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At least 91 records · Page 5

The decay phase of solar flare events

Solar flare radiation data from Pioneer spacecraft, detailing anisotropy, heliocentric longitude gradients, decay time constants and energy spectra

Bukata, R. P.↗

The triggering and subsequent development of a solar flare

A solar flare which occurred on Sept. 5, 1973, is discussed on the basis of high temporal and spatial resolution pictures taken with the Skylab S-056 X-ray telescope. The temporal evolution of the flare is outlined, and magnetic-field data for the active region are compared with the soft X-ray observations. A close similarity between calculated magnetic-field lines and the overall structure of the X-ray core is shown to suggest that the flare occurred in an entire arcade of loops rather than in a single loop. Sequential brightening of different X-ray features is taken as an indication that some triggering disturbance moved from one side to the other in the flare core at velocities of 180 to 280 km/s. The two most intense X-ray features were found in places where the magnetic field composing the arcade had a small radius of curvature with horizontal field gradients higher than the surrounding area and where the axis of the arcade changed direction. It is suggested that a magetosonic wave triggered the energy releases as it propagated down the arcade and steepened the field gradients

Vorpahl, J. A.↗

Solar flare theory

Solar flare models are briefly reviewed with emphasis on the physical mechanisms invoked to explain the flare. The physics of each mechanism and their interrelations are discussed in detail. Mechanisms are classified by their drivers (the source of energy on which they feed). The application of these mechanisms to coronal heating is evaluated.

Spicer, D. S.↗

The energetics of chromospheric evaporation in solar flares

The Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) spacecraft has provided high time resolution observational data regarding the soft X-ray emission from solar-flare plasma during 1980. The present investigation is concerned with the characteristics of a soft X-ray flare and the energetics of the impulsive phase on the basis of the data collected with the aid of two of the instruments on board the SMM, taking into account the Hard X-ray Burst Spectrometer (HXRBS) and the Bent Crystal Spectrometer (BCS). Attention is given to an analysis of soft X-ray flare spectra, the relative motion of the soft X-ray sources, the phenomenology of the soft X-ray flare, energy and mass transport during the impulsive phase, and energy deposition in the chromosphere during evaporation.

Antonucci, E.↗

Cytogenetic analyses of peripheral lymphocytes subjected to simulated solar flare radiation

Solar flare protons share many radiological health characteristics of the inner Van Allen Belt protons, and both types of radiation pose serious dangers to a number of missions planned. It is appropriate to evaluate crew dose determination procedures in terms of the type of radiation responsible for the major part of the projected exposure, i.e., protons in the neighborhood of 100 MeV. Monitoring chromosome abnormalities in peripheral lymphocytes is one method to determine an individual's accumulated radiation dosage. Cell culture and harvest is a relatively simple procedure and is well within the capabilities of a station health facility, but the evaluation of prepared microscopic slides is a time consuming and subjective procedure. This project is part of an effort to demonstrate the utility of automated image processing and evaluation procedures in expediting dose evaluation. The initial goal of this project is to produce a set of reference chromosome spreads produced from control lymphocytes and from lymphocytes exposed in whole blood to protons or gamma rays. The results of manual and automated aberration scoring will ultimately be compared to test for systematic differences between the two evaluation procedures and between the two radiation qualities. Proton irradiations are performed at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Cyclotron Facility. Proton dosimetry is supplemented by TLD packets from and by assay of short-lived proton activation products in the irradiation blood samples.

Prichard, H. M.↗

What we think we know and do not know about solar flares

Solar-terrestrial relations begin in the convective zone of the sun. A combination of nonuniform rotation and cyclonic convection generates magnetic fields in migratory waves, which can account for the observed 22-year solar magnetic cycle. The magnetic fields are the active agent in creating the active magnetic regions, with sunspots, prominences, and flares. The present status of knowledge regarding the solar flare phenomenon is reviewed, giving attention to the extraordinary complexity of the solar flare and the broad spectrum of theoretical ideas that have been generated to meet the challenge.

Parker, E. N.↗

Solar flare particle fluences during solar cycles 19, 20 and 21

Satellite data for solar flare particle events during solar cycle 21 (up to July 1982) have been analyzed to obtain event-integrated fluxes of energetic protons and alpha particles. Thirty nine events with proton fluences (E greater than 10 MeV) greater than 10-million/sq cm occurred during 1976-1982. The average flux of protons with kinetic energy greater than 10 MeV is 65 per sq cm/s for this period. The event averaged alpha to proton ratio, in the energy interval 1-22 MeV/n, varies between 0.006 to 0.04, with an average value of about 0.02 for the whole cycle. The flux of protons (with energies greater than 10 MeV) averaged over cycle 21 is lower than those for solar-cycle 20 per sq cm/s based on satellite data, and for solar-cycle 19 378 per sq cm/s based on lunar sample data. There is no definitive correlation between solar-cycle averaged proton fluxes and sunspot numbers.

Mcguire, R. E.↗

Impulsiveness and energetics in solar flares with and without type II radio bursts - A comparison of hard X-ray characteristics for over 2500 solar flares

The hard X-ray characteristics of more than 2500 solar flares are used to study the relative size, impulsiveness, and energetics of flares with and without type II radio bursts. A quantitative definition of the hard X-ray impulsiveness is introduced, which may be applied to a large number of events unambiguously. It is found that the flares with type II bursts are generally not significantly larger, more impulsive, or more energetic than those without type II bursts. Also, no evidence is found to suggest a simple classification of the flares as either 'impulsive' or 'gradual'. Because type II bursts are present even in small flares with relatively unimpulsive energy releases, it is concluded that changes in the ambient conditions of the solar atmosphere causing an unusually low Alfven speed may be important in the generation of the shock wave that produces type II radio bursts.

