A new solar flare scenario: - High-beta plasma disruption -

The solar corona is believed to be generally low beta. In a low-beta plasma, energy is mainly stored as magnetic energy or current. To dissipate the stored magnetic energy in the highly conductive corona, anomalous resistivity is needed. Activities of outer layers of X-ray loops in solar flares have been interpreted as the result of reconnection of magnetic field due to anomalous resistivity in a current sheet located above the flaring loop.