X-ray and EUV Observations of GOES C8 Solar Flare Events

We present an analysis of soft X-rays (SXR) and extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) imaging and spectral observations of solar flares with an approximate C8 GOES class. Our constraint on peak GOES SXR flux allows for the investigation of correlations between various flare parameters. We show that the the duration of the decay phase is proportional to the duration of its rise phase. Additionally, we show significant correlations between the radiation emitted in the rise and decay phases of a flare: the total radiated energy of a given flare is proportional to the energy radiated during the rise phase alone. This partitioning of radiated energy between the rise and decay phases is observed in both soft X-ray (SXR) extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wavelengths. Though observations from the EUV Variability Experiment (EVE) show significant variation in the behavior of individual EUV spectral lines during different C8 events, we show that the broadband EUV emission is well constrained. Furthermore, using GOES and AIA data, we determine several thermal parameters of these events: temperature, volume, density, and emission measure. Analysis of these parameters demonstrate that the longer duration solar flares are cooler events with larger volumes capable of emitting vast amounts of radiation. The shortest C8 flares are typically the hottest events, smaller in physical size, and have lower associated total energies. These relationships are directly comparable with several sample scaling laws and flare loop models.