Geometrical and Physical Properties of SXR Loop-Top Flare Kernels

TL;DR

This paper studies how the size and physical properties of soft X-ray flare kernels vary with altitude in solar active regions, revealing scaling laws and magnetic structure implications.

Contribution

It introduces new scaling laws describing the variation of flare kernel properties with altitude based on Yohkoh/SXT observations.

Findings

Kernel size and plasma pressure vary with altitude.

Scaling laws relate physical properties to altitude.

Magnetic structure influences kernel properties.

Abstract

We investigate how the geometrical and physical properties of soft X-ray flare kernels change with their altitude above the photosphere. We analyze limb flares well observed by {\em Yohkoh}/SXT showing clear geometry with well separated loop-top kernels. Our analysis concerns relations between kernel size, plasma pressure, energy release and the kernel altitude. We define scaling laws describing how the sizes and its physical properties of kernels vary with the altitude above the photosphere. We interpret the observed relations in terms of the general magnetic structure of active regions.