scholarly journals Gamma-rays from Solar Flares

2000 ◽  
Vol 195 ◽  
pp. 123-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Ramaty ◽  
N. Mandzhavidze
Keyword(s):  
Energy Release ◽  
Gamma Rays ◽  
Solar Flares ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Particle Interaction ◽  
Mass Motion ◽  
Relativistic Electrons ◽  
Total Energy Release ◽  
Flare Energy ◽  
Accelerated Particles

Gamma-ray emission is the most direct diagnostic of energetic ions and relativistic electrons in solar flares. Analysis of solar flare gamma-ray data has shown: (i) ion acceleration is a major consequence of flare energy release, as the total flare energy in accelerated particles appears to be equipartitioned between ≳ 1 MeV/nucleon ions and ≳ 20 keV electrons, and amounts to an important fraction of the total energy release; (ii) there are flares for which over 50% of the energy is in a particles and heavier ions; (iii) in both impulsive and gradual flares, the particles that interact at the Sun and produce gamma rays are essentially always accelerated by the same mechanism that operates in impulsive flares, probably stochastic acceleration through gyroresonant wave particle interaction; and (iv) gamma-ray spectroscopy can provide new information on solar abundances, for example the site of the FIP-bias onset and the photospheric 3He abundance. We propose a new technique for the investigation of mass motion and mixing in the solar atmosphere: the observations of gamma-ray lines from long-term radioactivity produced by flare accelerated particles.

scholarly journals Gamma-Ray Lines from Solar Flares

1975 ◽  
Vol 68 ◽  
pp. 363-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Ramaty ◽  
R. E. Lingenfelter
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Rays ◽  
Solar Flares ◽  
Neutron Capture ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Nuclear Reactions ◽  
The Other ◽  
Line Production ◽  
Absolute Intensities ◽  
Flare Region ◽  
Accelerated Particles

We have treated in detail the theory of gamma-ray line production in solar flares. The strongest line, both predicted theoretically and detected observationally at 2.2 MeV, is due to neutron capture by protons in the photosphere. The neutrons are produced in nuclear reactions of flare accelerated particles which also produce positrons and prompt nuclear gamma rays. From the comparison of the observed and calculated intensities of the lines at 4.4 or 6.1 MeV to that of the 2.2 MeV line it is possible to deduce the spectrum of accelerated nuclei in the flare region; and from the absolute intensities of these lines it is possible to obtain the total number of accelerated nuclei at the Sun. The study of the 2.2 MeV line also gives information on the amount of He3 in the photosphere. The study of the line at 0.51 MeV resulting from positron annihilation complements the data obtained from the other lines; in addition it gives information on the temperature and density in the annihilation region and on the anisotropy of the accelerated electron beam which produces continuum gamma rays at energies greater than about 1 MeV.

scholarly journals Millimeter and Microwave Activity of the Sun

1990 ◽  
Vol 142 ◽  
pp. 457-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. Kundu ◽  
S. M. White
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Gamma Rays ◽  
Solar Flares ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
High Spatial Resolution ◽  
High Resolution Imaging ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Millimeter Wavelengths ◽  
Resolution Imaging ◽  
The Magnetic Field

The emission of solar flares at millimeter wavelengths is of great interest both in its own right and because it is generated by the energetic electrons which also emit gamma rays. Since high-resolution imaging at gamma-ray energies is not presently possible, millimeter observations can act as a substitute. Except for that class of flares known as gamma-ray flares the millimetric emission is optically thin. It can be used as a powerful diagnostic of the energy distribution of electrons in solar flares and its evolution, and of the magnetic field. We have carried out high-spatial-resolution millimeter observations of solar flares this year using the Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland Array (BIMA), and report on the preliminary results in this paper (Kundu et al 1990; White et al 1990). We also report some recent results obtained from multifrequency observations using the VLA (White et al 1990).

scholarly journals Preface

1991 ◽  
Vol 336 (1643) ◽  
pp. 323-323
Keyword(s):  
Solar Flare ◽  
Energy Release ◽  
Gamma Rays ◽  
Solar Flares ◽  
Solar Maximum ◽  
Interplanetary Space ◽  
Release Site ◽  
Solar Maximum Mission ◽  
New Information ◽  
Three Space

