The Phase of Particle Acceleration in the Flare Development
Abstract
Evidence is given that the particle acceleration in flares is confined to the initial phase of the flare development preceding the Hα flare maximum and lasting for less than 10 min. The impulsive acceleration process is confined to a relatively small limited volume of about 5 × 1027 cm3 in the region of highest magnetic gradient in the flare, and its size represents about 0.05 or less of the total extent of the hot condensation which produces the soft X-ray and gradual microwave bursts. About one in fifty particles in this volume is accelerated to energy exceeding 100 keV, the total particle density being ≈ 1010 cm−3. The accelerated electrons produce the impulsive hard X-ray burst, but synchrotron losses greatly reduce the number of relativistic electrons participating in the bremsstrahlung process. Protons above 20 MeV penetrate to the lowest chromosphere and upper photosphere and temporarily increase the temperature in the bombarded region. As the result a flash of continuous emission appears, which should be most expressive below 1527 Å. The associated white-light emission shows the bottom of the region where the impulsive acceleration process occurs.
- Publication:
-
Solar Physics
- Pub Date:
- August 1970
- DOI:
- 10.1007/BF00153567
- Bibcode:
- 1970SoPh...13..471S
- Keywords:
-
- Flare;
- Particle Acceleration;
- Relativistic Electron;
- Total Particle;
- Accelerate Electron