On the Relationship Between Magnetic Reconnection Rate and Hard X-Ray Spectral Index

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A recent numerical simulation of electron acceleration by Wood and Neukirch (2005, Solar Physics, 226, 73) suggests that electron energy spectrum becomes harder with increasing electric field in the reconnecting current sheet. We attempted to confirm this simulation result using observations of 7 two-ribbon flares. Since electron energy distribution is closely related to hard X-ray spectral index, and the magnetic reconnection rate in terms of electric field can be estimated from H-alpha ribbon motions and line-of-sight magnetograms, we calculate these quantities with the data from the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI), Yohkoh/HXT, Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO), Optical Solar Patrol Network (OSPAN), and SOHO Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI). As a result, we found an anti-correlation between the hard X-ray spectral index and the electric field, consistent with the simulation. Our result seems to support the hypothesis that the particle acceleration by electric field is a dominant mechanism for producing the high-energy particles during solar flares. This work is supported by NSF/SHINE grant ATM-0548952.

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