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Solar flare accelerates nearly all electrons in a large coronal volume

Author

Listed:
  • Gregory D. Fleishman

    (New Jersey Institute of Technology)

  • Gelu M. Nita

    (New Jersey Institute of Technology)

  • Bin Chen

    (New Jersey Institute of Technology)

  • Sijie Yu

    (New Jersey Institute of Technology)

  • Dale E. Gary

    (New Jersey Institute of Technology)

Abstract

Solar flares, driven by prompt release of free magnetic energy in the solar corona1,2, are known to accelerate a substantial portion (ten per cent or more)3,4 of available electrons to high energies. Hard X-rays, produced by high-energy electrons accelerated in the flare5, require a high ambient density for their detection. This restricts the observed volume to denser regions that do not necessarily sample the entire volume of accelerated electrons6. Here we report evolving spatially resolved distributions of thermal and non-thermal electrons in a solar flare derived from microwave observations that show the true extent of the acceleration region. These distributions show a volume filled with only (or almost only) non-thermal electrons while being depleted of the thermal plasma, implying that all electrons have experienced a prominent acceleration there. This volume is isolated from a surrounding, more typical flare plasma of mainly thermal particles with a smaller proportion of non-thermal electrons. This highly efficient acceleration happens in the same volume in which the free magnetic energy is being released2.

Suggested Citation

  • Gregory D. Fleishman & Gelu M. Nita & Bin Chen & Sijie Yu & Dale E. Gary, 2022. "Solar flare accelerates nearly all electrons in a large coronal volume," Nature, Nature, vol. 606(7915), pages 674-677, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:606:y:2022:i:7915:d:10.1038_s41586-022-04728-8
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04728-8
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