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The mid-infrared (mid-IR) range has been mostly unexplored for the investigation of solar flares. It is only recently that new mid-IR flare observations have begun opening a new window into the response and evolution of the solar chromosphere. These new observations have been mostly performed by the AR30T and BR30T telescopes that are operating in Argentina and Brazil, respectively. We present the analysis of SOL2019-05-15T19:24, a GOES class C2.0 solar flare observed at 30~THz (10$\ \mu$m) by the ground-based telescope AR30T. Our aim is to characterize the evolution of the flaring atmosphere and the energy transport mechanism in the context of mid-IR emission. We performed a multi-wavelength analysis of the event by complementing the mid-IR data with diverse ground- and space-based data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), the H--$\alpha$ Solar Telescope for Argentina (HASTA), and the Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array (EOVSA). Our study includes the analysis of the magnetic field evolution of the flaring region and of the development of the flare. The mid-IR images from AR30T show two bright and compact flare sources that are spatially associated with the flare kernels observed in ultraviolet (UV) by SDO. We confirm that the temporal association between mid-IR and UV fluxes previously reported for strong flares is also observed for this small flare. The EOVSA microwave data revealed flare spectra consistent with thermal free-free emission, which lead us to dismiss the existence of a significant number of non-thermal electrons. We thus consider thermal conduction as the primary mechanism responsible for energy transport. Our estimates for the thermal conduction energy and total radiated energy fall within the same order of magnitude, reinforcing our conclusions., Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

The study aims to examine the spectral dynamics of the low-frequency, optically thick gyrosynchrotron microwave emission in solar flares to determine the characteristics of the emitting source. We present the high-resolution spectra of a set of microwave bursts observed by the Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array (EOVSA) during its commissioning phase in the $2.5-18$ GHz frequency range with $1$ second time resolution. Out of the 12 events analyzed in this study, nine bursts exhibit a direct decrease with time in the optically thick spectral index $\alpha_l$, an indicator of source morphology. Particularly, five bursts display "flat" spectrum ($\alpha_l\leq1.0$) compared to that expected for a homogeneous/uniform source ($\alpha_l\approx2.9$). These flat spectra at the low-frequencies (, Comment: 17 pages, 8 figures and 3 tables

Nonthermal sources located above bright flare arcades, referred to as the "above-the-loop-top" sources, have been often suggested as the primary electron acceleration site in major solar flares. The X8.2 limb flare on 2017 September 10 features such an above-the-loop-top source, which was observed in both microwaves and hard X-rays (HXRs) by the Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array (EOVSA) and the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI), respectively. By combining the microwave and HXR imaging spectroscopy observations with multi-filter extreme ultraviolet and soft X-ray imaging data, we derive the energetic electron distribution of this source over a broad energy range from $$6.0. In addition, temporally resolved analysis suggests that the electron distribution above the break energy rapidly hardens with the spectral index decreasing from $>$20 to $\sim$6.0 within 20 s, or less than $\sim$10 Alfv\'{e}n crossing times in the source. These results provide strong support for the above-the-loop-top source as the primary site where an on-going bulk acceleration of energetic electrons is taking place very early in the flare energy release., Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letters

Nonthermal electrons accelerated in solar flares produce electromagnetic emission in two distinct, highly complementary domains - hard X-rays (HXRs) and microwaves (MWs). This paper reports MW imaging spectroscopy observations from the Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array of an M1.2 flare that occurred on 2017 September 9, from which we deduce evolving coronal parameter maps. We analyze these data jointly with the complementary Reuven Ramaty High-Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager HXR data to reveal the spatially-resolved evolution of the nonthermal electrons in the flaring volume. We find that the high-energy portion of the nonthermal electron distribution, responsible for the MW emission, displays a much more prominent evolution (in the form of strong spectral hardening) than the low-energy portion, responsible for the HXR emission. We show that the revealed trends are consistent with a single electron population evolving according to a simplified trap-plus-precipitation model with sustained injection/acceleration of nonthermal electrons, which produces a double-powerlaw with steadily increasing break energy., 28 pages, 10 figures, accepted in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences, section Stellar and Solar Physics

Following our prior theoretical and instrumental work addressing the problem of automatic real-time radio frequency interference (RFI) detection and excision from astronomical signals, the wideband Spectral Kurtosis (SK) spectrometer design we proposed is currently being considered as an alternative to the traditional spectrometers when building the new generation of radio instruments. The unique characteristic of an SK spectrometer is that it accumulates both power and power-squared, which are then used to compute an SK statistical estimator proven to be very effective in detecting and excising certain types of RFI signals. In this paper we introduce a novel measurement technique that exploits the power and power square statistics of an SK spectrometer to determine durations and signal-to-noise ratios of transient signals, whether they are RFI or natural signals, even when they are below the time resolution of the instrument. We demonstrate this novel experimental technique by analyzing a segment of data recorded by the Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array Subsystem Testbed (EST) during a solar radio burst in which microwave spike bursts occurred with durations shorter than the 20 ms time resolution of the instrument. The duration of one well-observed spike is quantitatively shown to be within a few percent of 8 ms despite the 20 ms resolution of the data.

We report microwave spectral imaging observations of an erupting magnetic flux rope during the early impulsive phase of the X8.2-class limb flare on 2017 September 10, obtained by the Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array. A few days prior to the eruption, when viewed against the disk, the flux rope appeared as a reverse S-shaped dark filament along the magnetic polarity inversion line. During the eruption, the rope exhibited a "hot channel" structure in extreme ultraviolet and soft X-ray passbands sensitive to ~10 MK plasma. The central portion of the flux rope was nearly aligned with the line of sight, which quickly developed into a teardrop-shaped dark cavity during the early phase of the eruption. A long and thin plasma sheet formed below the cavity, interpreted as the reconnection current sheet viewed edge-on. A nonthermal microwave source was present at the location of the central current sheet, which extended upward encompassing the dark cavity. A pair of nonthermal microwave sources were observed for several minutes on both sides of the main flaring region. They shared a similar temporal behavior and spectral property to the central microwave source below the cavity, interpreted as the conjugate footpoints of the erupting flux rope. These observations are broadly consistent with the magnetic topology and the associated energy release scenario suggested in the three-dimensional standard model for eruptive solar flares. In particular, our detection of nonthermal emission at conjugate flux rope footpoints provides solid evidence of particle transport along an erupting magnetic flux rope., Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures, accepted by The Astrophysical Journal Letters. Associated animation is available at https://web.njit.edu/~binchen/download/publications/Chen+2020_MFR/Figure1_video.mp4

