Impulsive hard X-rays from solar flares
A technique for determining the physical arrangement of a solar flare during the impulsive phase was developed based upon a nonthermal model interpretation of the emitted hard X-rays. Accurate values are obtained for the flare parameters, including those which describe the magnetic field structure and the beaming of the energetic electrons, parameters which have hitherto been mostly inaccessible. The X-ray intensity height structure can be described readily with a single expression based upon a semi-empirical fit to the results from many models. Results show that the degree of linear polarization of the X-rays from a flaring loop does not exceed 25 percent and can easily and naturally be as low as the polarization expected from a thermal model. This is a highly significant result in that it supersedes those based upon less thorough calculations of the electron beam dynamics and requires that a reevaluation of hopes of using polarization measurements to discriminate between categories of flare models.
- Research Organization:
- Stanford Univ., CA (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6624273
- Report Number(s):
- N-84-21480; NASA-CR-175431
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Impulsive phase of solar flares. II. Characteristics of the hard X-rays
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Related Subjects
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EQUATIONS
FERMIONS
FLUX DENSITY
FOKKER-PLANCK EQUATION
HARD X RADIATION
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LEPTONS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
POLARIZATION
RADIANT FLUX DENSITY
RADIATIONS
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR ELECTRONS
SOLAR FLARES
SOLAR PARTICLES
SOLAR RADIATION
STELLAR RADIATION
X RADIATION