Gamma Radiation and Photospheric White-Light Flare Continuum
Abstract
Recent gamma-ray observations of solar flares have provided a better means for estimating the heating of the solar atmosphere by energetic protons. Such heating has been suggested as the explanation of the continuum emission of the white-light flare. We have analyzed the effects on the photosphere of high-energy particles capable of producing the intense gamma-ray emission observed in the 1978 July 11 flare. Using a simple energy-balance argument and taking into account hydrogen ionization, we have obtained the following conclusions: Heating near τ5000 = 1 in the input HSRA model atmosphere is negligible, even for very high fluxes of energetic particles.
- Publication:
-
Solar Physics
- Pub Date:
- February 1982
- DOI:
- Bibcode:
- 1982SoPh...76...45H
- Keywords:
-
- Gamma Ray Astronomy;
- Photosphere;
- Solar Atmosphere;
- Solar Flares;
- Solar Protons;
- Solar Radiation;
- Atmospheric Heating;
- Atmospheric Models;
- Energy Spectra;
- Particle Precipitation;
- Solar X-Rays;
- Solar Physics;
- Flare;
- Gamma Radiation;
- Solar Flare;
- Energy Deposition;
- Column Density