Physical Processes in Solar Flares
Solar flares are very complex electromagnetic phenomena of a cataclysmic nature. Particles are accelerated to very high velocities and a variety of physical processes happen inside and outside flares. These processes can be studied by a large number of te
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ASTROPHYSICS AND SPACE SCIENCE LIBRARY A SERIES OF BOOKS ON THE RECENT DEVELOPMENTS OF SPACE SCIENCE AND OF GENERAL GEOPHYSICS AND ASTROPHYSICS PUBLISHED IN CONNECTION WITH THE JOURNAL SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS
Editorial Board R. L. F. BOYD, University College, London, England W. B. BURTON, Sterrewacht, Leiden, The Netherlands C. DE JAGER, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands J. KLECZEK, Czechoslovak Academy of ScienCes, Ondfejov, Czechoslovakia Z. KOPAL, University of Manchester, England R. LOST, Max-Planck-Institutfiir Meteorolof{ie, Hamburf{, Germany
CURRENT RESEARCH VOLUME 172
PHYSICAL PROCESSES IN SOLAR FLARES by
BORIS V. SOMOV Sternberg Astrollomicallnstitute, Moscow State University
SPRINGER SCIENCE+BUSINESS MEDIA,
B.v.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Somov, B. V. (Boris V.) Physical processes in sclar flares I by Boris V. Somov. ~. cm. Includes bibl iographical reFerences (p. ) and index.
ISBN 978-94-010-5056-2 ISBN 978-94-011-2396-9 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-94-011-2396-9 1. Solar flares. QB526.F6S65 1991 523.7'5--dc20
ISBN 978-94-010-5056-2
2. High ter;perature plasmas.
1. Title. 91-14565
ASTROPHYSICS AND SPACE SCIENCE LIBRARY, VOLUME 172
Printed on acid-free paper
All Rights Reserved
© 1992 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht Originally published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 1992 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1992 No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the copyright owner.
Table of Contents
PREFACE
vii
CHAPTER 1 / THE PRESENT STATE OF THE SOLAR PROBLEM 1.1. Observed phenomena and the energetics of solar flares 1.2. Physical concepts of the nature of flares 1.3. Flare-induced physical processes in the solar atmosphere 1.4. The solar flare problem
1 1 13 35 44
CHAPTER 2 / CHROMO SPHERIC HEATING: THE MECHANISM PRODUCING HIGH-TEMPERATURE PLASMA IN SOLAR FLARES 2.1. Impulsive heating by accelerated electrons 2.2. Impulsive heating by intense heat flows 2.3. Chromo spheric heating by X-ray emission CHAPTER 3 / MAGNETIC RECONNECTION AND ENERGY RELEASE IN SOLAR FLARES 3.1. Reconnection as a heating mechanism for X-ray coronal loops 3.2. The natural high-temperature turbulent current sheet 3.3. The high-temperature turbulent current sheet with a small transverse magnetic field 3.4. The current sheet structure under the fast and slow reconnection regimes 3.5. Stabilization oftearing instability in current sheets on the Sun 3.6. The effect of the longitudinal magnetic field in the current sheets on the Sun
49 49 87
109 115 115 134 156 185 201 206
CONCLUSION
219
REFERENCES
223
Preface
During the last three decades a new field has been developing rapidly on the borderline between extra-atmospheric astronomy and high-temperature plasma physics; under the name the physics of solar flares this field has in effect acquired the
