Abstract
On the assumption that solar flares are due to instabilities which occur in current sheets in the Sun's atmosphere, one may classify magnetic-field configurations associated with flares into two types. One is characterized by ‘closed’ current sheets, magnetic-field lines adjacent to these sheets beginning and ending at the Sun's surface. The other is characterized by ‘open’ current sheets, magnetic-field lines adjacent to these sheets beginning at the Sun's surface but extending out into interplanetary space. Flares associated with open current sheets can produce Type III radio bursts and high-energy-particle events, but flares associated with closed current sheets cannot. The flare of July 6, 1966 apparently consisted of one flare of each type.
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Sturrock, P.A. A classification of magnetic field configurations associated with solar flares. Sol Phys 23, 438–443 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00148106
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00148106