We report the first science results from the newly completed Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array (EOVSA), which obtained excellent microwave imaging spectroscopy observations of SOL2017-09-10, a classic partially-occulted solar limb flare associated with an erupting flux rope. This event is also well-covered by the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) in hard X-rays (HXRs). We present an overview of this event focusing on microwave and HXR data, both associated with high-energy nonthermal electrons, and discuss them within the context of the flare geometry and evolution revealed by extreme ultraviolet (EUV) observations from the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly aboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO/AIA). The EOVSA and RHESSI data reveal the evolving spatial and energy distribution of high-energy electrons throughout the entire flaring region. The results suggest that the microwave and HXR sources largely arise from a common nonthermal electron population, although the microwave imaging spectroscopy provides information over a much larger volume of the corona., 16 pages, 6 figures, accepted to The Astrophysical Journal

The spectrum of gyrosynchrotron emission from solar flares generally peaks in the microwave range. Its optically-thin, high-frequency component, above the spectral peak, is often used for diagnostics of the nonthermal electrons and the magnetic field in the radio source. Under favorable conditions, its low-frequency counterpart brings additional, complementary information about these parameters as well as thermal plasma diagnostics, either through gyrosynchrotron self-absorption, free-free absorption by the thermal plasma, or the suppression of emission through the so-called Razin effect. However, their effects on the low-frequency spectrum are often masked by spatial nonuniformity. To disentangle the various contributions to low-frequency gyrosynchrotron emission, a combination of spectral and imaging data is needed. To this end, we have investigated Owens Valley Solar Array (OVSA) multi-frequency images for 26 solar bursts observed jointly with Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) during the first half of 2002. For each, we examined dynamic spectra, time- and frequency-synthesis maps, RHESSI images with overlaid OVSA contours, and a few representative single-frequency snapshot OVSA images. We focus on the frequency dependence of microwave source sizes derived from the OVSA images and their effect on the low-frequency microwave spectral slope. We succeed in categorizing 18 analyzed events into several groups. Four events demonstrate clear evidence of being dominated by gyrosynchrotron self-absorption, with an inferred brightness temperature of $\geq10^8$~K. The low-frequency spectra in the remaining events are affected to varying degree by Razin suppression. We find that many radio sources are rather large at low frequencies, which can have important implications for solar energetic particle production and escape., Comment: 14 pages, 11 figures, accepted to ApJ. Final paper of a series of OVSA statistical results, prior to completion of expansion of the instrument (EOVSA)

We analyze the spectra of high temperature \fexxiv~lines observed by \emph{Hinode}/EIS during the impulsive phase of the X8.3--class flare on September 10, 2017. The line profiles are broad, show pronounced wings, and clearly depart from a single Gaussian shape. The lines can be well fitted with $\kappa$ distributions, with values of $\kappa$ varying between~$\approx$1.7 to 3. The regions where we observe the non-Gaussian profiles coincide with the location of high-energy ($\approx$100--300 keV) HXR sources observed by \emph{RHESSI}, suggesting the presence of particle acceleration or turbulence, also confirmed by the observations of a non-thermal microwave sources with the \emph{Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array} (EOVSA) at and above the HXR looptop source. We also investigate the effect of taking into account $\kappa$ distributions in the temperature diagnostics based on the ratio of the \fexxiii~263.76~\AA~and \fexxiv~255.1~\AA~EIS lines. We found that these lines can be formed at much higher temperatures than expected (up to log($T$\,[K])\,$\approx$\,7.8), if departures from Maxwellian distributions are taken into account. Although larger line widths are expected because of these higher formation temperatures, the observed line widths still imply non-thermal broadening in excess of ~200\,\kps. The non-thermal broadening related to HXR emission is better interpreted by turbulence rather than chromospheric evaporation.

Ever-increasing multi-frequency imaging of solar observations suggests that solar flares often involve more than one magnetic fluxtube. Some of the fluxtubes are closed, while others can contain open field. The relative proportion of nonthermal electrons among those distinct loops is highly important for understanding the energy release, particle acceleration, and transport. The access of nonthermal electrons to the open field is further important as the open field facilitates the solar energetic particle (SEP) escape from the flaring site, and thus controls the SEP fluxes in the solar system, both directly and as seed particles for further acceleration. The large-scale fluxtubes are often filled with a tenuous plasma, which is difficult to detect in either EUV or X-ray wavelengths; however, they can dominate at low radio frequencies, where a modest component of nonthermal electrons can render the source optically thick and, thus, bright enough to be observed. Here we report detection of a large-scale `plume' at the impulsive phase of an X-class solar flare, SOL2001-08-25T16:23, using multi-frequency radio data from Owens Valley Solar Array. To quantify the flare spatial structure, we employ 3D modeling utilizing force-free-field extrapolations from the line-of-sight SOHO/MDI magnetograms with our modeling tool GX Simulator. We found that a significant fraction of the nonthermal electrons accelerated at the flare site low in the corona escapes to the plume, which contains both closed and open field. We propose that the proportion between the closed and open field at the plume is what determines the SEP population escaping into interplanetary space., Comment: ApJ accepted; 7 pages, 5 figures

We describe in general terms the practical use in astronomy of a higher-order statistical quantity called Spectral Kurtosis (SK), and describe the first implementation of SK-enabled firmware in the F-engine (Fourier transform-engine) of a digital FX correlator for Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array (EOVSA). The development of the theory for SK is summarized, leading to an expression for generalized SK that is applicable to both SK spectrometers and those not specifically designed for SK. We also give the means for computing both the SK estimator and thresholds for its application as a discriminator of RFI contamination. Tests of the performance of EOVSA as an SK spectrometer are shown to agree precisely with theoretical expectations, and the methods for configuring the correlator for correct SK operation are described., Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures

The Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array is an array of 13 2.1-m antennas for solar observations and two 27-m antennas used for calibration and night-time research. The array is currently undergoing commissioning, and will initially cover the 2.5–18 GHz frequency range with about 500 frequency channels within 1 s. The array will eventually operate from 1–18 GHz. This paper introduces the instrument design, and discusses its capabilities and expected performance for solar radio imaging spectropolarimetry. These capabilities are illustrated with one of the dozens of solar bursts already recorded with the instrument in a non-imaging mode.

The early solar observations of Covington (1947) established a good relation between 10.7 cm solar flux and the presence of sunspots on solar disk. The first spatially resolved observation with a two-element interferometer at arc min resolution by Kundu (1959) found that the radio source at 3 cm has a core-halo structure; the core is highly polarized and corresponds to the umbra of a sunspot with magnetic fields of several hundred gauss, and the halo corresponds to the diffuse penumbra or plage region. The coronal temperature of the core was interpreted as due to gyroresonance opacity produced by acceleration of electrons gyrating in a magnetic field. Since the opacity is produced at resonant layers where the frequency matches harmonics of the gyrofrequency, the radio observation could be utilized to measure the coronal magnetic field. Since this simple interferometric observation, the next step for solar astronomers was to use arc second resolution offered by large arrays at cm wavelengths such as Westerbrock Synthesis Radio Telescope and the Very Large Array, which were primarily built for cosmic radio research. Currently, the Owens Valley Solar Array operating in the range 1-18 GHz and the Nobeyama Radio Heliograph at 17 and 34 GHz are the only solar dedicated radio telescopes. Using these telescopes at multiple wavelengths it is now possible to explore three dimensional structure of sunspot associated radio sources and therefore of coronal magnetic fields. We shall present these measurements at wavelengths ranging from 1.7 cm to 90 cm and associated theoretical developments.