During the period of the 1980 solar maximum three space missions (P78-1, Solar Maximum Mission and Hinotori ) carried out extensive studies of solar flares. In their different ways all of these missions contributed significant new information to our understanding of the solar flare phenomenon. In this volume the contribution made by these three spacecraft to the study of the energy release and the related creation of high-tem perature plasma, the transport of energy from the primary release site, the production of gamma-rays at energies up to 10 MeV and the ejection of solar matter into interplanetary space are reviewed.

scholarly journals Particle Acceleration in Solar Flares and Coronal Mass Ejections

2000 ◽  
Vol 195 ◽  
pp. 15-25
Author(s):  
R. P. Lin
Keyword(s):  
Particle Acceleration ◽  
Energy Release ◽  
Coronal Mass Ejections ◽  
Solar Flares ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Solar Energetic Particle ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Total Rate ◽  
Solar Energetic Particle Events ◽  
High Energy Particles

The Sun accelerates ions up to tens of GeV and electrons up to 100s of MeV in solar flares and coronal mass ejections. The energy in the accelerated tens-of-keV electrons and possibly ~1 MeV ions constitutes a significant fraction of the total energy released in a flare, implying that the particle acceleration and flare energy release mechanisms are intimately related. The total rate of energy release in transients from flares down to microflares/nanoflares may be significant for heating the active solar corona.Shock waves driven by fast CMEs appear to accelerate the high-energy particles in large solar energetic particle events detected at 1 AU. Smaller SEP events are dominated by ~1 to tens-of-keV electrons, with low fluxes of up to a few MeV/nucleon ions, typically enriched in 3He. The acceleration in gamma-ray flares appears to resemble that in these small electron-3He SEP events.

scholarly journals Hard X-ray Spectrum of the Above-the-Looptop Source in Impulsive Solar Flares

2000 ◽  
Vol 195 ◽  
pp. 413-414
Author(s):  
S. Masuda
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Reconnection ◽  
Energy Release ◽  
Solar Flares ◽  
Count Rate ◽  
High Quality ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Flare Energy

Extended AbstractThe Hard X-ray Telescope (HXT: Kosugi et al. 1991) onboard Yohkoh has observed that, in impulsive solar flares, a hard X-ray source is located above the apex of a soft X-ray flaring loop, in addition to double footpoint sources (Masuda et al. 1994, 1995). This observation suggests that flare energy-release, probably magnetic reconnection, takes place not in the soft X-ray loop but above the loop. It is important to derive the hard X-ray spectrum of the above-the-looptop source accurately in order to understand how electrons are energized there. The above-the-looptop source was most clearly observed during the 13 January 1992 flare. However, the count rate, especially in the H-band (53–93 keV), is too small to synthesize high-quality images and to derive an accurate spectrum.

scholarly journals Turbulent Acceleration in Solar Flares

1994 ◽  
Vol 142 ◽  
pp. 623-630
Author(s):  
D. B. Melrose
Keyword(s):  
Solar Flares ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Impulsive Phase ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Nonthermal Electron ◽  
Relativistic Electrons ◽  
Mhd Turbulence ◽  
Narrow Channels ◽  
Current Instability

AbstractTurbulent acceleration in the impulsive phase of solar flares is reviewed, with the emphasis on bulk energization of nonrelativistic electrons and prompt acceleration of the gamma-ray emitting nonrelativistic ions and relativistic electrons. The primary energy release in a flare cannot be due to collisional dissipation. Anomalous resistivity requires that the current flows in many narrow channels with the current density above threshold for current instability. The bulk energization of the electrons is due to the damping of low-frequency electrostatic turbulence generated by the current instability. This turbulence also limits the rate a nonthermal electron tail forms due to runaway acceleration. Stochastic and gyroresonant acceleration by MHD turbulence are discussed briefly, emphasizing the need for preacceleration. Stochastic acceleration is favorable for the gamma-ray emitting particles only if an adequated source of the MHD turbulence can be identified.Subject headings: acceleration of particles — MHD — Sun: flares — turbulence

