126 research outputs found
Positions and sizes of X-ray solar flare sources
<p><b>Aims:</b> The positions and source sizes of X-ray sources taking into account Compton backscattering (albedo) are investigated.</p>
<p><b>Methods:</b> Using a Monte Carlo simulation of X-ray photon transport including photo-electric absorption and Compton scattering, we calculate the apparent source sizes and positions of X-ray sources at the solar disk for various source sizes, spectral indices and directivities of the primary source.</p>
<p><b>Results:</b> We show that the albedo effect can alter the true source positions and substantially increase the measured source sizes. The source positions are shifted by up to ~0.5” radially towards the disk centre and 5 arcsec source sizes can be two times larger even for an isotropic source (minimum albedo effect) at 1 Mm above the photosphere. The X-ray sources therefore should have minimum observed sizes, and thus their FWHM source size (2.35 times second-moment) will be as large as ~7” in the 20-50 keV range for a disk-centered point source at a height of 1 Mm (~1.4”) above the photosphere. The source size and position change is greater for flatter primary X-ray spectra, a stronger downward anisotropy, for sources closer to the solar disk centre, and between the energies of 30 and 50 keV.</p>
<p><b>Conclusions:</b> Albedo should be taken into account when X-ray footpoint positions, footpoint motions or source sizes from e.g. RHESSI or Yohkoh data are interpreted, and we suggest that footpoint sources should be larger in X-rays than in either optical or EUV ranges.</p>
Combined STEREO/RHESSI study of CME acceleration and particle acceleration in solar flares
Using the potential of two unprecedented missions, STEREO and RHESSI, we
study three well observed fast CMEs that occurred close to the limb together
with their associated high energy flare emissions in terms of RHESSI HXR
spectra and flux evolution. From STEREO/EUVI and STEREO/COR1 data the full CME
kinematics of the impulsive acceleration phase up to 4 Rs is measured with a
high time cadence of less equal 2.5 min. For deriving CME velocity and
acceleration we apply and test a new algorithm based on regularization methods.
The CME maximum acceleration is achieved at heights h < 0.4 Rs, the peak
velocity at h < 2.1 Rs (in one case as small as 0.5 Rs). We find that the CME
acceleration profile and the flare energy release as evidenced in the RHESSI
hard X-ray flux evolve in a synchronized manner. These results support the
standard flare/CME model which is characterized by a feed-back relationship
between the large-scale CME acceleration process and the energy release in the
associated flare.Comment: accepted for Ap
Collisional relaxation of electrons in a warm plasma and accelerated nonthermal electron spectra in solar flares
Extending previous studies of nonthermal electron transport in solar flares
which include the effects of collisional energy diffusion and thermalization of
fast electrons, we present an analytic method to infer more accurate estimates
of the accelerated electron spectrum in solar flares from observations of the
hard X-ray spectrum. Unlike for the standard cold-target model, the spatial
characteristics of the flaring region, especially the necessity to consider a
finite volume of hot plasma in the source, need to be taken into account in
order to correctly obtain the injected electron spectrum from the
source-integrated electron flux spectrum (a quantity straightforwardly obtained
from hard X-ray observations). We show that the effect of electron
thermalization can be significant enough to nullify the need to introduce an
{\it ad hoc} low-energy cutoff to the injected electron spectrum in order to
keep the injected power in non-thermal electrons at a reasonable value. Rather
the suppression of the inferred low-energy end of the injected spectrum
compared to that deduced from a cold-target analysis allows the inference from
hard X-ray observations of a more realistic energy in injected non-thermal
electrons in solar flares.Comment: accepted for publication in Ap
Coronal response to an EUV wave from DEM analysis
EUV (Extreme-Ultraviolet) waves are globally propagating disturbances that
have been observed since the era of the SoHO/EIT instrument. Although the
kinematics of the wave front and secondary wave components have been widely
studied, there is not much known about the generation and plasma properties of
the wave. In this paper we discuss the effect of an EUV wave on the local
plasma as it passes through the corona. We studied the EUV wave, generated
during the 2011 February 15 X-class flare/CME event, using Differential
Emission Measure diagnostics. We analyzed regions on the path of the EUV wave
and investigated the local density and temperature changes. From our study we
have quantitatively confirmed previous results that during wave passage the
plasma visible in the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) 171A channel is
getting heated to higher temperatures corresponding to AIA 193A and 211A
channels. We have calculated an increase of 6 - 9% in density and 5 - 6% in
temperature during the passage of the EUV wave. We have compared the variation
in temperature with the adiabatic relationship and have quantitatively
demonstrated the phenomenon of heating due to adiabatic compression at the wave
front. However, the cooling phase does not follow adiabatic relaxation but
shows slow decay indicating slow energy release being triggered by the wave
passage. We have also identified that heating is taking place at the front of
the wave pulse rather than at the rear. Our results provide support for the
case that the event under study here is a compressive fast-mode wave or a
shock.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap
Regularized energy-dependent solar flare hard x-ray spectral index
The deduction from solar flare X-ray photon spectroscopic data of the energy
dependent model-independent spectral index is considered as an inverse problem.
Using the well developed regularization approach we analyze the energy
dependency of spectral index for a high resolution energy spectrum provided by
Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI). The regularization
technique produces much smoother derivatives while avoiding additional errors
typical of finite differences. It is shown that observations imply a spectral
index varying significantly with energy, in a way that also varies with time as
the flare progresses. The implications of these findings are discussed in the
solar flare context.Comment: 13 pages; 5 figures, Solar Physics in pres
The sub-arcsecond hard X-ray structure of loop footpoints in a solar flare
The newly developed X-ray visibility forward fitting technique is applied to
Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) data of a limb
flare to investigate the energy and height dependence on sizes, shapes, and
position of hard X-ray chromospheric footpoint sources. This provides
information about the electron transport and chromospheric density structure.
The spatial distribution of two footpoint X-ray sources is analyzed using
PIXON, Maximum Entropy Method, CLEAN and visibility forward fit algorithms at
nonthermal energies from to keV. We report, for the first
time, the vertical extents and widths of hard X-ray chromospheric sources
measured as a function of energy for a limb event. Our observations suggest
that both the vertical and horizontal sizes of footpoints are decreasing with
energy. Higher energy emission originates progressively deeper in the
chromosphere consistent with downward flare accelerated streaming electrons.
The ellipticity of the footpoints grows with energy from at keV to at keV. The positions of X-ray emission are in
agreement with an exponential density profile of scale height ~km.
The characteristic size of the hard X-ray footpoint source along the limb is
decreasing with energy suggesting a converging magnetic field in the footpoint.
The vertical sizes of X-ray sources are inconsistent with simple collisional
transport in a single density scale height but can be explained using a
multi-threaded density structure in the chromosphere.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Ap
Observing the formation of flare-driven coronal rain
PA. GV are funded by the European Research Council under the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) / ERC grant agreement nr. 291058Flare-driven coronal rain can manifest from rapidly cooled plasma condensations near coronal loop-tops in thermally unstable post-flare arcades. We detect 5 phases that characterise the post-flare decay:heating, evaporation, conductive cooling dominance for ~120 s, radiative/ enthalpy cooling dominance for ~4700 s and finally catastrophic cooling occurring within 35-124 s leading to rain strands with s periodicity of 55-70 s. We find an excellent agreement between the observations and model predictions of the dominant cooling timescales and the onset of catastrophic cooling. At the rain formation site we detect co-moving, multi-thermal rain clumps that undergo catastrophic cooling from ~1 MK to ~22000 K. During catastrophic cooling the plasma cools at a maximum rate of 22700 K s-1 in multiple loop-top sources. We calculated the density of the EUV plasma from the DEM of the multi-thermal source employing regularised inversion. Assuming a pressure balance, we estimate the density of the chromospheric component of rain to be 9.21x1011 ±1.76x1011 cm-3 which is comparable with quiescent coronal rain densities. With up to 8 parallel strands in the EUV loop cross section, we calculate the mass loss rate from the post-flare arcade to be as much as 1.98x1012 ± 4.95x1011 g s-1. Finally, we reveal a close proximity between the model predictions of 105.8 K and the observed properties between 105.9 K and 106.2 K, that defines the temperature onset of catastrophic cooling. The close correspondence between the observations and numerical models suggests that indeed acoustic waves (with a sound travel time of 68 s) could play an important role in redistributing energy and sustaining the enthalpy-based radiative cooling.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe
Solar science with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array - A new view of our Sun
The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is a new powerful
tool for observing the Sun at high spatial, temporal, and spectral resolution.
These capabilities can address a broad range of fundamental scientific
questions in solar physics. The radiation observed by ALMA originates mostly
from the chromosphere - a complex and dynamic region between the photosphere
and corona, which plays a crucial role in the transport of energy and matter
and, ultimately, the heating of the outer layers of the solar atmosphere. Based
on first solar test observations, strategies for regular solar campaigns are
currently being developed. State-of-the-art numerical simulations of the solar
atmosphere and modeling of instrumental effects can help constrain and optimize
future observing modes for ALMA. Here we present a short technical description
of ALMA and an overview of past efforts and future possibilities for solar
observations at submillimeter and millimeter wavelengths. In addition, selected
numerical simulations and observations at other wavelengths demonstrate ALMA's
scientific potential for studying the Sun for a large range of science cases.Comment: 73 pages, 21 figures ; Space Science Reviews (accepted December 10th,
2015); accepted versio
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