We present a morphological study of the 2004 August 18 solar eruption that occurred in the active region NOAA 10656 near the west limb using extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) data from the Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE), Halpha filtergram of Big Bear Solar Observatory, white light images of Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (MLSO), hard X-ray (HXR) data of the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI), and microwave data of the Owens Valley Solar Array. In this event, we have an excellent set of observations for tracing the early evolution of the coronal mass ejection (CME) from a flux rope emergence to its propagation into space as a well-connected series of events thanks to the coronameter's field of view (FOV) down to 1.1 solar radius in an overlap with that of the TRACE. This data set reveals continuously evolving EUV, Halpha, and WL features that suggest the rise of a small, low-lying loop, its writhing motion, break of the kinked loop at its crossing point, and transformation of the ejecta to the CME. The HXR and microwave sources are found in varying locations with a complicated temporal dependence, which, we interpret, is due to two successive flares in the event.more » The first flare appears to be associated with the rise of the small loop, which then triggers the second flare. During the second flare a HXR coronal source is detected at the crossing point of the kinked loop, and more intriguingly, the kinked loop apparently breaks at the crossing point of the two legs, which indicates a magnetic reconnection at the X-point configuration. After the break of the kinked UV loop, a CME structure shows up in the MLSO FOV, and propagates away from the Sun. It is concluded that this CME occurred due to the kink instability.« less

Microwave bursts during solar flares are known to be sensitive to high-energy electrons and magnetic field, both of which are important ingredients of solar flare physics. This paper presents such information derived from the microwave bursts of the 412 flares that were measured with the Owens Valley Solar Array. We assumed that these bursts are predominantly due to gyrosynchrotron radiation by nonthermal electrons in a single power-law energy distribution to use the simplified formulae for gyrosynchrotron radiation in the data analysis. A second major assumption was that statistical properties of flare electrons derived from this microwave database should agree with an earlier result based on the hard X-ray burst spectrometer on Solar Maximum Mission. Magnetic field information was obtained in the form of a scaling law between the average magnetic field and the total source area, which turns out to be a narrow distribution around ~400 G. The derived nonthermal electron energy is related to the peak flux, peak frequency, and spectral index, through a multistep regression fit, which can be used for a quick estimate for the nonthermal electron energy from spatially integrated microwave spectral observations.

We analyze the dynamics of the broadband frequency spectrum of 338 microwave bursts observed in the years 2001 – 2002 with the Owens Valley Solar Array. A subset of 38 strong microwave bursts that show a single spectral maximum are studied in detail. Our main goal is to study changes in spectral peak frequency ν pk with time. We show that, for a majority of these simple bursts, the peak frequency shows a high positive correlation with flux density – it increases on the rise phase in ≈83% of 24 bursts where it could be cleanly measured, and decreases immediately after the peak time in ≈62% of 34 bursts. This behavior is in qualitative agreement with theoretical expectations based on gyrosynchrotron self-absorption. However, for a significant number of events (≈30 – 36%) the peak frequency variation is much smaller than expected from self-absorption, or may be entirely absent. The observed temporal behavior of ν pk is compared with a simple model of gyrosynchrotron radio emission. We show that the anomalous behavior is well accounted for by the effects of Razin suppression, and further show how an analysis of the temporal evolution of ν pk can be used to uniquely determine the relative importance of self-absorption and Razin suppression in a given burst. The analysis technique provides a new, quantitative diagnostic for the gyrosynchrotron component of solar microwave bursts. Applying this analysis technique to our sample of bursts, we find that in most of the bursts (60%) the spectral dynamics of ν pk around the time of peak flux density is caused by self-absorption. On the other hand, for a significant number of events (≈70%), the Razin effect may play the dominant role in defining the spectral peak and dynamics of ν pk, especially on the early rise phase and late decay phase of the bursts.

We describe microwave and hard X-ray observations of strong quasiperiodic pulsations from the GOES X1.3 solar flare on 15 June 2003. The radio observations were made jointly by the Owens Valley Solar Array (OVSA), the Nobeyama Polarimeter (NoRP), and the Nobeyama Radioheliograph (NoRH). Hard X-ray observations were made by the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI). Using Fourier analysis, we study the frequency- and energy-dependent oscillation periods, differential phase, and modulation amplitudes of the radio and X-ray pulsations. Focusing on the more complete radio observations, we also examine the modulation of the degree of circular polarization and of the radio spectral index. The observed properties of the oscillations are compared with those derived from two simple models for the radio emission. In particular, we explicitly fit the observed modulation amplitude data to the two competing models. The first model considers the effects of MHD oscillations on the radio emission. The second model considers the quasi-periodic injection of fast electrons. We demonstrate that quasiperiodic acceleration and injection of fast electrons is the more likely cause of the quasiperiodic oscillations observed in the radio and hard X-ray emission, which has important implications for particle acceleration and transport in the flaring sources., ApJ, accepted

We investigate the origin of the increasing spectra observed at submillimeter wavelengths detected in the flare on 2 November 2003 starting at 17:17 UT. This flare, classified as an X8.3 and 2B event, was simultaneously detected by RHESSI and the Solar Submillimeter Telescope (SST) at 212 and 405 GHz. Comparison of the time profiles at various wavelengths shows that the submillimeter emission resembles that of the high-energy X rays observed by RHESSI whereas the microwaves observed by the Owens Valley Solar Array (OVSA) resemble that of ∼50 keV X rays. Moreover, the centroid position of the submillimeter radiation is seen to originate within the same flaring loops of the ultraviolet and X-ray sources. Nevertheless, the submillimeter spectra are distinct from the usual microwave spectra, appearing to be a distinct spectral component with peak frequency in the THz range. Three possibilities to explain this increasing radio spectra are discussed: (1) gyrosynchrotron radiation from accelerated electrons, (2) bremsstrahlung from thermal electrons, and (3) gyrosynchrotron emission from the positrons produced by pion or radioactive decay after nuclear interactions. The latter possibility is ruled out on the grounds that to explain the submillimeter observations requires 3000 to 2×105 more positrons than what is inferred from X-ray and γ-ray observations. It is possible to model the emission as thermal; however, such sources would produce too much flux in the ultraviolet and soft X-ray wavelengths. Nevertheless we are able to explain both spectral components at microwave and submillimeter wavelengths by gyrosynchrotron emission from the same population of accelerated electrons that emit hard X rays and γ rays. We find that the same 5×1035 electrons inferred from RHESSI observations are responsible for the compact submillimeter source (0.5 arcsec in radius) in a region of 4500 G low in the atmosphere, and for the traditional microwave spectral component by a more extended source (50 arcsec) in a 480 G magnetic field located higher up in the loops. The extreme values in magnetic field and source size required to account for the submillimeter emission can be relaxed if anisotropy and transport of the electrons are taken into account.

