Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Švestka’s Research Then and Now

Invited Review

  • Solar and Stellar Flares
  • Published:
Solar Physics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Zdeněk Švestka’s research work influenced many fields of solar physics, especially in the area of flare research. In this article I take five of the areas that particularly interested him and assess them in a “then and now” style. His insights in each case were quite sound, although of course in the modern era we have learned things that he could not readily have envisioned. His own views about his research life have been published recently in this journal, to which he contributed so much, and his memoir contains much additional scientific and personal information (Švestka in Solar Phys. 267, 235, 2010).

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

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Baker, D.N., Li, X., Pulkkinen, A., Ngwira, C.M., Mays, M.L., Galvin, A.B., Simunac, K.D.C.: 2013, A major solar eruptive event in July 2012: Defining extreme space weather scenarios. Space Weather 11, 585. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Berlicki, A.: 2007, Observations and modeling of line asymmetries in chromospheric flares. In: Heinzel, P., Dorotovič, I., Rutten, R.J. (eds.) The Physics of Chromospheric Plasmas, Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series 368, 387. ADS .

    Google Scholar 

  • Biermann, L., Haxel, O., Schlüter, A.: 1951, Neutrale Ultrastrahlung von der Sonne. Z. Naturforsch. Teil A 6, 47. ADS .

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, J.C.: 1971, The deduction of energy spectra of non-thermal electrons in flares from the observed dynamic spectra of hard X-ray bursts. Solar Phys. 18, 489. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Bruzek, A.: 1964, On the association between loop prominences and flares. Astrophys. J. 140, 746. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Carrington, R.C.: 1859, Description of a singular appearance seen in the Sun on September 1, 1859. Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc. 20, 13.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Chapman, S., Bartels, J.: 1940, Geomagnetism, Oxford University Press, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chupp, E.L., Forrest, D.J., Ryan, J.M., Heslin, J., Reppin, C., Pinkau, K., Kanbach, G., Rieger, E., Share, G.H.: 1982, A direct observation of solar neutrons following the 0118 UT flare on 1980 June 21. Astrophys. J. Lett. 263, L95. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • De Rosa, M.L., Schrijver, C.J., Barnes, G., Leka, K.D., Lites, B.W., Aschwanden, M.J., Amari, T., Canou, A., McTiernan, J.M., Régnier, S., Thalmann, J.K., Valori, G., Wheatland, M.S., Wiegelmann, T., Cheung, M.C.M., Conlon, P.A., Fuhrmann, M., Inhester, B., Tadesse, T.: 2009, A critical assessment of nonlinear force-free field modeling of the solar corona for active region 10953. Astrophys. J. 696, 1780. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Fárník, F., Karlický, M., Švestka, Z.: 1999, Long transequatorial interconnecting loops of the new solar cycle. Solar Phys. 187, 33. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Fárník, F., Švestka, Z., Hudson, H.S., Uchida, Y.: 1996, Large-scale active coronal phenomena in Yohkoh SXT images. Solar Phys. 168, 331. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Fletcher, L., Dennis, B.R., Hudson, H.S., Krucker, S., Phillips, K., Veronig, A., Battaglia, M., Bone, L., Caspi, A., Chen, Q., Gallagher, P., Grigis, P.T., Ji, H., Liu, W., Milligan, R.O., Temmer, M.: 2011, An observational overview of solar flares. Space Sci. Rev. 159, 19. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Gaizauskas, V.: 1982, The relation of solar flares to the evolution and proper motions of magnetic fields. Adv. Space Res. 2, 11. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Gaizauskas, V.: 1989, Preflare activity. Solar Phys. 121, 135. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Gaizauskas, V., Švestka, Z.: 1987, Highlights of the flare build-up study. Solar Phys. 114, 389. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Gaizauskas, V., Mandrini, C.H., Demoulin, P., Luoni, M.L., Rovira, M.G.: 1998, Interactions between nested sunspots. II. A confined X1 flare in a delta-type sunspot. Astron. Astrophys. 332, 353. ADS .

