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B. R. Dennis (NASA GSFC)
In many solar flares, the time integral of the hard X-ray emission closely matches the temporal variation of the soft X-ray emission. This is known as the Neupert Effect and is believed to result when the same accelerated electrons that produce the bremsstrahlung hard X-rays also heat the plasma that produces the thermal bremsstrahlung soft X rays. The Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) is uniquely capable of investigating this effect since it covers soft X-rays (down to 3 keV) and hard X-rays with keV energy resolution, arcsecond-class angular resolution, and sub-second time resolution. Several GOES M-class flares have already been detected that show this general effect, but the detailed time histories suggest that there must be other heating mechanisms besides the thermalization of accelerated electrons that are heating the soft X-ray-emitting plasma, even during the impulsive phase. Spatially-resolved hard and soft X-ray observations of these flares are also being investigated to determine what fraction of the heating is produced by the accelerated electrons.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: Brian.R.Dennis.1@gsfc.nasa.gov
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 34
© 2002. The American Astronomical Soceity.