We present radio and X-ray observations of an impulsive solar flare that was moderately intense in microwaves, yet showed very meager EUV and X-ray emission. The flare occurred on 2001 Oct 24 and was well-observed at radio wavelengths by the Nobeyama Radioheliograph (NoRH), the Nobeyama Radio Polarimeters (NoRP), and by the Owens Valley Solar Array (OVSA). It was also observed in EUV and X-ray wavelength bands by the TRACE, GOES, and Yohkoh satellites. We find that the impulsive onset of the radio emission is progressively delayed with increasing frequency relative to the onset of hard X-ray emission. In contrast, the time of flux density maximum is progressively delayed with decreasing frequency. The decay phase is independent of radio frequency. The simple source morphology and the excellent spectral coverage at radio wavelengths allowed us to employ a nonlinear chi-squared minimization scheme to fit the time series of radio spectra to a source model that accounts for the observed radio emission in terms of gyrosynchrotron radiation from MeV-energy electrons in a relatively dense thermal plasma. We discuss plasma heating and electron acceleration in view of the parametric trends implied by the model fitting. We suggest that stochastic acceleration likely plays a role in accelerating the radio-emitting electrons., 22 pages, 10 figures

A radio frequency interference (RFI) excision algorithm based on spectral kurtosis, a spectral variant of time‐domain kurtosis, is proposed and implemented in software. The algorithm works by providing a robust estimator for Gaussian noise that, when violated, indicates the presence of non‐Gaussian RFI. A theoretical formalism is used that unifies the well‐known time‐domain kurtosis estimator with past work related to spectral kurtosis, and leads naturally to a single expression encompassing both. The algorithm accumulates the first two powers of M power spectral density (PSD) estimates, obtained via Fourier transform, to form a spectral kurtosis (SK) estimator whose expected statistical variance is used to define an RFI detection threshold. The performance of the algorithm is theoretically evaluated for different time‐domain RFI characteristics and signal‐to‐noise ratios η. The theoretical performance of the algorithm for intermittent RFI (RFI present in R out of M PSD estimates) is evaluated and shown to depend greatly on the duty cycle, d = R/M. The algorithm is most effective for d = 1/(4 + η), but cannot distinguish RFI from Gaussian noise at any η when d = 0.5. The expected efficiency and robustness of the algorithm are tested using data from the newly designed FASR Subsystem Testbed radio interferometer operating at the Owens Valley Solar Array. The ability of the algorithm to discriminate RFI against the temporally and spectrally complex radio emission produced during solar radio bursts is demonstrated.

Using magnetograms, EUV and Hα images, Owens Valley Solar Array microwave observations, and 212-GHz flux density derived from the Solar Submillimeter Telescope data, we determine the spatial characteristics of the 1B/M6.9 flare that occurred on November 28, 2001, starting at 16:26 UT in active region (AR) NOAA 9715. This flare is associated with a chromospheric mass ejection or surge observed at 16:42 UT in the Hα images. We compute the coronal magnetic field under the linear force-free field assumption, constrained by the photospheric data of the Michelson Doppler Imager and loops observed by the Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope. The analysis of the magnetic field connectivity allows us to conclude that magnetic field reconnection between two different coronal/chromospheric sets of arches was at the origin of the flare and surge, respectively. The optically thick microwave spectrum at peak time shows a shape compatible with the emission from two different sites. Fitting gyrosynchrotron emission to the observed spectrum, we derive parameters for each source.

We study the magnetic energy release during the 2002 September 9 flare using the high-cadence (40 ms) Hα filtergram at Big Bear Solar Observatory (BBSO), along with hard X-ray and microwave data from the Reuven Ramaty High-Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) and the Owens Valley Solar Array (OVSA), respectively. We take the Poynting vector approach with the standard two-dimensional geometry of the reconnecting current sheet (RCS) but suggest a new technique to infer the area of the RCS, in order to complete the magnetic energy calculation entirely with observed quantities. We found five peaks of impulsive magnetic energy release, concentrated within 10-30 s periods, that are episodic with the peaks of the hard X-ray light curve. The maximum amount of energy released per peak reaches ~2.6 × 1030 ergs s-1, and the electron energy deposition rate derived from the RHESSI spectra falls into the range of 10%-80% of the magnetic energy release rate. We briefly discuss this result in comparison with other studies thus far made toward understanding of the magnetic reconnection in solar flares and suggest the pulsating current sheet model as the most plausible interpretation of our result.

In a companion paper, we have presented so-called Spatio-Spectral Maximum Entropy Method (SSMEM) particularly designed for Fourier-Transform imaging over a wide spectral range. The SSMEM allows simultaneous acquisition of both spectral and spatial information and we consider it most suitable for imaging spectroscopy of solar microwave emission. In this paper, we run the SSMEM for a realistic model of solar microwave radiation and a model array resembling the Owens Valley Solar Array in order to identify and resolve possible issues in the application of the SSMEM to solar microwave imaging spectroscopy. We mainly concern ourselves with issues as to how the frequency dependent noise in the data and frequency-dependent variations of source size and background flux will affect the result of imaging spectroscopy under the SSMEM. We also test the capability of the SSMEM against other conventional techniques, CLEAN and MEM.

In this paper, we study solar microflares using the coordinated hard X-ray and microwave observations obtained by the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) during its open-shutter operation mode and the Owens Valley Solar Array (OVSA). The events in our study are selected in the energy range of 12-25 keV and are relatively large microflares with an average GOES soft X-ray incremental flux at the B2.0 level. A total of 760 microflares are identified from the RHESSI burst catalog. Of the 200 microflares that fall into the OVSA observing window, about 40% are detected in microwaves. Using these hundreds of events as samples, we study the event distribution with respect to the flux, the solar activity, and active regions, in comparison with flares of larger scales. Nonthermal properties of microflares are investigated through spectral analysis of X-rays and microwaves. (1) We find that the event frequency distribution with respect to the RHESSI peak count rates at 12-25 keV can be accurately described with a power-law function down to 8 counts s-1, the power-law index being 1.75 ± 0.03, consistent with previous studies. (2) Similar to large flares, the occurrence rate of microflares is correlated with solar activity. The studied samples of microflares are mostly produced by active regions, as suggested by the large percentage of events detected by OVSA, which observes target active regions. However, all active regions do not have equal productivity, and certain active regions are a lot more productive than other regions. (3) While some large and complex active regions are predominantly productive in both very weak and strong events, we also find an active region that produces many microflares and C-class events but does not produce powerful events. (4) Analysis of energy-dependent time profiles suggests that there is a pronounced temporal correlation between the time derivative of soft X-rays and 14-20 keV hard X-rays, i.e., the Neupert effect, in about one-half the studied events. (5) Albeit small, many microflares exhibit hard X-ray emission at over 10 keV and microwave emission at around 10 GHz. Spectral analysis in these two wavelengths corroborates the nonthermal nature of these emissions. (6) In a limited number of samples, the RHESSI spectral fitting yields a photon spectral index of 4.5-7, and microwave spectral analysis on the same events shows that the power-law index of the electron spectrum is in the range of 2-5. The discrepancy in the electron spectrum index derived from hard X-rays and microwaves is substantially greater than previously reported in big flares, hinting at the existence of high-energy, microwave-emitting electrons that have a much hardened spectrum compared with electrons emitting hard X-rays.

