The Cause of Photospheric and Helioseismic Responses to Solar Flares: High-Energy Electrons or Protons?
Kosovichev, A. G., The Cause of Photospheric and Helioseismic Responses to Solar Flares: High-Energy Electrons or Protons?, ApJ, 670, L65-L68 (2007) (ADS)
(click on the image for a larger version)
Cartoon description of how flares might induce sound waves in the solar
interior ("sunquakes").
The author favors the idea of a hydrodynamic shock, as introduced long
ago by
Kostiuk and Pikel'ner,
but probably other mechanisms could play a
role (such as radiation pressure or
Lorentz force).
For example, the coronal part of this cartoon imagines electron
acceleration in a plasma sheet (undescribed), which is might be possible,
but describes the corona with field lines, which probably doesn't permit
the kinds of plasma physics needed there (such as the particle acceleration).
In this model, there is no obvious reason why there should be a local
high-pressure within the photosphere because of radiative losses.
Nevertheless this is a possibility, and represents one of the
several routes proposed for exciting sunquakes.
The cartoon certainly matches the appearance of some of the observations.
And it's neat and well-drawn, eschewing gaudy colors.
Cartoon description of how flares might induce sound waves in the solar interior ("sunquakes"). The author favors the idea of a hydrodynamic shock, as introduced long ago by Kostiuk and Pikel'ner, but probably other mechanisms could play a role (such as radiation pressure or Lorentz force). For example, the coronal part of this cartoon imagines electron acceleration in a plasma sheet (undescribed), which is might be possible, but describes the corona with field lines, which probably doesn't permit the kinds of plasma physics needed there (such as the particle acceleration). In this model, there is no obvious reason why there should be a local high-pressure within the photosphere because of radiative losses. Nevertheless this is a possibility, and represents one of the several routes proposed for exciting sunquakes. The cartoon certainly matches the appearance of some of the observations. And it's neat and well-drawn, eschewing gaudy colors.