Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Solar hard X-ray bursts

  • Published:
Solar Physics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The major results from SMM are presented as they relate to our understanding of the energy release and particle transportation processes that lead to the high-energy X-ray aspects of solar flares. Evidence is reviewed for a 152–158 day periodicity in various aspects of solar activity including the rate of occurrence of hard X-ray and gamma-ray flares. The statistical properties of over 7000 hard X-ray flares detected with the Hard X-Ray Burst Spectrometer are presented including the spectrum of peak rates and the distribution of the photon number spectrum. A flare classification scheme introduced by Tanaka is used to divide flares into three different types. Type A flares have purely thermal, compact sources with very steep hard X-ray spectra. Type B flares are impulsive bursts which show double footpoints in hard X-rays, and soft-hard-soft spectral evolution. Type C flares have gradually varying hard X-ray and microwave fluxes from high altitudes and show hardening of the X-ray spectrum through the peak and on the decay. SMM data are presented for examples of type B and type C events. New results are presented showing coincident hard X-rays, O v, and UV continuum observations in type B events with a time resolution of ≤128 ms. The subsecond variations in the hard X-ray flux during ≲ 10% of the stronger events are discussed and the fastest observed variation in a time of 20 ms is presented. The properties of type C flares are presented as determined primarily from the non-imaged hard X-ray and microwave spectral data. A model based on the association of type C flares and coronal mass ejections is presented to explain many of the characteristics of these gradual flares.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Acton, L. W., Culhane, J. L., Gabriel, A. H., and 21 co-authors: 1980, Solar Phys. 65, 53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Antonucci, E., Gabriel, A. H., and Dennis, B. R.: 1984, Astrophys. J. 287, 179.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bai, T.: 1982, in R. E. Lingenfelter, H. S. Hudson, and D. M. Worrall (eds.), Gamma Ray Transients and Related Astrophysical Phenomena, American Institute of Physics, New York, p. 409.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bai, T. and Dennis, B. R.: 1985, Astrophys. J. 292, 699.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bai, T. and Ramaty, R.: 1979, Astrophys. J. 227, 1072.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bai, T., Hudson, H. S., Pelling, R. M., Lin, R. P., Schwartz, R. A., and von Rosenvinge, T. T.: 1983, Astrophys. J. 267, 433.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bai, T., Kiplinger, A. L., and Dennis, B. R.: 1985, Astrophys. J. (in preparation).

  • Batchelor, D. A.: 1984, Ph.D. Thesis, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; also NASA TM86102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bogert, R. S. and Bai, T.: 1985, presented at the Solar Physics Division meeting Tucson, May 13–15, 1985.

  • Brown, J. C.: 1971, Solar Phys. 18, 489.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cheng, C.-C., Tandberg-Hanssen, E., Bruner, E. C., Orwig, L. E., Frost, K. J., Woodgate, B. E., and Shine, R. A.: 1981, Astrophys. J. 248, L39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cliver, E. W.: 1983, Solar Phys. 84, 347.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cliver, E. W., Dennis, B. R., Kane, S. R., Neidig, D. F., Sheeley, N. R. Jr., and Koomen, M. J.: 1985, Astrophys. J. (submitted).

  • Cook, J. W. and Brueckner, G. E.: 1979, Astrophys. J. 227, 645.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crannell, C. J., Frost, K. J., Mätzler, C., Ohki, K., and Saba, J. L.: 1978, Astrophys. J. 223, 620.

    Google Scholar 

  • Datlowe, D. W.: 1975, Space Sci. Instr. 1, 389.

    Google Scholar 

  • Datlowe, D. W.: 1977, Nucl. Inst. Methods 145, 365.

    Google Scholar 

  • Datlowe, D. W., Elcan M. J., and Hudson, H. S.: 1974, Solar Phys. 39, 155.

    Google Scholar 

  • Deeming, T. J.: 1975, Astrophys. Space Sci. 36, 137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dennis, B. R., Frost, K. J., and Orwig, L. E.: 1981, Astrophys. J. 244, L167.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dennis, B. R., Frost, K. J., Orwig, L. E., Kiplinger, A. L., Dennis, H. E., Gibson, B. R., Kennard, G. S., and Tolbert, A. K.: 1983, NASA TM84998.

  • Dennis, B. R., Kiplinger, A. L., Orwig, L. E., and Frost, K. J.: 1985, Proc. 2nd India-U.S. Workshop on Solar Terrestrial Physics, January 1984, New Delhi, India; also NASA TM86187.

  • Donnelly, R. F. and Kane, S. R.: 1978, Astrophys. J. 222, 1043.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duijveman, A. and Hoyng, P.: 1983, Solar Phys. 86, 289.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duijveman, A., Hoyng, P., and Machado, M. E.: 1982, Solar Phys. 81, 137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Emslie, A. G. and Nagai, F.: 1984, Astrophys. J. 279, 896.

    Google Scholar 

  • Emslie, A. G. and Vlahos, L.: 1980, Astrophys. J. 242, 359.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoyng, P., Marsh, K. A., Zirin, H., and Dennis, B. R.: 1983, Astrophys. J. 268, 865.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hurley, K., Niel, M., Talon, R., Estulin, I. V., and Dolidge, V. Ch.: 1983, Solar Phys. 86, 367.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kahler, S. W.: 1982, J. Geophys. Rev. 87, 3439.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kane, S. R.: 1973, in R. Ramaty and R. G. Stone (eds.), High Energy Phenomena in the Sun, NASA SP-342, p. 55.

  • Kane, S. R. and Anderson, K. A.: 1970, Astrophys. J. 162, 1003.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kane, S. R., Frost, K. J., and Donnelly, R. F.: 1979, Astrophys. J. 234, 669.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kawabata, K., Ogawa, H., and Suzuki, I.: 1983, Solar Phys. 86, 247.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kiplinger, A. L., Dennis, B. R., Emslie, A. G., Frost, K. J., and Orwig, L. E.: 1983a, Astrophys. J. 265, L99.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kiplinger, A. L., Dennis, B. R., Frost, K. J., and Orwig, L. E.: 1983b, Astrophys. J. 273, 783.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kiplinger, A. L., Dennis, B. R., Frost, K. J., and Orwig, L. E.: 1984, Astrophys. J. 287, L105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kiplinger, A. L., Dennis, B. R., and Orwig, L. E.: 1985, Bull. Am. Astron. Soc. 16, 891.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leach, J. and Petrosian, V.: 1983, Astrophys. J. 269, 715.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lin, R. P. and Hudson, H. S.: 1976, Solar Phys. 50, 153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lin, R. P., Schwartz, R. A., Kane, S. R., Pelling, R. M., and Hurley, K. C.: 1984, Astrophys. J. 283, 421.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lin, R. P., Schwartz, R. A., Pelling, R. M., and Hurley, K. C.: 1981, Astrophys. J. 251, L109.

    Google Scholar 

  • MacKinnon, A. L., Brown, J. C., and Hayward, J.: 1984, preprint.

  • Mariska, J. T. and Poland, A. I.: 1985, Solar Phys. 96, 317.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ohki, K., Takakura, T., Tsunata, S., and Nitta, N.: 1983, Solar Phys. 86, 301.

    Google Scholar 

  • Orwig, L. E., Frost, K. J., and Dennis, B. R.: 1981, Astrophys. J. 244, L163.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pallavicini, R., Serio, S., and Vaiana, G. S.: 1977, Astrophys. J. 216, 108.

    Google Scholar 

  • Poland, A. I., Machado, M. E., Wolfson, C. J., Frost, K. J., Woodgate, B. E., Shine, R. A., Kenny, P. J., Cheng, C.-C., Tandberg-Hanssen, E. A., Bruner, E. C., and Henze, W.: 1982, Solar Phys. 78, 201.

    Google Scholar 

  • Poland, A. I., Orwig, L. E., Mariska, J. T., Nakatsuka, R., and Auer, L. H.: 1985, Astrophys. J. 280, 457.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pryor, H., Pierce, M. J., Speich, D. M., Fesq, L. M., Spear, K. A., Nelson, J. J., and McGovern, J. G.: 1981, Solar Maximum Mission Event Listing, Internal Document of the SMM Data Analysis Center, NASA, GSFC.

  • Rieger, E., Share, G. H., Forrest, D. J., Kanback, G., Reppin, C., and Chupp, E. L.: 1985, Nature 312, 623.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rust, D. M.: 1984, Adv. Space Res. 4, 191.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rust, D. M., Simnett, G. M., and Smith, D. F.: 1985, Astrophys. J. 288, 401.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, D. F.: 1985, Astrophys. J. 288, 801.

    Google Scholar 

  • Švestka, Z., Schrijver, J., Somov, B., Dennis, B. R., Woodgate, B. E., Fürst, E., Hirth, W., Klein, L., and Raoult, A.: 1983, Solar Phys. 85, 313.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tanaka, K., 1983, in P. B. Byrne and M. Rodono (eds.), ‘Activity in Red-Dwarf Stars’, IAU Colloq. 71, 307.

  • Tanaka, K., Nitta, N., Akita, K., and Watanabe, T.: 1983, Solar Phys. 86, 91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tramiel, L. J., Charan, G. A., and Novick, R.: 1984, Astrophys. J. 280, 440.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tsuneta, S.: 1983, in J.-C. Pecker and Y. Uchida (eds.), Proc. Japan-France Seminar on Active Phenomena in the Outer Atmosphere of the Sun and Stars, 3–7 October 1983, CNRS and Observatoire de Paris, p. 243.

  • Tsuneta, S.: 1985, Astrophys. J. 290, 353.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tsuneta, S., Nitta, N., Ohki, K., Takakura, T., Tanaka, K., Makishima, K., Murakami, T., Oda, M., and Ogawara, Y.: 1984a, Astrophys. J. 284, 827.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tsuneta, S., Takakura, T., Nitta, N., Ohki, K., Tanaka, K., Makishima, K., Murakami, T., Oda, M., Ogawara, Y., and Kondo, I.: 1984b, Astrophys. J. 280, 887.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tucker, W. H.: 1975, Radiation Processes in Astrophysics, MIT Press, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolff, C. L.: 1983, Astrophys. J. 264, 667.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woodgate, B. E.: 1984, Adv. Space Res. 4, 393.

    Google Scholar 

  • Woodgate, B. E., Shine, R. A., Poland, A. I., and Orwig, L. E.: 1983, Astrophys. J. 265, 530.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu, S. T., de Jager, C., Dennis, B. R., Hudson, H. S., Simnett, G. M., Strong, K. T., Bentley, R. D., Bornmann, P. L., Bruner, M. E., Cargill, P. J., Crannell, C. J., Doyle, J. G., Hyder, C. L., Kopp, R. A., Lemen, J. R., Martin, S. F., Pallavicini, R., Peres, G., Serio, S., Sylvester, J., and Veck, N. J.: 1985, in M. R. Kundu and B. E. Woodgate (eds.), Proc. SMM Workshop on Solar Flares, NASA, (in preparation).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Astronomy and Solar Physics, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 20771, Greenbelt, MD, U.S.A.

    Brian R. Dennis

Authors
  1. Brian R. Dennis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dennis, B.R. Solar hard X-ray bursts. Sol Phys 100, 465–490 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00158441

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00158441

Keywords

Search

Navigation