The generation of solar type II radio bursts in coronal magnetic loops

It is shown that the existing theory of type II bursts, based on a model of the emission from the shock wave front, has difficulties when compared with observational data. We suggests a new model for type II bursts. According to this model, in an expanding magnetic loop a cluster of energetic electrons acts to excite the cyclotron instability of plasma waves. The waves are excited on surfaces where the cyclotron resonance condition is satisfied, and are then transformed into electromagnetic emission by merging. Our proposed model may be useful to explain some observational facts, such as the narrow-band character of the emission and the space-time relationship between the harmonics. Some tests to check the validity are proposed.