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Title: Investigating the differential emission measure and energetics of microflares with combined SDO/AIA and RHESSI observations

Abstract

An important question in solar physics is whether solar microflares, the smallest currently observable flare events in X-rays, possess the same energetic properties as large flares. Recent surveys have suggested that microflares may be less efficient particle accelerators than large flares, and hence contribute less non-thermal energy, which may have implications for coronal heating mechanisms. We therefore explore the energetic properties of microflares by combining EUV and X-ray measurements. We present forward-fitting differential emission measure (DEM) analysis of 10 microflares. The fitting is constrained by combining, for the first time, high-temperature Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) observations and flux data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA). Two fitting models are tested for the DEM; a Gaussian distribution and a uniform DEM profile. A Gaussian fit proved unable to explain the observations for any of the studied microflares. However, 8 of 10 events studied were reasonably fit by a uniform DEM profile. Hence microflare plasma can be considered to be significantly multi-thermal, and may not be significantly peaked or contain resolvable fine structure, within the uncertainties of the observational instruments. The thermal and non-thermal energy is estimated for each microflare, comparing the energy budgetmore » with an isothermal plasma assumption. From the multi-thermal fits the minimum non-thermal energy content was found to average approximately 30% of the estimated thermal energy. By comparison, under an isothermal model the non-thermal and thermal energy estimates were generally comparable. Hence, multi-thermal plasma is an important consideration for solar microflares that substantially alters their thermal and non-thermal energy content.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2]
  1. Physics Department, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20664, USA. (United States)
  2. Solar Physics Laboratory, Heliophysics Science Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22365694
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 789; Journal Issue: 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ACCELERATORS; APPROXIMATIONS; EMISSION; ENERGY ACCOUNTING; ENERGY BALANCE; EXTREME ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION; FINE STRUCTURE; GAMMA RADIATION; GAUSS FUNCTION; GRAY ENERGY; IMAGES; LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT; PLASMA; SUN; X RADIATION

Citation Formats

Inglis, A. R., and Christe, S. Investigating the differential emission measure and energetics of microflares with combined SDO/AIA and RHESSI observations. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/789/2/116.
Inglis, A. R., & Christe, S. Investigating the differential emission measure and energetics of microflares with combined SDO/AIA and RHESSI observations. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/789/2/116
Inglis, A. R., and Christe, S. 2014. "Investigating the differential emission measure and energetics of microflares with combined SDO/AIA and RHESSI observations". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/789/2/116.
@article{osti_22365694,
title = {Investigating the differential emission measure and energetics of microflares with combined SDO/AIA and RHESSI observations},
author = {Inglis, A. R. and Christe, S.},
abstractNote = {An important question in solar physics is whether solar microflares, the smallest currently observable flare events in X-rays, possess the same energetic properties as large flares. Recent surveys have suggested that microflares may be less efficient particle accelerators than large flares, and hence contribute less non-thermal energy, which may have implications for coronal heating mechanisms. We therefore explore the energetic properties of microflares by combining EUV and X-ray measurements. We present forward-fitting differential emission measure (DEM) analysis of 10 microflares. The fitting is constrained by combining, for the first time, high-temperature Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) observations and flux data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA). Two fitting models are tested for the DEM; a Gaussian distribution and a uniform DEM profile. A Gaussian fit proved unable to explain the observations for any of the studied microflares. However, 8 of 10 events studied were reasonably fit by a uniform DEM profile. Hence microflare plasma can be considered to be significantly multi-thermal, and may not be significantly peaked or contain resolvable fine structure, within the uncertainties of the observational instruments. The thermal and non-thermal energy is estimated for each microflare, comparing the energy budget with an isothermal plasma assumption. From the multi-thermal fits the minimum non-thermal energy content was found to average approximately 30% of the estimated thermal energy. By comparison, under an isothermal model the non-thermal and thermal energy estimates were generally comparable. Hence, multi-thermal plasma is an important consideration for solar microflares that substantially alters their thermal and non-thermal energy content.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/789/2/116},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22365694}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 2,
volume = 789,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jul 10 00:00:00 EDT 2014},
month = {Thu Jul 10 00:00:00 EDT 2014}
}