Flare Frequency-Size Distributions for Individual Active Regions
Abstract
It is well known that the size (peak count rate of emission, or inferred energy) distribution of flares observed on the Sun follows a power law. However, the distributions that are constructed include flares from different active regions that have a variety of physical properties. In this paper cumulative peak count rate distributions are constructed for individual active regions using events listed in the WATCH solar X-ray burst catalog. The individual distributions are found to be consistent with the distribution constructed from events in all active regions named in the catalog. This result suggests that the flare power-law size distribution reflects an intrinsic property of the flare mechanism and is not a product of the distributions of physical parameters between active regions. The result is consistent with the avalanche model for flares and more generally argues against macroscopic flare models.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- April 2000
- DOI:
- 10.1086/308605
- Bibcode:
- 2000ApJ...532.1209W
- Keywords:
-
- MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS: MHD;
- SUN: ACTIVITY;
- SUN: CORONA;
- SUN: FLARES