We present results of analysis of 412 flares during 2001-2002 as detected by the Owens Valley Solar Array (OVSA). This is an in-depth study to investigate some results suggested by a previous study of solar bursts (Nita et al. 2002), which was limited to the peak time of the bursts at a few frequency bands. The new study includes the temporal dependence, at 4 s time resolution, of parameters measured at 40 frequencies in the range 1-18 GHz. We investigate distributions of burst parameters such as maximum flux density in the spectra, peak frequency, spectral slopes below and above the peak frequency (optically thick and thin slopes, respectively), and burst durations. We classify the microwave bursts according to their spectral properties and provide tables of averaged spectral parameters for each spectral type and for different frequency and intensity ranges.

Solar flares present a number of radiative characteristics indicative of kinetic processes of high energy particles. Proper understanding of the kinetic processes, however, relies on how well we can separate the acceleration from transport characteristics. In this paper, we discuss microwave and hard X-ray bursts as a powerful tool in investigating the acceleration and transport of high energy electrons. After a brief review of the studies devoted to the kinetic process of solar flare particles, we cast them into a simple formulation which allows us to handle the injection, trap, and precipitation of flare electrons self-consistently. The formulation is then taken as a basis for interpreting and analyzing a set of impulsive and gradual bursts occurred on 2001 April 6 observed with the Owens Valley Solar Array, and HXT/WBS onboard Yohkoh satellite. We quantify the acceleration, trap, and precipitation processes during each burst in terms of relevant time scales, and also determine ambient density and magnetic field. Our result suggests that it should be the acceleration property, in particular, electron pitch angle distribution, rather than the trap condition, that is mainly responsible for the distinctive properties of the impulsive and gradual flares.

Quiescent solar radiation, at microwave spectral regime, is dominated by gyroresonant and thermal Bremsstrahlung radiations from hot electrons residing in solar active region corona. These radiations are known to provide excellent diagnostics on the coronal temperature, density, and magnetic field, provided that spatially resolved spectra are available from observations. In this paper we present an imaging spectroscopy implemented for a bipolar active region, AR 7912, using the multifrequency interferometric data from the Owens Valley Solar Array (OVSA), as processed with a new imaging technique, so-called Spatio-Spectral Maximum Entropy Method (SSMEM). From the microwave maps at 26 frequencies in the range of 1.2-12.4 GHz at both right- and left-circular polarizations, we construct spatially resolved brightness spectra in every reconstructed pixel of about 2 arcsec interval. These spectra allowed us to determine 2-D distribution of electron temperature, magnetic field of coronal base, and emission measure at the coronal base above the active region. We briefly compare the present result with existing studies of the coronal active regions.

The evolution of a GOES class X1.1 solar flare, which occurred in NOAA Active Region 8910 on 2000 March 22, is discussed using observations from the Owens Valley Solar Array (OVSA), Big Bear Solar observatory (BBSO), Transition Region and Coronal Explorer (TRACE), and the Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) on board Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). During the impulsive phase, a set of coronal loops are visible in the TRACE 171 A ˚ (� 1 � 10 6 K) wavelength band, which is confined to a small volume in the center of the large ��� -type active region. This is rapidly followed by the emergence of bright Hribbons that coincide with the EUV emission. Radio images show a single source encompassing the Hribbons at 5 GHz, but at higher frequencies a double source is seen within the area bounded by the compact Hand EUV emissions. We interpret the observation under the idea of the confined flare in contrast with the more com- monly cited, eruptive flare. We use a schematic magnetic reconnection geometry based on the MDI magneto- gram to suggest that the EUV loops show some parts of a separatrix, and that the radio and Hsources coincide with the whole part of the separatrix and its footpoints, respectively. First of all, it explains why this flare lacks the separating motion of Hribbons, a signature for eruptive flares. Second, the very short dura- tion of microwave bursts in spite of the large amount of soft X-ray flux is explicable under this scenario, since energy release via spontaneous reconnection in a confined magnetic structure can be very rapid. Third, the confined magnetic geometry is also considered favorable for preserving chromospheric evaporation and plasma turbulence as inferred from the OVSA microwave spectrum. In addition, a coronal mass ejection as detected in the LASCO coronagraph after this flare is briefly discussed in relation to the above flare model. Subject headings: MHD — radiation mechanisms: nonthermal — Sun: flares — Sun: magnetic fields — Sun: radio radiation — Sun: UV radiation

Solar are emission was measured at 212 GHz in the submillimeter range by the Submillimeter Solar Telescope in the 1.2-18 GHz microwave range by the Owens Valley Solar Array and in the gamma-ray energy range (continuum) by experiments on board the Yohkoh ( > 1. 2 MeV) and Shenzhou 2 ( > 0.2 MeV) satellites. At the burst onset, the submillimeter and microwave time profiles were well correlated with gamma rays to the limit of the temporal resolution (less than or equal to10 s). At 212 GHz, fast pulses ( 1. 2 MeV), attaining nearly 50 pulses per minute at the maximum. These results suggest that gamma rays might be the response to multiple rapid pulses at 212 GHz and might be produced at different sites within the flaring region.

