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.