Hard X-ray bursts from flares behind the solar limb

The determination of the location of the region of origin of hard X-rays is important in evaluating the importance of 10–100 keV electrons in solar flares and in understanding flare particle acceleration. At present only limb-occulted events are available to give some information on the height of X-ray emission. In fifteen months of OSO-7 operation, nine major soft X-ray events had no reported correlated Hα flare. We examine the hard X-ray spectra of eight of these events with good candidate X-ray flare producing active regions making limb transit at the time of the soft X-ray bursts. All eight bursts had significant X-ray emission in the 30–44 keV range, but only one had flux at the 3σ level above 44 keV. The data are consistent with most X-ray emission occurring in the lower chromosphere, but some electron trapping at high altitudes is necessary to explain the small nonthermal fluxes observed.     

Energetics and morphology of powerful impulsive solar flares

We have studied the energetics of two impulsive solar flares of X-ray class X1.7 by assuming the electrons accelerated in several episodes of energy release to be the main source of plasma heating and reached conclusions about their morphology. The time profiles of the flare plasma temperature, emission measure, and their derivatives, and the intensity of nonthermal X-ray emission are compared; images of the X-ray sources and magnetograms of the flare region at key instants of time have been constructed. Based on a spectral analysis of the hard X-ray emission from RHESSI data and GOES observations of the soft X-ray emission, we have estimated the spatially integrated kinetic power of nonthermal electrons and the change in flare-plasma internal energy by taking into account the heat losses through thermal conduction and radiation and determined the parameters needed for thermal balance. We have established that the electrons accelerated at the beginning of the events with a relatively soft spectrum directly heat up the coronal part of the flare loops, with the increase in emission measure and hard X-ray emission from the chromosphere being negligible. The succeeding episodes of electron acceleration with a harder spectrum have virtually no effect on the temperature rise, but they lead to an increase in emission measure and hard X-ray emission from the footpoints of the flare loops.     

Energies of Electrons Accelerated in Turbulent Reconnecting Current Sheets in Solar Flares

Yohkoh observations strongly suggest that electron acceleration in solar flares occurs in magnetic reconnection regions in the corona above the soft X-ray flare loops. Unfortunately, models for particle acceleration in reconnecting current sheets predict electron energy gains in terms of the reconnection electric field and the thickness of the sheet, both of which are extremely difficult to measure. It can be shown, however, that application of Ohm's law in a turbulent current sheet, combined with energy and Maxwell's equations, leads to a formula for the electron energy gain in terms of the flare power output, the magnetic field strength, the plasma density and temperature in the sheet, and its area. Typical flare parameters correspond to electron energies between a few tens of keV and a few MeV. The calculation supports the viewpoint that electrons that generate the continuum gamma-ray and hard X-ray emissions in impulsive solar flares are accelerated in a large-scale turbulent current sheet above the soft X-ray flare loops.     

Post-Impulsive-Phase Acceleration in a Wide Range of Solar Longitudes

We have analyzed five solar energetic particle (SEP) events observed aboard the SOHO spacecraft during 1996–1997. All events were associated with impulsive soft X-ray flares, Type II radio bursts and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Most attention is concentrated on the SEP acceleration during the first 100 minutes after the flare impulsive phase, post-impulsive-phase acceleration, being observed in eruptions centered at different solar longitudes. As a representative pattern of a (nearly) well-connected event, we consider the west flare and CME of 9 July 1996 (S10 W30). Similarities and dissimilarities of the post-impulsive-phase acceleration at large heliocentric-angle distance from the eruption center are illustrated with the 24 September 1997 event (S31 E19). We conclude that the proton acceleration at intermediate scales, between flare acceleration and interplanetary CME-driven shock acceleration, significantly contributes to the production of ≳10 MeV protons. This post-impulsive-phase acceleration seems to be caused by the CME lift-off.     

On the spatial and temporal characteristics and formation mechanisms of soft X-ray emission in the solar corona

