Validation Of The Coronal Thick Target Source Model

TL;DR

This study presents a comprehensive 3D model of a dense coronal X-ray flare that accurately reproduces observed spectra and images, confirming the coronal thick target source as an electron acceleration site.

Contribution

The paper introduces a detailed 3D modeling approach combining X-ray and microwave data to validate the coronal thick target source model in solar flares.

Findings

Electrons are trapped in the coronal part of the loop, away from minimal magnetic field regions.

The model matches observed spectra and images in X-ray and microwave domains.

Data are inconsistent with Coulomb collision-mediated electron trapping in weak diffusion regimes.

Abstract

We present detailed 3D modeling of a dense, coronal thick target X-ray flare using the GX Simulator tool, photospheric magnetic measurements, and microwave imaging and spectroscopy data. The developed model offers a remarkable agreement between the synthesized and observed spectra and images in both X-ray and microwave domains, which validates the entire model. The flaring loop parameters are chosen to reproduce the emission measure, temperature, and the nonthermal electron distribution at low energies derived from the X-ray spectral fit, while the remaining parameters, unconstrained by the X-ray data, are selected such as to match the microwave images and total power spectra. The modeling suggests that the accelerated electrons are trapped in the coronal part of the flaring loop, but away from where the magnetic field is minimal, and, thus, demonstrates that the data are clearly inconsistent with electron magnetic trapping in the weak diffusion regime mediated by the Coulomb collisions. Thus, the modeling supports the interpretation of the coronal thick-target sources as sites of electron acceleration in flares and supplies us with a realistic 3D model with physical parameters of the acceleration region and flaring loop.