Forward modelling of particle acceleration and transport in an individual solar flare

Abstract

The aim of this study is to generate maps of the hard X-ray emission produced by energetic electrons in a solar flare and compare them with observations. The ultimate goal is to test the viability of the combined MHD/test-particle approach for data-driven modelling of active events in the solar corona and their impact on the heliosphere. Based on an MHD model of X-class solar flare observed on the 8th of September 2017, we calculate trajectories of a large number of electrons and protons using the relativistic guiding-centre approach. Using the obtained particle trajectories, we deduce the spatial and energy distributions of energetic electrons and protons, and calculate bremsstrahlung hard X-ray emission using the 'thin target' approximation. Our approach predicts some key characteristics of energetic particles in the considered flare, including the size and location of the acceleration region, energetic particle trajectories and energy spectra. Most importantly, the hard X-ray bremsstrahlung intensity maps predicted by the model are in a good agreement with those observed by RHESSI. Furthermore, the locations of proton and electron precipitation appear to be close to the sources of helioseismic response detected in this flare. Therefore, the adopted approach can be used for observationally-driven modelling of individual solar flares, including manifestations of energetic particles in the corona, as well as inner heliosphere.

Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal (on 19 Aug 2020)

References in corpus (4)

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• Determination of the total accelerated electron rate and power using solar flare hard X-ray spectra
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Cited by in corpus (12)

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• Discovery of correlated evolution in solar noise storm source parameters: Insights on magnetic field dynamics during a microflare
• A guiding center implementation for relativistic particle dynamics in the PLUTO code
• Alfvén Waves in Solar Flares
• The efficiency of electron acceleration during the impulsive phase of a solar flare
• Particle acceleration and their escape into the heliosphere in solar flares with open magnetic field
• Preparing for Solar and Heliospheric Science with the SKAO: An Indian Perspective
• Nonthermal electron acceleration in turbulent post-flare coronal loops
• Stereoscopic Observations of Solar X-ray Sources Explained by a Data-Constrained Magnetohydrodynamic Simulation
• Test particle sampling and particle acceleration in a 2D coronal plasmoid-mediated reconnecting current sheet
• Estimating the total energy content in escaping accelerated solar electron beams