Two-dimensional SSRT observations of the flare-productive active region in July 1996

Two-dimensional images obtained at the Siberian Solar Radio Telescope (SSRT) in the correlation mode are presented. The subject under discussion is the active region NOAA 7978 that produced a flare of X2.6 importance on 9 July 1996. Before the flare a compact, weakly polarized, and reasonably bright long-lived radio source was observed which we have identified as the Neutral Line associated Source (NLS). The correlation of radio and magnetographic images of the active region reveals the NLS brightness center to be localized over the inversion line of the photospheric magnetic field at the place of closest contact of opposite-polarity magnetic hills.