Stereoscopic Electron Spectroscopy of Solar Hard X-Ray Flares with a Single Spacecraft (original) (raw)

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Published 2006 December 4 • © 2006. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.
The Astrophysical Journal,Volume 653,Number 2Citation Eduard P. Kontar and John C. Brown 2006 ApJ 653 L149DOI 10.1086/510586

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Dates

  1. Received 2006 September 26
  2. Accepted 2006 November 3
  3. Published 2006 December 4

1538-4357/653/2/L149

Abstract

Hard X-ray (HXR) spectroscopy is the most direct method of diagnosing energetic electrons in solar flares. Here we present a technique that allows us to use a single HXR spectrum to determine an effectively stereoscopic electron energy distribution. Considering the Sun's surface to act as a "Compton mirror" allows us to look at emitting electrons also from behind the source, providing vital information on downward-propagating particles. Using this technique we determine simultaneously the electron spectra of downward- and upward-directed electrons for two solar flares observed by the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI). The results reveal surprisingly near-isotropic electron distributions, which contrast strongly with the expectations from the standard model that invokes strong downward beaming, including a collisional thick-target model.

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