Direct evidence for chromospheric evaporation in a well-observed compact flare
Observations of the solar flare of May 7, 1980 using several Solar Maximum Mission instruments are presented as an investigation of the phenomenon of chromospheric evaporation. The total amount of plasma at temperatures greater than 2 x 10 to the 6th K were determined from the X-ray data, and the amount of plasma that was evaporated from the chromosphere was determined from the H-alpha data. The H-alpha profiles indicate that for the flare as a whole, at the time of peak soft X-ray emission measure, the number of atoms evaporated from the chromosphere was 7 x 10 to the 37th. The soft X-ray emission measure of 1 x 10 to the 49th/cu cm, coupled with the flare volume estimate of 10 to the 26th cu cm, indicates that there were 3 x 10 to the 37th electrons in the soft X-ray plasma with temperatures greater than 2 x 10 to the 6th K. These results indicate that enough material had been evaporated from the chromosphere to account for the X-ray plasma. Taken together, the H-alpha, soft X-ray, and hard X-ray images indicate that chromospheric evaporation is driven both by flare-accelerated electrons during the impulsive phase and by conduction during the thermal phase.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of California, La Jolla
- OSTI ID:
- 6582689
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-820582-
- Journal Information:
- Adv. Space Res.; (United States), Journal Name: Adv. Space Res.; (United States) Vol. 2; ISSN ASRSD
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Explosive plasma flows in a solar flare
Properties of an impulsive compact solar flare determined from Solar Maximum Mission X-ray measurements
Related Subjects
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ATMOSPHERES
BALMER LINES
CHROMOSPHERE
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY TRANSFER
EVAPORATION
FERMIONS
HEAT TRANSFER
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LEPTONS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
RADIATIONS
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR ATMOSPHERE
SOLAR ELECTRONS
SOLAR FLARES
SOLAR PARTICLES
SOLAR RADIATION
SOLAR WIND
STELLAR RADIATION
X RADIATION