Energy Release During Slow Long-Duration Flares Observed by RHESSI

Abstract

Slow long-duration events (SLDEs) are flares characterized by the long duration of their rising phase. In many such cases the impulsive phase is weak without typical short-lasting pulses. Instead, smooth, long-lasting hard X-ray (HXR) emission is observed. We analyzed hard X-ray emission and morphology of six selected SLDEs. In our analysis we utilized data from the RHESSI and GOES satellites. The physical parameters of HXR sources were obtained from imaging spectroscopy and were used for the energy balance analysis. The characteristic decay time of the heating rate, after reaching its maximum value, is very long, which explains the long rising phase of these flares. © 2011 The Author(s).