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Goldsmith, D.W.: 1971, Thermal effects in the formation of loop prominences. Solar Phys. 19, 86. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hagyard, M.J., Cumings, N.P., West, E.A., Smith, J.E.: 1982, The MSFC vector magnetograph. Solar Phys. 80, 33. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Harvey, K., Sheeley, N. Jr., Harvey, J.: 1986, HE I 10830 a observations of two-ribbon flare-like events associated with filament disappearances. In: Simon, P.A., Heckman, G., Shea, M.A. (eds.) Solar-Terrestrial Predictions, 198. ADS .

    Google Scholar 

  • Hiei, E., Okamoto, T., Tanaka, K.: 1983, Observation of the flare of 12 June 1982 by Norikura coronagraph and HINOTORI. Solar Phys. 86, 185. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hodgson, R.: 1859, On a curious appearance seen in the Sun. Mon. Not. Roy. Astron. Soc. 20, 15.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoyng, P., Duijveman, A., Machado, M.E., Rust, D.M., Švestka, Z., Boelee, A., de Jager, C., Frost, K.T., Lafleur, H., Simnett, G.M., van Beek, H.F., Woodgate, B.E.: 1981, Origin and location of the hard X-ray emission in a two-ribbon flare. Astrophys. J. Lett. 246, L155. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hudson, H.S.: 1972, Thick-target processes and white-light flares. Solar Phys. 24, 414. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Hudson, H.S.: 2007, Chromospheric flares. In: Heinzel, P., Dorotovič, I., Rutten, R.J. (eds.) The Physics of Chromospheric Plasmas, Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series 368, 365. ADS .

    Google Scholar 

  • Hudson, H.S., Cliver, E.W.: 2001, Observing coronal mass ejections without coronagraphs. J. Geophys. Res. 106, 25199. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hudson, H., Haisch, B., Strong, K.T.: 1995, Comment on ‘The solar flare myth’ by J.T. Gosling. J. Geophys. Res. 100, 3473. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hudson, H.S., Labonte, B.J., Sterling, A.C., Watanabe, T.: 1998, NOAA 7978: The last best old-cycle region. In: Watanabe, T., Kosugi, T. (eds.) Observational Plasma Astrophysics: Five Years of YOHKOH and Beyond, Astrophysics and Space Science Library 229, 237. ADS .

