Effect of Asymmetry on a Trap Model for Solar Hard Xray Bursts

D. B. Melrose, S. M. White
1979 Publications Astronomical Society of Australia  
The basic model for the precipitation of trapped energetic particles from a magnetic flux tube is Kennel and Petschek's (1966) model. Their model is symmetric, implying equal precipitation rates at the two feet of the flux tube. We have developed a model for precipitation in an asymmetric flux tube (Melrose and White 1979). Here we explore some of the consequences for the precipitation model of Melrose and Brown (1976) for solar hard X-ray bursts. In Melrose and Brown's model roughly half the
more » ... rays arise from precipitating electrons. With present instruments it is not possible to resolve the two feet of the flux tube. However, if the feet can be resolved, either directly by future X-ray telescopes, or indirectly through secondary optical, UV or radio observations, then, as we shall show, the additional information obtained could be used to derive information on processes in the magnetic trap.
doi:10.1017/s1323358000026126 fatcat:swrsvxxyuvb3fjz2yubn2qmd2y