Fine Structure in Solar Flares
Abstract
The high spatial resolution (0.5 arcsec) and broad temperature response (104-10^7 K) of the Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE) make it a unique instrument for observing solar flares. Here we present analysis of several large two-ribbon flares observed with both TRACE and Yohkoh. The high spatial resolution TRACE observations show that solar flare plasma is generally not confined to a single loop or even a few isolated loops, but a multitude of fine coronal structures. These observations also suggest that the high temperature flare plasma generally appears diffuse while the cooler (<2 MK) post-flare plasma is loop-like. We conjecture that the diffuse appearance of the high temperature flare emission seen with TRACE is due to a combination of the emission measure structure of these flares and the instrumental temperature response and does not reflect fundamental differences in plasma morphology at the different temperatures.
- Publication:
-
AAS/Solar Physics Division Meeting #31
- Pub Date:
- May 2000
- Bibcode:
- 2000SPD....31.0262W