We discuss injection and transport of high-energy electrons during a GOES X-ray class M9.8 flare observed in microwaves with the Owens Valley Solar Array (OVSA) and in hard X-rays (HXRs) with the hard X-ray telescope (HXT) on board Yohkoh. Observed at 1 s timescales or better in both wavelength regimes, the event shows (1) a large difference in scale between the microwave source and the HXR source; (2) an unusually hard HXR spectrum (maximum spectral index ~-1.6), followed by rapid spectral softening; and (3) a microwave light curve containing both impulsive peaks (3 s rise time) simultaneous with those of the HXRs and a long, extended tail with a uniform decay rate (2.3 minutes). We analyze the observations within the framework of the electron trap-and-precipitation model, allowing a time-dependent injection energy spectrum. Assuming thick-target bremsstrahlung for the HXRs, we infer the electron injection function in the form Q(E, t) ~ (E/E0)-δ(t), where the timescale for δ(t) to change by unity is ~7 s. This injection function can account for the characteristics of the impulsive part of the microwave burst by considering the bulk of the electrons to be directly precipitating without trapping. The same injection function also accounts for the gradual part of the microwave emission by convolving the injection function with a kernel representing the trapping process, which at late times gives N(E, t) ~ e-νt(E/E0)-b. We require b ~ 1.4 and ν ~ 6 × 10-3β s-1, where β is the electron speed divided by the speed of light. Therefore, the derived form of the precipitation rate ν itself indicates strong pitch-angle diffusion, but the slow decay of the microwave radiation requires a small loss cone (~4°) and a low ambient density in the coronal trap. Also, the numbers of electrons needed to account for the two components of the microwave emission differ by an order of magnitude. We estimate that the ≥100 keV number of the directly precipitating electrons is ~1033, while the trapped population requires ~1032 electrons. This leads us to a model of two interacting loops, the larger of which serves as an efficient trap while the smaller provides the impulsive source. These characteristics are consistent with the spatially resolved observations.

RHESSI is the sixth in the NASA line of Small Explorer (SMEX) missions and the first managed in the Principal Investigator mode, where the PI is responsible for all aspects of the mission except the launch vehicle. RHESSI is designed to investigate particle acceleration and energy release in solar flares, through imaging and spectroscopy of hard X-ray/gamma-ray continua emitted by energetic electrons, and of gamma-ray lines produced by energetic ions. The single instrument consists of an imager, made up of nine bi-grid rotating modulation collimators (RMCs), in front of a spectrometer with nine cryogenically-cooled germanium detectors (GeDs), one behind each RMC. It provides the first high-resolution hard X-ray imaging spectroscopy, the first high-resolution gamma-ray line spectroscopy, and the first imaging above 100 keV including the first imaging of gamma-ray lines. The spatial resolution is as fine as ~ 2.3 arc sec with a full-Sun (≳ 1°) field of view, and the spectral resolution is ~ 1–10 keV FWHM over the energy range from soft X-rays (3 keV) to gamma-rays (17 MeV). An automated shutter system allows a wide dynamic range (> 107) of flare intensities to be handled without instrument saturation. Data for every photon is stored in a solid-state memory and telemetered to the ground, thus allowing for versatile data analysis keyed to specific science objectives. The spin-stabilized (~ 15 rpm) spacecraft is Sun-pointing to within ~ 0.2° and operates autonomously. RHESSI was launched on 5 February 2002, into a nearly circular, 38° inclination, 600-km altitude orbit and began observations a week later. The mission is operated from Berkeley using a dedicated 11-m antenna for telemetry reception and command uplinks. All data and analysis software are made freely and immediately available to the scientific community.

We present the analysis of 27 solar flares with multiple peaks that were observed at hard X-ray and microwave wavelengths. A total of 57 simultaneous peaks were observed by BATSE (hard X-rays) and Owens Valley Radio Observatory (microwaves). Throughout the duration of a flare, its spectra at both wavelengths are fitted independently at all times. The hard X-ray spectra were fitted by a single power law in most cases, whereas the microwave spectra were fitted as gyrosynchrotron emission. For each individual peak, the parameters at both wavelengths (peak flux, turnover frequency, spectral indices, and delays between hard X-ray and microwave peak emission) were then compared and correlated. We have also studied impulsive and nonimpulsive bursts individually. The main results obtained were as follows. (1) In 75% of the bursts, the inferred index of the electron energy distribution of the microwave-emitting electrons, δr, is harder than that of the lower energy hard X-ray-emitting electrons, δX, on average by 0.5-2.0. This implies that there is a breakup in the energy spectra of the electrons, as is sometimes observed in the hard X-ray spectra of giant flares. (2) A soft-hard-harder spectral index temporal evolution is more commonly seen in the microwave spectra (47%) than in the hard X-ray observations (32%) and in nonimpulsive flares than in impulsive ones. (3) Delays larger than 2 s were observed between the radio and hard X-ray peaks in 65% of the bursts, with the delays decreasing as the hard X-ray energy increased. (4) Nonimpulsive flares are more microwave rich, have higher delays between their radio emission and the hard X-ray peaks, and display harder spectral indices than impulsive bursts.

▪ Abstract Radio emission from solar flares offers a number of unique diagnostic tools to address long-standing questions about energy release, plasma heating, particle acceleration, and particle transport in magnetized plasmas. At millimeter and centimeter wavelengths, incoherent gyrosynchrotron emission from electrons with energies of tens of kilo electron volts to several mega electron volts plays a dominant role. These electrons carry a significant fraction of the energy released during the impulsive phase of flares. At decimeter and meter wavelengths, coherent plasma radiation can play a dominant role. Particularly important are type III and type III–like radio bursts, which are due to upward- and downward-directed beams of nonthermal electrons, presumed to originate in the energy release site. With the launch of Yohkoh and the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory, the relationship between radio emission and energetic photon emissions has been clarified. In this review, recent progress on our Dunderstanding of radio emission from impulsive flares and its relation to X-ray emission is discussed, as well as energy release in flare-like phenomena (microflares, nanoflares) and their bearing on coronal heating.

Spectra of solar microwave bursts often have a steeper slope than expected on the low-frequency side, manifest a low brightness temperature, and maintain a constant frequency of maximum brightness temperature νpeak, despite the burst's evolution in peak brightness. We used a gyrosynchrotron code to model the emission from the flare of 1992 July 16, which exhibited these characteristics. We find that the Razin effect—the suppression of radiation from an electron in a medium in which the index of refraction is less than unity—accounts for the shape and evolution of the burst. Using data from the Owens Valley Solar Array we demonstrate that in a medium with density 2 × 1011 cm-3 and magnetic field 300 G, conditions not uncommon for solar microwave bursts, the gyrosynchrotron spectrum from mildly relativistic electrons can be suppressed for frequencies up to at least 10 GHz. We can then explain the constancy of νpeak, the burst's low brightness temperature, and the steep low-frequency slope of the spectrum using a simple model in which only the density of accelerated electrons varies during the flare. Our model implies values for the density of accelerated and ambient electrons which are in agreement with those derived from X-ray data for this flare.