Our main goal is to show that the spatial and temporal dynamics of the temperature content for plasma structures in the solar corona can be described quantitatively in principle, which is necessary for understanding the formation mechanisms of soft X-ray emission. An approach based on a consistent modeling of complex data from the CORONAS-F, GOES, and RHESSI satellites is suggested. A basically new element of this approach is the use of time series of monochromatic full-Sun images in the X-ray MgXII 8.42 Å line and EUV lines obtained in the SPIRIT experiment onboard CORONAS-F. Two inversion procedures have been used to determine the volume and column differential emission measures defined by the Stieltjes integral: an optimization one based on a multitemperature parametric model and an iterative one based on the Bayesian theorem, respectively. The calculations with coronal abundances agree with the RHESSI data within the experimental error limits, while those with photospheric abundances give no satisfactory agreement. The relatively cold (with temperature 2–4 MK) and transient (4–10 MK) plasmas are shown to play a significant role in producing soft X-ray emission during flare events and in their energy budget. The spatial electron density and temperature distributions and their time evolution have been obtained for long-duration events that were first observed in the monochromatic MgXII channel and were previously called “spiders.” The method used has allowed us to verify the absolute intercalibration of the fluxes recorded in all experiments and to reference the SPIRIT MgXII images to the solar disk. We also consider possible flare plasma heating mechanisms for impulsive and long-duration (spider) flare events.     

The Wide Band Spectrometer on the SOLAR-A

The SOLAR-A spacecraft has spectroscopic capabilities in a wide energy band from soft X-rays to gamma-rays. The Wide Band Spectrometer (WBS), consisting of three kinds of spectrometers, soft X-ray spectrometer (SXS), hard X-ray spectrometer (HXS) and gamma-ray spectrometer (GRS), is installed on SOLAR-A to investigate plasma heating, high-energy particle acceleration, and interaction processes. SXS has two proportional counters and each counter provides 128-channel pulse height data in the 2–30 keV range every 2 s and 2-channel pulse count data every 0.25 s. HXS has a NaI scintillation detector and provides 32-channel pulse height data in the 20–400 keV range every 1 s and 2-channel pulse count data every 0.125 s. GRS has two identical BGO scintillation detectors and each detector provides 128-channel pulse height data in the 0.2–10 MeV range every 4 s and 4-channel pulse count data (0.2–0.7, 0.7–4, 4–7, and 7–10 MeV) every 0.25–0.5 s. In addition, each of the BGO scintillation detectors provides 16-channel pulse height data in the 8–100 MeV range every 4 s and 2-channel pulse count data (8–30 and 30–100 MeV) every 0.5 s. The SXS observations enable one to study the thermal evolution of flare plasma by obtaining time series of electron temperatures and emission measures of hot plasma; the HXS observations enable one to study the electron acceleration and heating mechanisms by obtaining time series of the electron spectrum; and the GRS observations enable one to study the high-energy electron and ion acceleration and interaction processes by obtaining time series of electron and ion spectra.After the launch the name of SOLAR-A has been changed to YOHKOH.     

First Images of Impulsive Millimeter Emission and Spectral Analysis of the 1994 August 18 Solar Flare

We present here the first images of impulsive millimeter emission of a flare. The flare on 1994 August 18 was simultaneously observed at millimeter (86 GHz), microwave (1-18 GHz), and soft and hard X-ray wavelengths. Images of millimeter, soft and hard X-ray emission show the same compact ( 8) source. Both the impulsive and the gradual phases are studied in order to determine the emission mechanisms. During the impulsive phase, the radio spectrum was obtained by combining the millimeter with simultaneous microwave emission. Fitting the nonthermal radio spectra as gyrosynchrotron radiation from a homogeneous source model with constant magnetic field yields the physical properties of the flaring source, that is, total number of electrons, power-law index of the electron energy distribution, and the nonthermal source size. These results are compared to those obtained from the hard X-ray spectra. The energy distribution of the energetic electrons inferred from the hard X-ray and radio spectra is found to follow a double power-law with slope 6–8 below 50 keV and 3–4 above those energies. The temporal evolution of the electron energy spectrum and its implication for the acceleration mechanism are discussed. Comparison of millimeter and soft X-ray emissions during the gradual phase implies that the millimeter emission is free-free radiation from the same hot soft X-ray emitting plasma, and further suggests that the flare source contains multiple temperatures.     

Pulsations in solar hard X-ray bursts

We have analyzed the hard X-ray emission from 28 large solar events, searching for pulsations in intensity profiles. Periodicity occurred in 26 events, usually soon after the onset, with periods in the range 10–100 s. Pulsations occurring at common frequencies in different energy bands are observed to be closely in phase. Periodic behavior in hard X-ray emission is related to that at microwave and decametric wavelength. We discuss our observations briefly in terms of two models: that of McClean et al. (1971), applied to X-ray emission, and that of Brown and Hoyng (1975). As periodicity is normal in extended hard X-ray bursts and occurs through a broad energy band, it is probably directly related to a principal flare acceleration mechanism. Our observations constrain possible mechanisms of flare acceleration and physical properties of the acceleration region.This work began when the author was at the Institute for Plasma Research, Stanford University.     