High-Energy Solar Gamma-Ray Observations

1998 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 755-758
Author(s):  
M. Yoshimori ◽  
N. Saita ◽  
A. Shiozawa
Keyword(s):  
Particle Acceleration ◽  
Gamma Rays ◽  
Solar Flares ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Solar Maximum ◽  
High Energy ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Long Duration ◽  
New Findings ◽  
Gamma Ray Emission

In the last solar maximum, gamma-rays associated with solar flares were observed with GRANAT, GAMMA-1, CGRO and YOHKOH. The gamma-ray energies ranged from 100 keV to a few GeV. We obtained several new findings of gamma-ray emission on the Sun: (1) Gamma-ray production in the corona, (2) GeV gamma-ray production in very long duration flares, (3) Electron-rich flares, (4) Gamma-ray lines and solar atmospheric abundances and (5) Possible location of gamma-ray emission. We present the observations of these new findings and discuss high energy phenomena relating to particle acceleration and gamma-ray production during solar flares.

scholarly journals Astrophysical explosions: from solar flares to cosmic gamma-ray bursts

2012 ◽  
Vol 370 (1960) ◽  
pp. 774-799 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Craig Wheeler
Keyword(s):  
Neutron Stars ◽  
Energy Release ◽  
Solar Flares ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Gamma Ray Bursts ◽  
Accretion Discs ◽  
Stellar Flares ◽  
Crossing Time ◽  
Dynamical Time ◽  
New Research

Astrophysical explosions result from the release of magnetic, gravitational or thermonuclear energy on dynamical time scales, typically the sound-crossing time for the system. These explosions include solar and stellar flares, eruptive phenomena in accretion discs, thermonuclear combustion on the surfaces of white dwarfs and neutron stars, violent magnetic reconnection in neutron stars, thermonuclear and gravitational collapse supernovae and cosmic gamma-ray bursts, each representing a different type and amount of energy release. This paper summarizes the properties of these explosions and describes new research on thermonuclear explosions and explosions in extended circumstellar media. Parallels are drawn between studies of terrestrial and astrophysical explosions, especially the physics of the transition from deflagration-to-detonation.

scholarly journals Gamma-Ray Precursors of Solar Flares

1994 ◽  
Vol 142 ◽  
pp. 645-648
Author(s):  
E. Rieger
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Gamma Rays ◽  
Solar Flares ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
X Rays ◽  
High Energy Gamma ◽  
Gamma Ray Spectrometer ◽  
Energy Gamma ◽  
Negligible Contribution

AbstractBursts have been observed by the gamma-ray spectrometer on SMM at medium- and high-energy gamma-rays that precede the flare maximum. The negligible contribution of nuclear lines in the spectra of these events and their impulsive appearance suggests that they are hard-electron-dominated events superposed on the flares. Spatial resolution at gamma-ray energies will be necessary to decide whether this kind of bursts is cospatial with the flares or whether they occur in the flares’ vicinity.Subject headings: Sun: flares — Sun: X-rays, gamma rays

scholarly journals A Satellite Experiment to Measure the Intensity and the Energy Spectrum of Gamma Rays from Solar Flares in the Range 50–500 MeV

1971 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
pp. 44-44
Author(s):  
G. F. Bignami ◽  
C. J. Bland ◽  
O. Citterio ◽  
A. J. Dean ◽  
P. Inzani
Keyword(s):  
Energy Spectrum ◽  
Solar Flare ◽  
Gamma Rays ◽  
Solar Flares ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Measurement Capability ◽  
Satellite Experiment

A high energy solar gamma-ray telescope incorporating a lenticular Čerenkov for directional measurement and an energy calorimeter is described. The instrument is included in the payload of the TD-1 ESRO spacecraft to be launched into a sun-pointing orbit during spring 1972. The results of laboratory and accelerator tests are presented and the sensitivity and measurement capability to solar flare gamma rays is discussed.

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