Recently a distinctive class of hard X ray (HXR) sources located in the corona was found, which implies that the collisionally thick target model (CTTM) applies even to the corona. We investigated whether this idea can independently be verified by microwave radiations that have been known as the best companion to HXRs. The study is made for the GOES M2.3 class flare occurred on 2002 September 9 that were observed by the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) and the Owens Valley Solar Array (OVSA). Interpreting the observed energy dependent variation of HXR source size under the CTTM the coronal density should be as high as $5\times 10^{11}$ cm$^{-3}$ over the distance up to 12$"$. To explain the cut-off feature of microwave spectrum at 3 GHz, we however, need density no higher than $1\times 10^{11}$ cm$^{-3}$. Additional constraints need to be placed on temperature and magnetic field of the coronal source in order to reproduce the microwave spectrum as a whole. Firstly, a spectral feature called the Razin suppression requires the magnetic field in a range of 250--350 gauss along with high viewing angles around 75$^{\rm o}$. Secondly, to avoid excess fluxes at high frequencies due to the free-free emission that were not observed, we need a high temperature $\geq2\times 10^7$ K. These two microwave spectral features, Razzin suppression and free-free emissions, become more significant at regions of high thermal plasma density and are essential for validating and for determining additional parameters for the coronal HXR sources., APJ Letters, in press

The solar and space physics community has recently completed its second decadal survey under the auspices of the National Research Council. An integrated strategy for ground and space based studies of the Sun and space physics has been recommended, with specific recommendations made regarding new instrumentation, programs, and facilities. The ground based component of these recommendations is briefly reviewed here: the Advanced Technology Solar Telescope (ATST), the Frequency Agile Solar Radiotelescope (FASR), and the Coronal Solar Magnetism Observatory (COSMO). Although not considered as part of the decadal portfolio, but of which the community should nevertheless be aware, are the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). Several additional instruments are briefly mentioned as pathfinders for those instruments recommended by the decadal survey, including the Coronal Multichannel Polarimeter (CoMP) and the Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array (EOVSA). The planned instruments discussed offer uniquely powerful observations of emissions that originate from the photosphere to well out into the solar wind. As such, they provide observations that are highly complementary to space based missions such as Solar Probe Plus and Solar Orbiter. The status and science goals of the recommended instruments are briefly reviewed.

A new 17-GHz radio interferometer dedicated for solar observations was constructed in two years at Nobeyama, Nagano. It consists of eighty-four 80-cm-diameter antennas arranged in a tee-shaped array extending 490 m in east-west and 220 m in north-south directions. Since late June of 1992, radio full-disk images of the Sun have been observed for 8 h every day. The spatial resolution is 10" and the temporal resolution is 1 s and also 50 ms for selected events. Every 10 s correlator data are synthesized into images in real time and displayed on a monitor screen. The array configuration is optimized to observe the whole Sun with high spatial and temporal resolution and a high dynamic range of images. Image quality of better than 20 dB is realized by incorporation of technical advances in hardware and software, such as (1) low-loss phase-stable optical-fiber cables for local reference signal and IF signals, (2) newly developed phase-stable local oscillators, (3) custom CMOS gate-array LSTs of 1-b quadraphase correlators for 4/spl times/4 combinations, and (4) new image processing techniques to suppress large sidelobe effects due to the solar disk and extended sources. >

The presence of a solar burst spectral component with flux density increasing with frequency in the sub-terahertz range, spectrally separated from the well-known microwave spectral component, bring new possibilities to explore the flaring physical processes, both observational and theoretical. The solar event of 6 December 2006, starting at about 18:30 UT, exhibited a particularly well-defined double spectral structure, with the sub-THz spectral component detected at 212 and 405 GHz by SST and microwaves (1-18 GHz) observed by the Owens Valley Solar Array (OVSA). Emissions obtained by instruments in satellites are discussed with emphasis to ultra-violet (UV) obtained by the Transition Region And Coronal Explorer (TRACE), soft X-rays from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) and X- and gamma-rays from the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI). The sub-THz impulsive component had its closer temporal counterpart only in the higher energy X- and gamma-rays ranges. The spatial positions of the centers of emission at 212 GHz for the first flux enhancement were clearly displaced by more than one arc-minute from positions at the following phases. The observed sub-THz fluxes and burst source plasma parameters were found difficult to be reconciled to a purely thermal emission component. We discuss possible mechanisms to explain the double spectral components at microwaves and in the THz ranges., Comment: Accepted version for publication in Solar Physics

We have simulated the Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array (EOVSA) radio images generated at multiple frequencies from a model solar active region, embedded in a realistic solar disk model, and explored the resulting data cube for different spectral analysis schemes to evaluate the potential for realizing one of EOVSA's most important scientific goals—coronal magnetography. In this paper, we focus on modeling the gyroresonance and free–free emission from an on-disk solar active region model with realistic complexities in electron density, temperature and magnetic field distribution. We compare the magnetic field parameters extrapolated from the image data cube along each line of sight after folding through the EOVSA instrumental profile with the original (unfolded) parameters used in the model. We find that even the most easily automated, image-based analysis approach (Level-0) provides reasonable quantitative results, although they are affected by systematic effects due to finite sampling in the Fourier (UV) plane. Finally, we note the potential for errors due to misidentified harmonics of the gyrofrequency, and discuss the prospects for applying a more sophisticated spectrally based analysis scheme (Level-1) to resolve the issue in cases where improved UV coverage and spatial resolution are available.

[1] Analysis of 412 solar radio burst events in the microwave range [1.2–18] GHz that were measured at the New Jersey Institute of Technology Owens Valley Solar Array over 2 years (2001–2002) during the peak of the 23rd solar cycle is conducted in the context of the possible interference of such bursts with radio-receiving and radar systems that operate at these frequencies. It is found that there is a small probability for solar interference for systems operating at a frequency ν > 2.6 GHz and with a typical noise floor, but the probability increases significantly at lower frequencies. The probability is greater for more sensitive systems operating with higher gain, but the likelihood of interference can be partially ameliorated by an increase in the operating frequency. Finally, our statistics indicate that it could be beneficial for radio and radar systems operating below 2.6 GHz to employ an adaptable mode wherein, if the prediction of solar activity suggested the possible occurrence of a large radio burst, system operators could switch operations to a less susceptible frequency band above 2.6 GHz.

We review the state of current understanding of the potential for interference and interruption of service of wireless communications systems due to solar radio bursts. There have been several reported instances of an enhanced rate of dropped cell-phone calls during solar bursts, and the design of current base station systems make them vulnerable to problems near sunrise and sunset for antennas facing in the direction of the Sun during outbursts. It is likely that many cases of interference have gone unreported and perhaps unrecognized. We determine the level of radio noise that can cause potential problems, and then discuss how often bursts of the required magnitude might happen. We illustrate the range of radio flux behavior that may occur, in both frequency and time, with data from the Solar Radio Spectropolarimeter and the Owens Valley Solar Array. We find that bursts that can cause potential problems occur on average once every 3.5 days at solar maximum, but also occur at a reduced rate of 18.5 days between events at solar minimum. We investigate the rate of occurrence as a function of frequency, which is relevant for future wireless systems that will operate at higher frequencies than the present systems.

