Non-thermal distributions and energy transport in the solar flares

TL;DR

This paper discusses unresolved questions about energy transport in solar flares, emphasizing the roles of particles and waves, and proposes instrumentation needs for future observations to address these issues.

Contribution

It highlights key open questions in solar flare energy transport and suggests new instrumentation approaches for future observations.

Findings

Current models cannot fully explain energy transport mechanisms.

Low energy particles' roles in flare energy budget remain uncertain.

Proposed instrumentation could improve observational capabilities.

Abstract

Determining the energy transport mechanisms in flares remains a central goal in solar flares physics that is still not adequately answered by the 'standard flare model'. In particular, the relative roles of particles and/or waves as transport mechanisms, the contributions of low energy protons and ions to the overall flare budget, and the limits of low energy non-thermal electron distribution are questions that still cannot be adequately reconciled with current instrumentation. In this 'White Paper' submitted in response to the call for inputs to the Next Generation Solar Physics Mission review process initiated by JAXA, NASA and ESA in 2016, we outline the open questions in this area and possible instrumentation that could provide the required observations to help answer these and other flare-related questions.