Zdeněk Švestka

Multi-thermal observations of newly formed loops in a dynamic flare

The dynamic flare of 6 November, 1980 (max ≈ 15:26 UT) developed a rich system of growing loops which could be followed in Hα for 1.5 hr. Throughout the flare, these loops, near the limb, were seen in emission against the disk. Theoretical computations of deviations from LTE populations for a hydrogen atom reveal that this requires electron densities in the loops close to, or in excess of 1012 cm -3. From measured widths of higher Balmer lines the density at the tops of the loops was found to be 4 x 1012 cm -3 if no non-thermal motions were present, or 5 × 1011 cm -3 for a turbulent velocity of ~ 12 km s -1.It is now general knowledge that flare loops are initially observed in X-rays and become visible in Hα only after cooling. For such a high density, a loop would cool through radiation from 107 to 104 K within a few minutes so that the dense Hα loops should have heights very close to the heights of the X-ray loops. This, however, contradicts the observations obtained by the HXIS and FCS instruments on board SMM which show the X-ray loops at much higher altitudes than the loops in Hα. Therefore, we suggest that the density must have been significantly lower when the loops were formed and that the flare loops were apparently both shrinking and increasing in density while cooling.

Observations of a post-flare radio burst in X-rays

More than six hours after the two-ribbon flare of 21 May 1980, the hard X-ray spectrometer aboard the SMM imaged an extensive arch above the flare region which proved to be the lowest part of a stationary post-flare noise storm recorded at the same time at Culgoora. The X-ray arch extended over 3 or more arc minutes to a projected distance of 95 000 km, and its real altitude was most probably between 110 000 and 180 000 km. The mean electron density in the cloud was close to 109 cm−3 and its temperature stayed for many hours at a fairly constant value of about 6.5 × 106 K. The bent crystal spectrometer aboard the SMM confirms that the arch emission was basically thermal. Variations in brightness and energy spectrum at one of the supposed footpoints of the arch seem to correlate in time with radio brightness suggesting that suprathermal particles from the radio noise regions dumped in variable quantities into the low corona and transition layer; these particles may have contributed to the population of the arch, after being trapped and thermalized. The arch extended along the H∥ = 0 line thus apparently hindering any upward movement of the upper loops reconnected in the flare process. There is evidence from Culgoora that this obstacle may have been present above the flare since 15–30 min after its onset.

Revivals of a coronal arch

The giant post-flare arch of 6 November 1980 revived 11 hr and 25 hr after its formation. Both these revivals were caused by two-ribbon flares with growing systems of loops. The first two brightenings of the arch were homologous events with brightness maxima moving upwards through the corona with rather constant speed; during all three brightenings the arch showed a velocity pattern with two components: a slow one (8–12 km−1), related to the moving maxima of brightness, and a fast one (∼ 35 km s−1), the source of which is unknown.During the first revival, at an altitude of 100000 km, temperature in the arch peaked ∼ 1 hr, brightness ∼ 2 hr, and emission measure ∼ 3.5 hr after the onset of the brightening. Thus the arch looks like a magnified flare, with the scales both in size and time increased by an order of magnitude. At ∼ 100000 km altitude the maximum temperature was ≃14 × 106K, max.ne≃ 2.5 × 109cm−3, and max. energy density ≃ 11.2 erg cm−3. The volume of the whole arch can be estimated to 1.1 × 1030 cm3, total energy ≃1.2 × 1031 erg, and total mass ≃4.4 × 1015g. The density decreased with the increasing altitude and remained below 7 × 109 cm−3 anywhere in the arch. The arch cooled very slowly through radiation whereas conductive cooling was inhibited. Since its onset the revived arch was subject to energy input within the whole extent of the preexisting arch while a thermal disturbance (a new arch?) propagated slowly from below.We suggest that the first heating of the revived arch was due to reconnection of some of the distended flare loops with the magnetic field of the old preexisting arch. The formation of the ‘post’-flare loop system was delayed and started only some 30–40 min later. Since that time a new arch began to be formed above the loops and the velocities we found reflect this formation.

Enhanced X-ray emission above 3.5 keV in active regions in the absence of flares

We demonstrate that even in the absence of flares there are very often volumes of hot plasma in the corona above active regions with temperatures in excess of 10 million degrees. Characteristics of this hot plasma and its time variations seem to be different in active regions of different phase of development. These hot plasma regions are sources of very weak, but clearly recognizable, X-ray emission above 3.5 keV. Long-lived X-ray brightenings, 104 times weaker than a flare, but lasting up to 10 hr occur predominantly along the H∥ = 0 line, apparently low in the corona. After major flares, long-lived X-ray emission is also radiated from tops of arches extending high into the corona. Some other long-lived sources, far from the H∥ = 0 line, may be associated with newly emerging flux. Short-lived X-ray sources, with fluxes ranging from subflare levels to 10−3 times the flare flux, last for 2 to more than 30 min and are probably microflares. They seem to be most frequent in growing young active regions and appear often in areas with newly emerging flux.

Hard X-ray imaging of two flares in active region 2372

We discuss hard X-ray images of two flares observed by the Hard X-Ray Imaging Spectrometer (HXIS) aboard SMM on 1980 April 7 and 10. A comparison with H..cap alpha.. images and the photospheric magnetic field maps shows that the emission originated in (arcades of) loops which differ greatly in the hardness of the X-ray spectra. On April 7 the hardest X-ray emission coincided with the brightest H..cap alpha.. patch. On April 10 the most intense X-ray emission appeared to be concentrated in a looplike structure with a softer spectrum at the top and a harder spectrum in the legs. Temperature estimates from flux ratios in different energy bands tend to confirm that small, hot components are embedded in more extensive, cooler flaring regions. Temperatures in excess of 8 x 10/sup 7/ K have been found in the impulsive phase, but alternately a power-law spectrum with ..gamma..roughly-equal5.4 might fit the observed counts better.