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Johns-Krull, C.M., Hawley, S.L., Basri, G., Valenti, J.A.: 1997, Hamilton echelle spectroscopy of the 1993 March 6 solar flare. Astrophys. J. Suppl. 112, 221. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Kane, S.R., Donnelly, R.F.: 1971, Impulsive hard X-ray and ultraviolet emission during solar flares. Astrophys. J. 164, 151. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Kopp, R.A., Pneuman, G.W.: 1976, Magnetic reconnection in the corona and the loop prominence phenomenon. Solar Phys. 50, 85. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Kopp, R.A., Poletto, G.: 1990, Formation and cooling of the giant HXIS arches of November 6 – 7, 1980. Solar Phys. 127, 267. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Kosovichev, A.G., Zharkova, V.V.: 1998, X-Ray flare sparks quake inside Sun. Nature 393, 317. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Lewin, W.H.G., Doty, J., Clark, G.W., Rappaport, S.A., Bradt, H.V.D., Doxsey, R., Hearn, D.R., Hoffman, J.A., Jernigan, J.G., Li, F.K., Mayer, W., McClintock, J., Primini, F., Richardson, J.: 1976, The discovery of rapidly repetitive X-ray bursts from a new source in Scorpius. Astrophys. J. Lett. 207, L95. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Lingenfelter, R.E., Flamm, E.J., Canfield, E.H., Kellman, S.: 1965, High-energy solar neutrons, 1, production in flares. J. Geophys. Res. 70, 4077. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, K., Zhang, J., Wang, Y., Cheng, X.: 2013, On the origin of the extreme-ultraviolet late phase of solar flares. Astrophys. J. 768, 150. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Low, B.C.: 2001, Coronal mass ejections, magnetic flux ropes, and solar magnetism. J. Geophys. Res. 106, 25141. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, S.F., Ramsey, H.E., Carroll, G.A., Martin, D.C.: 1974, Multi-slit spectrograph and H alpha Doppler system. Solar Phys. 37, 343. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Martínez Oliveros, J.-C., Hudson, H.S., Hurford, G.J., Krucker, S., Lin, R.P., Lindsey, C., Couvidat, S., Schou, J., Thompson, W.T.: 2012, The height of a white-light flare and its hard X-ray sources. Astrophys. J. Lett. 753, L26. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Martínez Oliveros, J.-C., Krucker, S., Hudson, H.S., Saint-Hilaire, P., Bain, H., Lindsey, C., Bogart, R., Couvidat, S., Scherrer, P., Schou, J.: 2014, Chromospheric and coronal observations of solar flares with the helioseismic and magnetic imager. Astrophys. J. Lett. 780, L28. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • McKenzie, D.E.: 2013, Turbulent dynamics in solar flare sheet structures measured with local correlation tracking. Astrophys. J. 766, 39. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • McKenzie, D.E., Hudson, H.S.: 1999, X-Ray observations of motions and structure above a solar flare arcade. Astrophys. J. Lett. 519, L93. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, P., Parker, E.N., Simpson, J.A.: 1956, Solar cosmic rays of February, 1956 and their propagation through interplanetary space. Phys. Rev. 104, 768. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Middleditch, J., Marshall, F.E., Wang, Q.D., Gotthelf, E.V., Zhang, W.: 2006, Predicting the starquakes in PSR J0537-6910. Astrophys. J. 652, 1531. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Reames, D.V.: 2013, The two sources of solar energetic particles. Space Sci. Rev. 175, 53. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Robbrecht, E., Patsourakos, S., Vourlidas, A.: 2009, No trace left behind: STEREO observation of a coronal mass ejection without low coronal signatures. Astrophys. J. 701, 283. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Rust, D.M.: 1994, Spawning and shedding helical magnetic fields in the solar atmosphere. Geophys. Res. Lett. 21, 241. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Saint-Hilaire, P., Schou, J., Martínez Oliveros, J.-C., Hudson, H.S., Krucker, S., Bain, H., Couvidat, S.: 2014, Observations of linear polarization in a solar coronal loop prominence system observed near 6173 Å. Astrophys. J. Lett. 786, L19. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Severny, A.B.: 1964, Solar flares. Annu. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 2, 363. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Sheeley, N.R. Jr., Warren, H.P., Wang, Y.-M.: 2004, The origin of postflare loops. Astrophys. J. 616, 1224. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Shibasaki, K.: 2001, High-beta disruption in the solar atmosphere. Astrophys. J. 557, 326. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Shibata, K., Magara, T.: 2011, Solar flares: Magnetohydrodynamic processes. Living Rev. Solar Phys. 8, 6. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Suemoto, Z., Hiei, E.: 1959, Balmer series lines of the flare and its structure. Proc. Astr. Soc. Japan 11, 185. ADS .

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Sun, X., Hoeksema, J.T., Liu, Y., Wiegelmann, T., Hayashi, K., Chen, Q., Thalmann, J.: 2012, Evolution of magnetic field and energy in a major eruptive active region based on SDO/HMI observation. Astrophys. J. 748, 77. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Švestka, Z.: 1949, Observations of solar flares and high-speed prominences from July to December 1948. Bull. Astron. Inst. Czechoslov. 1, 73. ADS .

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Švestka, Z.: 1966, Optical observations of solar flares. Space Sci. Rev. 5, 388. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Švestka, Z.: 1970, The phase of particle acceleration in the flare development. Solar Phys. 13, 471. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Švestka, Z.: 1971, On the flux of neutrons from flares. Solar Phys. 19, 202. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Švestka, Z.: 1972, Spectra of solar flares. Annu. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 10, 1. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Švestka, Z.: 1976, Solar Flares. ADS .

