Skip to main content
Log in

Are There Radio-quiet Solar Flares?

  • Published:
Solar Physics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Some 15% of solar flares having a soft X-ray flux above GOES class C5 are reported to lack coherent radio emission in the 100 – 4000 MHz range (type I – V and decimetric emissions). A detailed study of 29 such events reveals that 22 (76%) of them occurred at a radial distance of more than 800″ from the disk center, indicating that radio waves from the limb may be completely absorbed in some flares. The remaining seven events have statistically significant trends to be weak in GOES class and to have a softer non-thermal X-ray spectrum. All of the non-limb flares that were radio-quiet above 100 MHz were accompanied by metric type III emission below 100 MHz. Out of 201 hard X-ray flares, there was no flare except near the limb (R>800″) without coherent radio emission in the entire meter and decimeter range. We suggest that flares above GOES class C5 generally emit coherent radio waves when observed radially above the source.

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

Access this article

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bastian, T.S., Benz, A.O., Gary, D.E.: 1998, Ann. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 36, 131.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Benz, A.O.: 2002, Plasma Astrophysics: Kinetic Processes in Solar and Stellar Coronae, 2nd edn., Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benz, A.O., Güdel, M., Isliker, H., Miszkowicz, S., Stehling, W.: 1991, Solar Phys. 133, 385.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Benz, A.O., Grigis, P.C., Csillaghy, A., Saint-Hilaire, P.: 2005, Solar Phys. 226, 121.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Boischot, A., Denisse, J.F.: 1957, Compt. Rend. 245, 2199.

    Google Scholar 

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

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Duncan, R.A.: 1977, Solar Phys. 63, 389.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Emslie, A.G., Dennis, B.R., Holman, G.D., Hudson, H.S.: 2005, J. Geophys. Res. 110, A11103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kai, K., Kosugi, T., Nitta, N.: 1985, Publ. Astron. Soc. Japan 37, 155.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Kosugi, T., Dennis, B.R., Kai, K.: 1988, Astrophys. J. 324, 1118.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Krucker, S., Benz, A.O.: 2000, Solar Phys. 191, 341.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Kundu, M. R.: 1965, Solar Radio Astronomy, Interscience, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lin, R.P., Levedahl, W.K., Lotko, W., Gurnett, D.A., Scarf, F.L.: 1986, Astrophys. J. 308, 954.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Lin, R.P., et al..: 2002, Solar Phys. 210, 3.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • McLean, D.J., Labrum, N.R. (eds.): 1985, Solar Radiophysics, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Melrose, D.B.: 1980, Plasma Astrophysics — The Emission, Absorption, and Transfer of Waves in Plasmas, Gordon and Breach, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Messmer, P., Benz, A.O., Monstein, C.: 1999, Solar Phys. 187, 335.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, P.A., Cairns, I.H., Willes, A.J.: 1994, Astrophys. J. 422, 870.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Saint-Hilaire, P., Benz, A.O.: 2005, Astron. Astrophys. 435, 743.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Saint-Hilaire, P., von Praun, C., Stolte, E., Alonso, G., Benz, A.O., Gross, T.: 2002, Solar Phys. 210, 143.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, R.A., Csillaghy, A., Tolbert, A.K., Hurford, G.J., McTiernan, J., Zarro, D.: 2002, Solar Phys. 210, 165.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Simnett, G.M., Benz, A.O.: 1986, Astron. Astrophys. 165, 227.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Strong, K.T., Benz, A.O., Dennis, B.R., Poland, A.I., Leibacher, J.W., Mewe, R., Schrijver, J., Simnett, G., Smith, J.B., Jr., Sylwester, J.: 1984, Solar Phys. 91, 325.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Takakura, T.: 1959, In: Bracewell, R.N. (ed.) Paris Symposium on Radio Astronomy, IAU Symp. 9, Stanford University Press, Stanford, 562.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trottet, G.: 1986, Solar Phys. 104, 145.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Wild, J.P.: 1950, Aust. J. Phys. A 3, 541.

    ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Arnold O. Benz.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Benz, A.O., Brajša, R. & Magdalenić, J. Are There Radio-quiet Solar Flares?. Sol Phys 240, 263–270 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-007-0365-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-007-0365-9

Keywords

Navigation