Microwave zebra pattern structures in the X2.2 solar flare on 2011 february 15

Abstract

A zebra pattern (ZP) structure is the most intriguing fine structure on the dynamic spectrograph of a solar microwave burst. On 2011 February 15, an X2.2 flare event erupted on the solar disk, which is the first X-class flare since the solar Schwabe cycle 24. It is interesting that there are several microwave ZPs observed by the Chinese Solar Broadband Radio Spectrometer (SBRS/Huairou) at a frequency of 6.40-7.00GHz (ZP1) and at a frequency of 2.60-2.75GHz (ZP2) and by the Yunnan Solar Broadband Radio Spectrometer (SBRS/Yunnan) at a frequency of 1.04-1.13GHz (ZP3). The most important phenomenon is the unusual high-frequency ZP structure (ZP1, up to 7.00GHz) that occurred in the early rising phase of the flare and the two ZP structures (ZP2, ZP3) with relatively low frequencies that occurred in the decay phase of the flare. By scrutinizing the current prevalent theoretical models of ZP structure generations and comparing their estimated magnetic field strengths in the corresponding source regions, we suggest that the double plasma resonance model is the most probable one for explaining the formation of microwave ZPs, which may derive the magnetic field strengths at about 230-345G, 126-147G, and 23-26G in the source regions of ZP1, ZP2, and ZP3, respectively. © 2012 The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.