Solar Radio Spikes and Type IIIb Striae Manifestations of Sub-second Electron Acceleration Triggered by a Coronal Mass Ejection

TL;DR

This study analyzes sub-second solar radio spikes and Type IIIb striae during a CME, revealing their spatial, temporal, and scattering properties, and suggesting electron acceleration occurs near the CME flank with implications for magnetic reconnection.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed statistical analysis of sub-second radio spikes and striae during a CME, linking their properties to radio-wave scattering and magnetic field perturbations.

Findings

Spike and striae emissions overlap spatially and temporally.

Source sizes are <1 arcsec at 30 MHz with superluminal centroid velocities.

Radio-wave scattering explains burst characteristics and emission site proximity.

Abstract

Understanding electron acceleration associated with magnetic energy release at sub-second scales presents a major challenges in solar physics. Solar radio spikes observed as sub-second, narrow bandwidth bursts with $\Delta{f}/f\sim10^{-3}-10^{-2}$ are indicative of sub-second evolution of the electron distribution. We present a statistical analysis of frequency, and time-resolved imaging of individual spikes and Type IIIb striae associated with a coronal mass ejection (CME). LOFAR imaging reveals that co-temporal ($<2$ s) spike and striae intensity contours almost completely overlap. On average, both burst types have similar source size with fast expansion at millisecond scales. The radio source centroid velocities are often superluminal, and independent of frequency over 30-45 MHz. The CME perturbs the field geometry, leading to increased spike emission likely due to frequent magnetic reconnection. As the field restores towards the prior configuration, the observed sky-plane emission locations drift to increased heights over tens of minutes. Combined with previous observations above 1 GHz, average decay time and source size estimates follow $\sim1/f$ dependency over three decades in frequency, similar to radio-wave scattering predictions. Both time and spatial characteristics of the bursts between 30-70 MHz are consistent with radio-wave scattering with strong anisotropy of the density fluctuation spectrum. Consequently, the site of radio-wave emission does not correspond to the observed burst locations and implies acceleration and emission near the CME flank. The bandwidths suggest intrinsic emission source sizes $<1$ arcsec at 30 MHz, and magnetic field strengths a factor of two larger than average in events that produce decameter spikes.