Pearson, Douglas H.↗

The lower atmosphere of solar flares; Proceedings of the Solar Maximum Mission Symposium, Sunspot, NM, Aug. 20-24, 1985

The topics discussed by the present conference encompass the chromospheric flare phenomenon, white light flares, UV emission and the flare transition region, the flare corona and high energy emissions, stellar flares, and flare energy release and transport. Attention is given to radiative shocks and condensation in flares, impulsive brightening of H-alpha flare points, the structure and response of the chromosphere to radiation backwarming during solar flares, the interpretation of continuum emissions in white light flares, and the radiation properties of solar plasmas. Also discussed are EUV images of a solar flare and C III intensity, an active region survey in H-alpha and X-rays, dynamic thermal plasma conditions in large flares, the evolution of the flare mechanism in dwarf stars, the evidence concerning electron beams in solar flares, the energetics of the nonlinear tearing mode, macroscopic electric fields during two-ribbon flares, and the low temperature signatures of energetic particles.

Neidig, Donald F.↗

Correlated observations of impulsive UV and hard X-ray bursts in solar flares from the solar maximum mission

An investigation is conducted of the temporal and spatial structures of UV and hard X-ray bursts in a disk and a limb flare observed with instruments on the Solar Maximum Mission satellite. Attention is given to the transient UV brightening before the flare, the impulsive enhancement of UV continuum emission, the relationship between emission source region and particle acceleration region, and large scale excitations. The most active part of the active region appears to be the most flare-productive region. These regions exhibit high UV activities with numerous UV transient bursts occurring in many small kernels.

Cheng, C.-C.↗

Acceleration of charged particles in magnetic reconnection Solar flares, the magnetosphere, and solar wind

A possible source of free energy available for accelerating charged particles is conversion of magnetic energy to particle energy in reconnecting magnetic fields. Recent simulations using test particles suggests that reconnection may efficiently accelerate particles to the maximum energies that are observed in several astrophysical contexts. A simple analytic formula is used in conjunction with the simulation results to predict the maximum energy achievable in a particular plasma environment with the result that in solar flares reconnection is capable of accelerating particles to several GeV. In magnetospheric substorms the predicted maximum can reach several hundred keV, and near magnetic sector crossings in the solar wind the maximum energy can approach 100 keV.

Goldstein, M. L.↗

The 4He1H ratios in the chemical compositions of solar flare particles and the primordial solar nebula

The chemical abundances of solar flare particles are similar to those of galactic cosmic rays at their sources. In order to infer the 4He/1H ratio in the solar atmosphere, this ratio as observed in the interstellar gases was considered in addition to those which were contained of galactic cosmic rays and the stars classified as the early types. Since it is clear that the most of these ratios ever deduced for both of the Sun and solar flare particles are lower than those for the interstellar gases, this ratio suggests that hydrogens are relatively overabundant in the chemical abundances of the Sun and the primordial solar nebula as compared to those of the interstellar gases currently observed.

Sakurai, K.↗

The beam-driven chromospheric evaporation model of solar flares - A model not supported by observations from nonimpulsive large flares

Most large solar flares exhibit hard X-ray emission which is usually impulsive, as well as thermal soft X-ray emission, which is gradual. The beam-driven chromospheric evaporation model of solar flares was proposed to explain the origin of the soft X-ray emitting flare plasma. A careful evaluation of the issue under discussion reveals contradictions between predictions from the theoretical chromospheric evaporation model and actual observations from a set of large X- and M-type flares. It is shown that although the soft X-ray and hard X-ray emissions are a result of the same flare, one is not a result of the other.

Feldman, U.↗

Energetics of the gradual phase of solar flares

The Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) has operated since 1980 with a package of instruments that cover the solar spectrum from optical to gamma-ray wavelengths. While these instruments were not specifically designed to gather data on flare energetics, the SMM can measure many of the terms in the energy budget of a flare that have not been possible to determine in the past, especially when SMM data are combined with complementary data from other spacecraft and ground-based observatories, as was done as part of the SMY. During the recent SMM workshops on solar flares, the energetics of the gradual phase of several well-observed flares were investigated. The results of these studies are reviewed in this presentation. The advances that have resulted from the SMM flare energetics studies are discussed in context of what still must be done observationally and theoretically to define the complete energy budget of a flare.

Strong, Keith T.↗

Solar Flares and Their Prediction

Solar flares and coronal mass ejection's (CMES) can strongly affect the local environment at the Earth. A major challenge for solar physics is to understand the physical mechanisms responsible for the onset of solar flares. Flares, characterized by a sudden release of energy (approx. 10(exp 32) ergs for the largest events) within the solar atmosphere, result in the acceleration of electrons, protons, and heavier ions as well as the production of electromagnetic radiation from hard X-rays to km radio waves (wavelengths approx. = 10(exp -9) cm to 10(exp 6) cm). Observations suggest that solar flares and sunspots are strongly linked. For example, a study of data from 1956-1969, reveals that approx. 93 percent of major flares originate in active regions with spots. Furthermore, the global structure of the sunspot magnetic field can be correlated with flare activity. This talk will review what we know about flare causes and effects and will discuss techniques for quantifying parameters, which may lead to a prediction of solar flares.

Adams, Mitzi L.↗