Large-Scale Active Coronal Phenomena in Yohkoh SXT Images – IV. Solar Wind Streams from Flaring Active Regions

We demonstrate limb events on the Sun in which growing flare loop systems are embedded in hot coronal structures looking in soft X-rays like fans of coronal rays. These structures are formed during the flare and extend high into the corona. We analyze one of these events, on 28–29 August 1992, which occurred in AR 7270 on the eastern limb, and interpret these fans of rays either as temporary multiple ministreamers or plume-like structures formed as a result of restructuring due to a CME. We suggest that this configuration reflects mass flow from the active region into interplanetary space. This suggestion is supported by synoptic maps of solar wind sources constructed from scintillation measurements which show a source of enhanced solar wind density at the position of AR 7270, which disappears when 5 days following the event are removed from the synoptic map data. We also check synoptic maps for two other active regions in which existence of these fan-like structures was indicated when the active regions crossed both the east and west limbs of the Sun, and both these regions appear to be sources of a density enhancement in the solar wind.

Cooling of a coronal flare loop through radiation and conduction

A simple method is proposed for a computation of the cooling of coronal flare loops by radiation and conduction, for various temperatures, densities, and lengths of the loops. The relative importance of conductive and radiative losses is briefly discussed.

Varieties of Coronal Mass Ejections and Their Relation to Flares

Most coronal mass ejections (CMEs) start as coronal storms which are caused by an opening of channels of closed field lines along the zero line of the longitudinal magnetic field. This can happen along any zero line on the Sun where the configuration is destabilized. If the opening includes a zero line inside an active region, one observes a chromospheric flare. If this does not happen, no flare is associated with the CME in the chromosphere, but the process, as well as the response in the corona (a Long Decay Event in X-rays) remains the same. The only difference between flare-associated and non-flare-associated CMEs is the strength of the magnetic field in the region of the field line opening. This can explain essentially all differences which have been observed between these two kinds of CMEs. However, there are obviously also other sources of CMEs, different from coronal storms: sprays (giving rise to narrow, pointed ejections), erupting interconnecting loops (often destabilized by flares), and growing coronal holes. This paper tries to summarize and interpret observations which support this general picture, and demonstrates that both CMEs and flares must be properly discussed in any study of solar-terrestrial relations.

On the occurrence of blue asymmetry in chromospheric flare spectra

We present observations of optical spectra of a flare in which blue line asymmetry was seen for more than 4 min close to the flare onset. The maximum blue asymmetry coincided with the maximum of a hard X-ray and microwave burst. We discuss possible interpretations of the blue asymmetry and conclude that the most plausible one is electron-beam heating with return current. Although this process predicts downflows in the lower transition region and upper chromosphere, its ultimate effect on the line profiles can be blue asymmetry: the upper layers moving away from us absorb the radiation of the red peak thus lowering its intensity in comparison to the blue one.

The Queens' flare: Its structure and development; precursors, pre-flare brightenings, and aftermaths

We continue previous research on the limb flare of 30 April, 1980, 20:20 UT, observed in X-rays by several instruments aboard the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM). It is shown quantitatively that the flare originated in an emerging magnetically confined kernel (diameter ∼ 20″) which existed for about ten to fifteen minutes, and from which energetic electrons streamed, in at least two injections, into a previously existing complicated magnetic loop system thus forming a less bright but extended and long-lived tongue. The tongue had a length of ∼ 35 000 km and lasted ∼ 90 min in X-rays (∼ 10 keV); at lower energies (∼ 0.7 keV) it was larger (∼ 80 000 km) and lasted longer. The total number of energetic electrons (≈ 1037) initially present in the kernel is of the same order as the number present in the tongue after the kernels decline. This gives evidence that the energetic electrons in the tongue originated mainly in the kernel. The electron number densities in the kernel and tongue at maximum brightness were ∼ 4.5 × 1011 and ∼ 1 × 1011 cm#X2212;3, respectively. During the first eight minutes of its existence the tongue was hotter than the kernel, but it cooled off gradually. Its decline in intensity and temperature was exponential; energy was lost by radiation and by conduction through the footpoints of the loop system. These footpoints have a cross-section of only ∼ 3 × 106 km2. This small value, as well as photographs in a Civ UV emission line, suggests a highly filamentary structure of the system; this is further supported by the finding that the tongue had a ‘filling factor’ of ∼ 10#X2212;2. Several faint X-ray brightenings (≲ 0.005 of the flares maximum intensity) were observed at various locations along the solar limb for several hours before and after the flare. At ∼ 30 min before the flares onset a faint (≲ 0.02) flare precursor occurred, coinciding in place and shape with the flare. First the kernel precursor was brightest but the tongue precursor increased continuously in brightness and was the brightest part of the precursor some 10–15 min after the first visibility of the kernel precursor, until the start of the main flare. This suggests (weak) continuous electron acceleration in the tongue during a period of at least 30 min. The main flare was caused by strong emergence of magnetic field followed by two consecutive field line reconnections and accelerations in a small loop system, causing footpoint heating. Subsequently plasma streamed (convectively) into a pre-existing system of larger loops, forming the tongue.