Observations and Models of a Flaring Loop

Details Observations and Models of a Flaring Loop Observations and Models of a Flaring Loop

May 2000

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2000spd....31.0243n&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, SPD meeting #31, #02.43

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

Simultaneous images of a flaring loop at two frequencies are used to model the magnetic structure of the loop and the energy distribution of the radiating electrons. The imaging data were obtained with the VLA at 5 and 15 GHz. Additional spectral data were provided by the OVRO Solar Array at several frequencies between 2 GHz and 15 GHz. At 15 GHz, the flare emission was optically thin and came from the footpoints of the flaring loop, while at 5 GHz the loop itself was outlined. Most of the 5 GHz emission was optically thick and its spatial maximum was close to the loop top. A striking feature of the observations is that the 5 GHz emission does not reach down to the 15 GHz footpoints. We compare the observations with calculations of gyrosynchrotron emission from an inhomogeneous magnetic loop in order to determine the conditions in the flaring loop. The best fit to the OVRO fluxes was reached with a model flaring loop with photospheric footpoint magnetic field strength of 870 G. The thickness of the model loop was small compared to its footpoint separation. The energy spectral index of the energetic electrons was 3.7 and their number density was 7.9 x 107 cm-3. The low and high energy cutoffs of the nonthermal electrons were 8 and 210 keV. The 5 GHz emission in this model is at low harmonics (3--7) and harmonic effects are responsible for the weak 5 GHz emission at the footpoints. The absence of electrons above 210 keV is necessary in this model to explain why no emission is observed from the loop top at 15 GHz. That model reproduced well the high frequency part of the OVRO flux spectrum as well as the VLA spatial structure. Thus comparisons between the spatially--resolved observations and models reveal the three-dimensional structure of the loop geometry.

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