33 research outputs found
Magnetic structure of solar flare regions producing hard X-ray pulsations
We present analysis of the magnetic field in seven solar flare regions
accompanied by the pulsations of hard X-ray (HXR) emission. These flares were
studied by Kuznetsov et al. (2016) (Paper~I), and chosen here because of the
availability of the vector magnetograms for their parent active regions (ARs)
obtained with the SDO/HMI data. In Paper~I, based on the observations only, it
was suggested that a magnetic flux rope (MFR) might play an important role in
the process of generation of the HXR pulsations. The goal of the present paper
is to test this hypothesis by using the extrapolation of magnetic field with
the non-linear force-free field (NLFFF) method. Having done this, we found that
before each flare indeed there was an MFR elongated along and above a magnetic
polarity inversion line (MPIL) on the photosphere. In two flare regions the
sources of the HXR pulsations were located at the footpoints of different
magnetic field lines wrapping around the central axis, and constituting an MFR
by themselves. In five other flares the parent field lines of the HXR
pulsations were not a part of an MFR, but surrounded it in the form of an
arcade of magnetic loops. These results show that, at least in the analyzed
cases, the "single flare loop" models do not satisfy the observations and
magnetic field modeling, while are consistent with the concept that the HXR
pulsations are a consequence of successive episodes of energy release and
electron acceleration in different magnetic flux tubes (loops) of a complex AR.
An MFR could generate HXR pulsations by triggering episodes of magnetic
reconnection in different loops in the course of its non-uniform evolution
along an MPIL. However, since three events studied here were confined flares,
actual eruptions may not be required to trigger sequential particle
acceleration episodes in the magnetic systems containing an MFR.Comment: 33 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in Journal of
Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics (28 April 2018
Instrumental oscillations in RHESSI count rates during solar flares
Aims: We seek to illustrate the analysis problems posed by RHESSI spacecraft
motion by studying persistent instrumental oscillations found in the
lightcurves measured by RHESSI's X-ray detectors in the 6-12 keV and 12-25 keV
energy range during the decay phase of the flares of 2004 November 4 and 6.
Methods: The various motions of the RHESSI spacecraft which may contribute to
the manifestation of oscillations are studied. The response of each detector in
turn is also investigated. Results: We find that on 2004 November 6 the
observed oscillations correspond to the nutation period of the RHESSI
instrument. These oscillations are also of greatest amplitude for detector 5,
while in the lightcurves of many other detectors the oscillations are small or
undetectable. We also find that the variation in detector pointing is much
larger during this flare than the counterexample of 2004 November 4.
Conclusions: Sufficiently large nutation motions of the RHESSI spacecraft lead
to clearly observable oscillations in count rates, posing a significant hazard
for data analysis. This issue is particularly problematic for detector 5 due to
its design characteristics. Dynamic correction of the RHESSI counts, accounting
for the livetime, data gaps, and the transmission of the bi-grid collimator of
each detector, is required to overcome this issue. These corrections should be
applied to all future oscillation studies.Comment: 8 pages, 10 figure
Observations of quasi-periodic solar X-ray emission as a result of MHD oscillations in a system of multiple flare loops
We investigate the solar flare of 20 October 2002. The flare was accompanied
by quasi-periodic pulsations (QPP) of both thermal and nonthermal hard X-ray
emissions (HXR) observed by RHESSI in the 3-50 keV energy range. Analysis of
the HXR time profiles in different energy channels made with the Lomb
periodogram indicates two statistically significant time periods of about 16
and 36 seconds. The 36-second QPP were observed only in the nonthermal HXR
emission in the impulsive phase of the flare. The 16-second QPP were more
pronounced in the thermal HXR emission and were observed both in the impulsive
and in the decay phases of the flare. Imaging analysis of the flare region, the
determined time periods of the QPP and the estimated physical parameters of
magnetic loops in the flare region allow us to interpret the observations as
follows. 1) In the impulsive phase energy was released and electrons were
accelerated by successive acts with the average time period of about 36 seconds
in different parts of two spatially separated, but interacting loop systems of
the flare region. 2) The 36-second periodicity of energy release could be
caused by the action of fast MHD oscillations in the loops connecting these
flaring sites. 3) During the first explosive acts of energy release the MHD
oscillations (most probably the sausage mode) with time period of 16 seconds
were excited in one system of the flare loops. 4) These oscillations were
maintained by the subsequent explosive acts of energy release in the impulsive
phase and were completely damped in the decay phase of the flare.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure
Hyperon Polarization in the Constituent Quark Model
We consider mechanism for hyperon polarization in inclusive production. The
main role belongs to the orbital angular momentum and polarization of the
strange quark-antiquark pairs in the internal structure of the constituent
quarks. We consider a nucleon as a core consisting of the constituent quarks
embedded into quark condensate. The nonperturbative hadron structure is based
on the results of chiral quark models.Comment: 14 pages, LaTeX, 2 Figures, References adde
Imaging Observations of Quasi-Periodic Pulsatory Non-Thermal Emission in Ribbon Solar Flares
Using RHESSI and some auxiliary observations we examine possible connections
between spatial and temporal morphology of the sources of non-thermal hard
X-ray (HXR) emission which revealed minute quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs)
during the two-ribbon flares on 2003 May 29 and 2005 January 19. Microwave
emission also reveals the same quasi-periodicity. The sources of non-thermal
HXR emission are situated mainly inside the footpoints of the flare arcade
loops observed by the TRACE and SOHO instruments. At least one of the sources
moves systematically both during the QPP-phase and after it in each flare that
allows to examine the sources velocities and the energy release rate via the
process of magnetic reconnection. The sources move predominantly parallel to
the magnetic inversion line or the appropriate flare ribbon during the
QPP-phase whereas the movement slightly changes to more perpendicular regime
after the QPPs. Each QPP is emitted from its own position. It is also seen that
the velocity and the energy release rate don't correlate well with the flux of
the HXR emission calculated from the sources. The sources of microwaves and
thermal HXRs are situated near the apex of the loop arcade and are not
stationary either. Almost all QPPs and some spikes of HXR emission during the
post-QPP-phase reveal the soft-hard-soft spectral behavior indicating separate
acts of electrons acceleration and injection, rather than modulation of
emission flux by some kinds of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) oscillations of
coronal loops. In all likelihood, the flare scenarios based on the successively
firing arcade loops are more preferable to interpret the observations, although
we can not conclude exactly what mechanism forces these loops to flare up.Comment: 22 pages, 10 figure