We used data from the Owens Valley Solar Array to make a detailed investigation of the gyrosynchrotron spectrum of the flare of July 16 1992. The result of this investigation led us to propose a solution to a long‐standing problem in solar microwave bursts, that of the constant peak frequency of the bursts as they evolve in brightness temperature, and the steep slope on the low‐frequency side of the spectrum. We propose that the Razin effect is at work, and develop the theory of Razin suppression for solar microwave burst conditions. The Razin effect is the suppression of radiation from an electron in a medium in which the index of refraction is less than unity. We demonstrate that in a medium with density 2×1011 cm−3 and magnetic field 300 Gauss, conditions not uncommon for solar microwave bursts, the gyrosynchrotron spectrum can be suppressed for frequencies up to at least 10 GHz.

A quantitative study of the observable radio signatures of the sausage, kink, and torsional MHD oscillation modes in flaring coronal loops is performed. Considering first non-zero order effect of these various MHD oscillation modes on the radio source parameters such as magnetic field, line of sight, plasma density and temperature, electron distribution function, and the source dimensions, we compute time dependent radio emission (spectra and light curves). The radio light curves (of both flux density and degree of polarization) at all considered radio frequencies are than quantified in both time domain (via computation of the full modulation amplitude as a function of frequency) and in Fourier domain (oscillation spectra, phases, and partial modulation amplitude) to form the signatures specific to a particular oscillation mode and/or source parameter regime. We found that the parameter regime and the involved MHD mode can indeed be distinguished using the quantitative measures derived in the modeling. We apply the developed approach to analyze radio burst recorded by Owens Valley Solar Array and report possible detection of the sausage mode oscillation in one (partly occulted) flare and kink or torsional oscillations in another flare.

We report peculiar spectral activity of four large microwave bursts as obtained from the Solar Arrays at the Owens Valley Radio Observatory during observations of X-class flares on 1990 May 24 and 1991 March 7, 8, and 22. Main observational points that we newly uncovered are: (1) flat flux spectra over 1–18 GHz in large amounts of flux ranging from 10² to 10⁴ s.f.u. at the maximum phase, (2) a common evolutionary pattern in which the spectral region of dominant flux shifts from high frequencies at the initial rise to low frequencies at the decaying phase, and (3) unusual time profiles that are impulsive at high frequencies but more extended at lower frequencies. In an attempt to elucidate these new properties, we carry out the model calculations of microwave spectra under assumptions of gyrosynchrotron mechanism and a dipole field configuration to reproduce the observational characteristics. Our results are summarized as follows. First, a flat microwave spectrum reaching up to 10²–10⁴ s.f.u. may occur in a case where a magnetic loop is extended to an angular size of ∼(0.7–7.0) × 10⁻⁷ sterad and contains a huge number (N(E > 10 keV) ∼ 10³⁶– 10³⁸) of nonthermal electrons with power-law index δ ∼ 3–3.5 over the entire volume. Second, the observed spectral activity could adequately be accounted for by the shrinking of the region of nonthermal electrons to the loop top and by the softening of the power-law spectrum of electrons in a time scale ranging 3–45 min depending on the event. Third, the extended microwave activity at lower frequencies is probably due to electrons trapped in the loop top where magnetic fields are low. Finally, we clarify the physical distinction between these large, extended microwave bursts and the gradual/post-microwave bursts often seen in weak events, both of which are characterized by long-period activity and broadband spectra.

We report on the structure of the solar atmosphere above active region (AR) 10923, observed on 2006 November?10, as deduced from multi-wavelength studies including combined microwave observations from the Very Large Array (VLA) and the Owens Valley Solar Array (OVSA). The VLA observations provide excellent image quality at a few widely spaced frequencies, while the OVSA data provide information at many intermediate frequencies to fill in the spectral coverage. Images at 25 distinct frequencies are used to provide spatially resolved spectra along many lines of sight in the AR, from which microwave spectral diagnostics are obtained for deducing maps of temperature, magnetic field, and column density. The derived quantities are compared with multiwavelength observations from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory and Hinode spacecraft, and with a current-free magnetic field extrapolation. We find that a two-component temperature model is required to fit the data, in which a hot (>2?MK) lower corona above the strong-field plage and sunspot regions (emitting via the gyroresonance process) is overlaid with somewhat cooler (~1?MK) coronal loops that partially absorb the gyroresonance emission through the free-free (Bremsstrahlung) process. We also find that the extrapolated potential magnetic fields can quantitatively account for the observed gyroresonance emission over most of the AR, but in a few areas a higher field strength is required. The results are used to explore the coronal configuration needed to explain the observations. These results show that the bulk of free-free emission in both radio and X-rays emanates from two loop systems, distinguished by the location of their loop footpoints. We discuss the implications of such comparisons for studies of AR structure when better microwave spectral imaging becomes available in the future.

We present the first results of solar active region observations with the recently completed five-element Owens Valley Solar Array. On 1991 October 24, maps of Active Region AR 6891 were obtained at 22 frequencies from 1.2-7.0 GHz to provide brightness temperature spectra at each point. This is the first time that both high spatial and frequency-resolution brightness temperature spectra have been available over such a broad radio-frequency range. We find that over most of the region the spectra fall into one of the two well-defined categories: thermal free-free or thermal gyroresonance. In these cases, we use the spectra to deduce the spatial variation of physical parameters-electron temperature, column emission measure (intergral n(sup 2)(sub e) dl), and the coronal magnetic field strength-in and around the active region. Over a limited area of the region, the spectra resemble neither of the simple types, and alternative interpretations are required. The possibilties include the presence of fine structure that is unresolved at low frequencies; the presence of a small number of nonthermal electrons; or the presence of overlying, cooler 10(exp 6) K material which at low frequencies absorbs the hot (3 x 10(exp 6) K) thermal emission generated below.

Recent hard X-ray observations of solar flares are reviewed with emphasis on results obtained with instruments on the Solar Maximum Mission satellite. Flares with three different sets of characteristics, designated as Type A, Type B, and Type C, are discussed and hard X-ray temporal, spatial, spectral, and polarization measurements are reviewed in this framework. Coincident observations are reviewed at other wavelengths including the UV, microwaves, and soft X-rays, with discussions of their interpretations. In conclusion, a brief outline is presented of the potential of future hard X-ray observations with sub-second time resolution, arcsecond spatial resolution, and keV energy resolution, and polarization measurements at the few percent level up to 100 keV.

Radio astronomy of the sun has reached a high level of maturity, while radio astronomy of the stars is now a burgeoning new field of study. The present review is mainly concerned with radiation which is emitted by 'normal' stars, defined here to include those appearing on classical Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams. The mechanisms for both steady, quiescent emission and intense, strongly varying outbursts are discussed. Included are discussions of bremsstrahlung, gyrosynchrotron emission, electron-cyclotron masers, and plasma radiation. The manifestation of these mechanisms in various kinds of solar radiation are considered along with stellar manifestations.