Steps towards understanding deep atmospheric heating in flares

MAUAS, P J D; MACHADO, M.E.

Sunspot

Simposio; Solar Maximum Mission Symposium; 1986

National Solar Observatory

The authors discuss different aspects of the heating of the deep solar atmosphere during flares, including temperature minimum enhancements and white light emission. The proper treatment of H- radiative losses is discussed and compared with previous studies, as well as a quantitative analysis of the ionizing effect of nonthermal particles and ultraviolet radiation. The authors conclude that temperature minimum heating may be a natural consequence of the global radiation transport in flares. The implications of these results are discussed within the context of homogeneous and inhomogeneous models of the solar atmosphere.