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Spectral development of a solar X-ray burst observed on OSO-7

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Abstract

The UCSD solar X-ray instrument on the OSO-7 satellite observes X-ray bursts in the 2–300 keV range with 10.24 s time resolution. Spectra obtained from the proportional counter and scintillation counter are analyzed for the event of November 16, 1971, at 0519 UT in terms of thermal (exponential spectrum) and non-thermal (power law) components. The energy content of the approximately 20 × 106K thermal plasma increased with the 60 s duration hard X-ray burst which entirely preceded the 5 keV soft X-ray maximum. If the hard X-rays arise by thick target bremsstrahlung, the nonthermal electrons above 10 keV have sufficient energy to heat the thermally emitting plasma. In the thin target case the collisional energy transfer from non-thermal electrons suffices if the power law electron spectrum is extrapolated below 10 keV, or if the ambient plasma density exceeds 4 × 1010 cm−3.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, Calif., U.S.A.

    D. L. McKenzie

  2. University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, Calif., U.S.A.

    D. W. Datlowe & L. E. Peterson

Authors
  1. D. L. McKenzie
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  2. D. W. Datlowe
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  3. L. E. Peterson
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Formerly at UCSD.

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McKenzie, D.L., Datlowe, D.W. & Peterson, L.E. Spectral development of a solar X-ray burst observed on OSO-7. Sol Phys 28, 175–185 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00152922

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00152922

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