Quasi-Periodic Pulsations in Solar and Stellar Flares. Review

This paper provides an overview of the state-of-the-art studies of oscillatory processes in solar and stellar flares, based on modern observational data from ground-based and space-borne instruments with high temporal, spatial, and spectral resolution in different bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. We examine the mecha-nisms that generate flare emission and its quasi-periodic modulation. We discuss similarities and differences between solar and stellar flares, and address associated problems of superflares on the Sun and space weather. Quasi-periodic pulsations (QPPs) of flare emission are shown to be an effective tool for diagnosing both the flare processes themselves and the parameters of flaring plasmas and accelerated particles. We consider types of QPPs, their statistical properties, and methods of analysis, taking into account the non-stationarity of the QPP' parameters. We review the proposed mechanisms of QPPs and summarize open questions.