellites could be obtained. The plates were reduced by the method of plate constants using positions for the faint background stars determined from astrographic field plates. The random mean error of these observations was estimated to be not greater than ±0″.10.The main result of the orbital adjustment is a +2° correction to the zero of mean longitude for Phobos. This confirms the findings of Wilkins (1970) and is compatible with the results of the Mariner 9 observations. The scale of the orbits of both satellites gave accordant values for the mass of Mars and the combined value of 30 99 500 ± 2800 (m.e.) is in good agreement with modern determinations.The mean error for Deimos derived from the residuals after solution is ±0″.11, which agrees well with the observational error and indicates no large systematic error in either the theory or the observations. For Phobos, however, the residual error, ±0″.19, is twice the expected observational error. The implications of this discrepancy are discussed.     

X-ray observations of limb flare loops and post-flare coronal arch

We present observations of another post-flare arch following an eruptive flare, detected in X-ray lines above the western solar limb on 2 May 1985.