CORRELATION OF HARD X-RAY AND WHITE LIGHT EMISSION IN SOLAR FLARES
- University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Bahnhofstrasse 6, 5210 Windisch (Switzerland)
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-7450 (United States)
A statistical study of the correlation between hard X-ray and white light emission in solar flares is performed in order to search for a link between flare-accelerated electrons and white light formation. We analyze 43 flares spanning GOES classes M and X using observations from the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager and Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager. We calculate X-ray fluxes at 30 keV and white light fluxes at 6173 Å summed over the hard X-ray flare ribbons with an integration time of 45 s around the peak hard-X ray time. We find a good correlation between hard X-ray fluxes and excess white light fluxes, with a highest correlation coefficient of 0.68 for photons with energy of 30 keV. Assuming the thick target model, a similar correlation is found between the deposited power by flare-accelerated electrons and the white light fluxes. The correlation coefficient is found to be largest for energy deposition by electrons above ∼50 keV. At higher electron energies the correlation decreases gradually while a rapid decrease is seen if the energy provided by low-energy electrons is added. This suggests that flare-accelerated electrons of energy ∼50 keV are the main source for white light production.
- OSTI ID:
- 22521744
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 816, Issue 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGING OF SOLAR FLARE RIBBONS AND ITS IMPLICATION ON THE THICK-TARGET BEAM MODEL
G-BAND AND HARD X-RAY EMISSIONS OF THE 2006 DECEMBER 14 FLARE OBSERVED BY HINODE/SOT AND RHESSI