Analysis of COMPTEL gamma-ray burst locations and spectra

In its first three years of operation, the COMPTEL instrument on theCompton Gamma-Ray Observatory has measured the locations (mean accuracy 1°) and spectra (0.75-30 MeV) of 18 gamma-ray bursts and continues to observe new events at a rate of 1/month. With good angular resolution and sensitivity at MeV energies, the growing COMPTEL burst catalog is an important new piece of evidence in the on-going GRB mystery. The COMPTEL burst locations are consistent with an isotropic distribution of sources, yet the spatial coincidence of two of the bursts indicates the possibility of repetition. The COMPTEL burst spectra are in most cases consistent with a single power law model with spectral index in the range 2–3. However, two bursts show evidence of a spectral break in the MeV range. Measurement of rapid variability at MeV energies in the stronger bursts provides evidence that either the sources are nearby (within the Galaxy) or the gamma-ray emission is relativistically beamed. We present an overview of analysis results obtained from the COMPTEL burst catalog concentrating on the search for burst repetition and the implications of highly variable MeV emission.     

Multiwavelength XMM–Newton observations of the Laor et al. sample of PG quasars

We present XMM–Newton /EPIC spectra for the Laor et al. sample of Palomar Green (PG) quasars. We find that a power law provides a reasonable fit to the 2–5 keV region of the spectra. Excess soft X-ray emission below 2 keV is present for all objects, with the exception of those known to contain a warm absorber. However, a single power law is a poor fit to the 0.3–10.0 keV spectrum and instead we find that a simple model, consisting of a broken power law (plus an iron line), provides a reasonable fit in most cases. The equivalent width of the emission line is constrained in just 12 objects but with low (<2σ) significance in most cases. For the sources whose spectra are well fitted by the broken-power-law model, we find that various optical and X-ray line and continuum parameters are well correlated; in particular, the power-law photon index is well correlated with the FWHM of the Hβ line and the photon indices of the low- and high-energy components of the broken power law are well correlated with each other. These results suggest that the 0.3–10 keV X-ray emission shares a common (presumably non-thermal) origin, as opposed to suggestions that the soft excess is directly produced by thermal disc emission or via an additional spectral component. We present XMM–Newton Optical Monitor (OM) data, which we combine with the X-ray spectra so as to produce broad-band spectral energy distributions (SEDs), free from uncertainties due to long-term variability in non-simultaneous data. Fitting these optical–UV spectra with a Comptonized disc model indicates that the soft X-ray excess is independent of the accretion disc, confirming our interpretation of the tight correlation between the hard and soft X-ray spectra.     

X-ray imaging of three flares during the impulsive phase

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.     

Electromagnetic and corpuscular emission from the solar flare of 1991 June 15: Continuous acceleraton of relativistic particles

Data on X-,γ-ray, optical and radio emission from the 1991 June 15 solar flare are considered. We have calculated the spectrum of protons that producesγ-rays during the gradual phase of the flare. The primary proton spectrum can be described as a Bessel-function-type up to 0.8 GeV and a power law with the spectral index ≈3 from 0.8 up to 10 GeV or above. We have also analyzed data on energetic particles near the Earth. Their spectrum differed from that of primary protons producingγ-ray line emission. In the gradual phase of the flare additional pulses of energy release occurred and the time profiles of cm-radio emission andγ-rays in the 0.8–10 MeV energy band and above 50 MeV coincided. A continuous and simultaneous stochastic acceleration of the protons and relativistic electrons at the gradual phase of the flare is considered as a natural explanation of the data.     

Solar Proton Rigidity Spectra From 1 to 10 gv of Selected Flare Events Since 1960

We have deduced the power-law rigidity spectra, J(P)=AP ^–, and the spectral evolution of the solar flare events that occurred in the present solar activity cycle on 6 November 1997, 14 July 2000, and 15 and 18 April 2001. The implications of these results for the acceleration of high-energy protons are discussed. The analysis is based on the ratios of the Mt. Washington to the Durham neutron monitor count-rate increases during the solar flare events. These two neutron monitors are located at different elevations (828 and 1030 g cm^–2, respectively) but at approximately the same geographical latitude and longitude. The proton spectra from 1 to 10 GV determined from the ratios of the count rate increases of the two neutron monitors are found to agree with those deduced from the global neutron monitor network or selected neutron monitors in 10 solar flare events from 1960 to 1990 for which comparative results are available. Thus the ratio method is quick, easy and reliable for deducing the spectral shape of solar flare protons at neutron monitor rigidities and for obtaining the spectral evolution as a function of time.     

Solar soft X-ray flare spectra from OSO-4

Solar flare spectral data, covering the wavelength range 0.7–8.5 Å, are derived from the NRL Bragg crystal spectrometers aboard OSO-4. A detailed analysis of the soft X-ray spectra for the 3b flare of 16 November 1967 (2140 UT) is presented, and it is found that electron temperatures derived from continua and emission lines are compatible with a two or more component plasma, differing in temperature by 6–10 × 10⁶K.     

Non-thermal “Burst-on-Tail” of Long-Duration Solar Event on 26 October 2003

Observations of a rare long-duration solar event of GOES class X1.2 from 26?October 2003 are presented. This event showed a pronounced burst of hard X-ray and microwave emission, which was extremely delayed (>?60?min) with respect to the main impulsive phase and did not have any significant response visible in soft X-ray emission. We refer to this phenomenon as a ??burst-on-tail??. Based on TRACE observations of the growing flare arcade and some simplified estimation, we explain why a reaction of active region plasma to accelerated electrons may change drastically over time. We suggest that, during the ??burst-on-tail??, non-thermal electrons were injected into magnetic loops of larger spatial scale than during the impulsive phase bursts, thus resulting in much smaller values of plasma temperature and emission measure in their coronal volume, and hence little soft X-ray flux. The?nature of the long gap between the main impulsive phase and the ??burst-on-tail?? is, however, still an open question.     

Particle Acceleration and Propagation in Strong Flares without Major Solar Energetic Particle Events

Solar energetic particles (SEPs) detected in space are statistically associated with flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). But it is not clear how these processes actually contribute to the acceleration and transport of the particles. The present work addresses the question why flares accompanied by intense soft X-ray bursts may not produce SEPs detected by observations with the GOES spacecraft. We consider all X-class X-ray bursts between 1996 and 2006 from the western solar hemisphere. 21 out of 69 have no signature in GOES proton intensities above 10 MeV, despite being significant accelerators of electrons, as shown by their radio emission at cm wavelengths. The majority (11/20) has no type III radio bursts from electron beams escaping towards interplanetary space during the impulsive flare phase. Together with other radio properties, this indicates that the electrons accelerated during the impulsive flare phase remain confined in the low corona. This occurs in flares with and without a CME. Although GOES saw no protons above 10 MeV at geosynchronous orbit, energetic particles were detected in some (4/11) confined events at Lagrangian point L1 aboard ACE or SoHO. These events have, besides the confined microwave emission, dm-m wave type II and type IV bursts indicating an independent accelerator in the corona. Three of them are accompanied by CMEs. We conclude that the principal reason why major solar flares in the western hemisphere are not associated with SEPs is the confinement of particles accelerated in the impulsive phase. A coronal shock wave or the restructuring of the magnetically stressed corona, indicated by the type II and IV bursts, can explain the detection of SEPs when flare-accelerated particles do not reach open magnetic field lines. But the mere presence of these radio signatures, especially of a metric type II burst, is not a sufficient condition for a major SEP event.     

The emission and propagation of ∼ 40keV solar flare electrons

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.     

The phase of particle acceleration in the flare development

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.     

On the regimes of heating during solar flares

We suggest a new differential method whereby we have detected the separation of a long-duration flare into intervals characterized by different regimes of plasma heating and cooling based on soft X-ray data. The rise phase of the flare is shown to consist of accelerated and decelerated heating regimes compared to an exponential law. Accelerated cooling takes place at the beginning of the decay phase, which is followed by decelerated one. The final part of the flare is a prolonged process of cooling according to a nearly exponential law.     

Use of Simultaneous EUV and Soft X-ray Measurements for Diagnostics of the Solar Flare Radiation Danger

The fluxes of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and soft X-ray emission are key parameters for modelling the ionosphere and upper atmosphere. A new aspect is considered in using these fluxes for diagnostics and short-term prediction of proton radiation danger from the flare. The EUV (λ < 105 nm) and soft X-ray (0.1–0.8 nm) fluxes were compared for two types of solar flares. The first type is followed by a strong enhancement in solar energetic (E >10 MeV) proton flux, the second is not followed by any enhancement in proton flux. It was discovered that the flare UV flux was considerably higher for flares with protons than for those without protons. Soft X-ray fluxes were approximately equal in both cases. An excess of EUV emission in proton flares grows with increasing proton flux. An analytic expression was found for the growth in proton flux as a function of the excess of EUV radiation at a given X-ray flux. These results can be used in predicting flare radiation danger.