Temporal variations of the CaXIX spectra in solar flares

TL;DR

This study compares observed and synthetic X-ray spectra of solar flares to understand why blue-shifted spectral components are rarely dominant, revealing geometrical effects influence spectral observations during flare evolution.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of spectral variations in solar flares, highlighting the role of geometry in the visibility of blue-shifted components during flare evolution.

Findings

Stationary spectral component is observed in most flares during early phases.

Blue-shifted component may be undetectable due to geometrical effects, despite high plasma velocities.

Blue-shifted component dominates in synthetic spectra during initial up-flow phases.

Abstract

Standard model of solar flares comprises a bulk expansion and rise of abruptly heated plasma (the chromospheric evaporation). Emission from plasma ascending along loops rooted on the visible solar disk should be often dominated, at least temporally, by a blue-shifted emission. However, there is only a very limited number of published observations of solar flares having spectra in which the blue-shifted component dominates the stationary one. In this work we compare observed X-ray spectra of three solar flares recorded during their impulsive phases and relevant synthetic spectra calculated using one-dimensional hydro-dynamic numerical model of these flares. The main aim of the work was to explain why numerous flares do not show blue-shifted spectra. The synthesized BCS spectra of the flares were compared with the relevant observed BCS spectra. We conclude that stationary component of the spectrum should be observed almost for all flares during their early phases of evolution. In opposite, the blue-shifted component of the spectrum could be not detected in flares having plasma rising along the flaring loop even with high velocity due to the geometrical dependences only. After the start of the up-flow motion, the blue-shifted component dominate temporally the synthetic spectra of the investigated flares at their early phases.