We discuss the IR/visible/VUV continuum emission of the impulsive phase of a solar flare, using TRACE UV and EUV images to characterize the spectral energy distribution. This continuum has been poorly observed but dominates the radiant energy energetically. Recent bolometric observations of solar flares furthermore point to the impulsive phase as the source of a major fraction of the radiant energy. This component appears to exhibit a Balmer jump and thus must originate in an optically thin region above the quiet photosphere, with an elevated temperature and strong ionization.
@article{arxiv.1001.1005,
title = {The white-light continuum in the impulsive phase of a solar flare},
author = {Hugh Hudson and Lyndsay Fletcher and Sa"m Krucker},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1001.1005},
year = {2010}
}
Comments
6 pages, 2 figures To appear in Proceedings of 25th NSO Workshop: Chromospheric Structure and Dynamics