Physics
Scientific paper
May 2004
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2004aps..apr.s3001h&link_type=abstract
American Physical Society, April Meeting, 2004, May 1-4, 2004, Denver, Colorado April 2004, MEETING ID: APR04, abstract #S3.001
Physics
Scientific paper
Solar flares are impressive examples of explosive energy release in unconfined, magnetized plasma. It is generally believed that the flare energy is derived from the coronal magnetic field. However, we have not been able to establish the specific energy release mechanism(s) or the relative partitioning of the released energy between heating, particle acceleration (electrons and ions), and mass motions. NASA's RHESSI Mission was designed to study the acceleration and evolution of electrons and ions in flares by observing the X-ray and gamma-ray emissions these energetic particles produce. This is accomplished through the combination of high-resolution spectroscopy and spectroscopic imaging, including the first images of flares in gamma rays. RHESSI has observed over 12,000 solar flares since its launch on February 5, 2002. I will demonstrate how we use the RHESSI spectra to deduce physical properties of accelerated electrons and hot plasma in flares. Using images to estimate volumes, we typically find that the total energy in accelerated electrons is comparable to that in the thermal plasma. I will also present flare observations that provide strong support for the presence of magnetic reconnection in a large-scale, vertical current sheet in the solar corona. RHESSI observations such as these are allowing us to probe more deeply into the physics of solar flares.
No associations
LandOfFree
Solar Flares Observed with the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.
If you have personal experience with Solar Flares Observed with the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI), we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Solar Flares Observed with the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1180930