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Švestka, Z.: 1983, Post-flare coronal arches. Space Sci. Rev. 35, 259. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Švestka, Z.: 2007, The Misnomer of “Post-Flare Loops”. Solar Phys. 246, 393. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Švestka, Z.: 2010, Sixty years in solar physics. Solar Phys. 267, 235. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Švestka, Z., Simon, P.: 1969, Proton flare project, 1966. Summary of the August/September particle events in the McMath region 8461 (Invited review paper). Solar Phys. 10, 3. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Švestka, Z., Hoyng, P., van Tend, W., Boelee, A., de Jager, C., Stewart, R.T., Acton, L.W., Bruner, E.C., Gabriel, A.H., Rapley, C.G., de Jager, C., LaFleur, H., Nelson, G., Simnett, G.M., van Beek, H.F., Wagner, W.J.: 1982, Observations of a post-flare radio burst in X-rays. Solar Phys. 75, 305. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Švestka, Z., Fárník, F., Hudson, H.S., Uchida, Y., Hick, P., Lemen, J.R.: 1995, Large-scale active coronal phenomena in YOHKOH SXT images, I. Solar Phys. 161, 331. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Švestka, Z., Farnik, F., Hudson, H.S., Uchida, Y., Hick, P., Lemen, J.R.: 1996, Large-scale active coronal phenomena in YOHKOH SXT images. In: Uchida, Y., Kosugi, T., Hudson, H.S. (eds.) IAU Colloq. 153: Magnetodynamic Phenomena in the Solar Atmosphere – Prototypes of Stellar Magnetic Activity, 609. ADS .

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Švestka, Z., Farnik, F., Hick, P., Hudson, H.S., Uchida, Y.: 1997, Large-scale active coronal phenomena in YOHKOH SXT images. III. Enhanced post-flare streamer. Solar Phys. 176, 355. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Švestka, Z., Fárník, F., Hudson, H.S., Hick, P.: 1998, Large-scale active coronal phenomena in Yohkoh SXT images IV. Solar wind streams from flaring active regions. Solar Phys. 182, 179. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • van Beek, H.F., Hoyng, P., Lafleur, B., Simnett, G.M.: 1980, The hard X-ray imaging Spectrometer/HXIS/. Solar Phys. 65, 39. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Webb, D.F., Cliver, E.W., Gopalswamy, N., Hudson, H.S., St. Cyr, O.C.: 1998, The solar origin of the January 1997 coronal mass ejection, magnetic cloud and geomagnetic storm. Geophys. Res. Lett. 25, 2469. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • West, M.J., Seaton, D.B.: 2015, SWAP observations of post-flare giant arches in the long-duration 14 October 2014 solar eruption. Astrophys. J. Lett. 801, L6. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Wiegelmann, T., Sakurai, T.: 2012, Solar force-free magnetic fields. Living Rev. Solar Phys. 9, 5. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Woods, T.N.: 2014, Extreme ultraviolet late-phase flares: Before and during the solar dynamics observatory mission. Solar Phys. 289, 3391. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Woods, T.N., Hock, R., Eparvier, F., Jones, A.R., Chamberlin, P.C., Klimchuk, J.A., Didkovsky, L., Judge, D., Mariska, J., Warren, H., Schrijver, C.J., Webb, D.F., Bailey, S., Tobiska, W.K.: 2011, New solar extreme-ultraviolet irradiance observations during flares. Astrophys. J. 739, 59. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Wülser, J.-P.: 1987, H-alpha line profile observations of solar flares with high temporal resolution. Solar Phys. 114, 115. ADS .

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu, Y., Cao, W., Liu, C., Yang, G., Qiu, J., Jing, J., Denker, C., Wang, H.: 2004, Near-infrared observations at 1.56 microns of the 2003 October 29 X10 white-light flare. Astrophys. J. Lett. 607, L131. DOI . ADS .

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by NASA under grant NNX11AP05G for studies of white-light flares and by contract No. NAS 5-98033 for RHESSI at UC Berkeley. I would like to thank the University of Glasgow for hospitality during the preparation of this paper, and several friends for comments on the first draft of the paper: Franta Fárník, Vic Gaizauskas, and Giannina Poletto.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK

    H. S. Hudson

  2. Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA

    H. S. Hudson

Authors
  1. H. S. Hudson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to H. S. Hudson.

Additional information

Solar and Stellar Flares: Observations, Simulations, and Synergies

Guest Editors: Lyndsay Fletcher and Petr Heinzel

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Hudson, H.S. Švestka’s Research Then and Now. Sol Phys 290, 3383–3397 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-015-0669-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-015-0669-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation