Thermal-nonthermal energy partition in solar flares derived from X-ray, EUV, and bolometric observations

TL;DR

This study reviews and compares recent research on how energy is divided between thermal plasma heating and nonthermal particles in solar flares, highlighting key uncertainties and the influence of flare strength.

Contribution

It systematically analyzes five recent studies, identifying main uncertainties and proposing that energy partition varies with flare strength, affecting models of solar flare energetics.

Findings

Energy partition varies with flare strength.

Uncertainties include DEM derivation and low-energy cutoff.

Bolometric energy constrains thermal and nonthermal energies.

Abstract

In solar flares, energy is released impulsively and is partly converted into thermal energy of hot plasmas and kinetic energy of accelerated nonthermal particles. Despite numerous efforts, no consensus on quantifying this energy balance has yet been reached. We aim to understand the reasons for the contradicting results on energy partition obtained by various recent studies. We considered five recent studies that address the thermal-nonthermal energy partition in solar flares. Their results are reviewed, and their methods are compared and discussed in detail. The main uncertainties in deriving the energy partition are identified as (a) the derivation of the differential emission measure (DEM) distribution and (b) the role of the conductive energy loss for the thermal component, as well as (c) the determination of the low-energy cutoff for the injected electrons. The bolometric radiated energy, as a proxy for the total energy released in the flare, is a useful independent constraint on both thermal and nonthermal energetics. In most of the cases, the derived energetics are consistent with this constraint. There are indications that the thermal-nonthermal energy partition changes with flare strength: in weak flares, there appears to be a deficit of energetic electrons, while the injected nonthermal energy is sufficient to account for the thermal component in strong flares. This behavior is identified as the main cause of the dissimilar results in the studies we considered. The changing partition has two important consequences: (a) an additional direct (i.e. non-beam) heating mechanism has to be present, and (b) considering that the bolometric emission originates mainly from deeper atmospheric layers, conduction or waves are required as additional energy transport mechanisms.