An Investigation of Flare Footpoint DEMs using AIA Diffraction Patterns
Abstract
The heating of flare footpoints by accelerated electrons is a well-established component of the standard flare model. However, limitations of current instruments make it challenging to obtain high cadence, high resolution observations of the brightest footpoint regions, predominantly due to low cadence, or pixel saturation.In moderate and large flares observed by the Solar Dynamics Observatory’s Atmospheric Imaging Assembly, CCD pixels in the footpoint regions are frequently saturated despite the automatic exposure control. Using the method of Schwartz et al. (2014), we reconstruct saturated footpoint kernels in the brightest flaring regions and investigate the evolving footpoint differential emission measure at the full 12 second AIA cadence. This is compared to the changing electron fluxes observed with the Reuven Ramaty Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) to investigate the relationship between the non-thermal electron energy flux and the footpoint thermal response.(Schwartz, R. A., Torre, G., & Piana, M. (2014), Astrophysical Journal Letters, 793, LL23 )
- Publication:
-
AAS/AGU Triennial Earth-Sun Summit
- Pub Date:
- April 2015
- Bibcode:
- 2015TESS....130211R