Optical Continuum Light Curves and Bolometric Energy Estimates of Solar White-light Flares

TL;DR

This paper compiles a comprehensive dataset of optical continuum light curves and energy estimates for 70 solar white-light flares, facilitating improved understanding of flare energetics and comparisons with stellar phenomena.

Contribution

It introduces a new dataset of 70 solar WLFs with detailed light curves, locations, and energy parameters using optimized identification and modeling methods.

Findings

Dataset includes 70 solar WLFs with detailed light curves.

Provides bolometric energy estimates using two blackbody models.

Enables future statistical and comparative studies of solar and stellar flares.

Abstract

Solar white-light flares (WLFs) are solar flares exhibiting enhanced emission in the optical continuum. They are critical for understanding energy release and transport mechanisms in solar flares and for conducting comparative studies with stellar WLFs. However, the scarcity of accurately and reliably measured optical continuum light curves for solar WLFs significantly hampers related studies. Based on the optimized solar WLF identification method, we construct a dataset of optical continuum light curves for 70 solar WLFs using 6173 {\AA} continuum intensity images from the Solar Dynamics Observatory. Moreover, for each solar WLF event, we also provide the location of the white-light emission enhancement signals and key parameters including bolometric energies and durations derived from both the traditional fixed-temperature blackbody model and the refined variable-temperature blackbody model. This dataset will serve as a valuable resource for future statistical investigations of solar WLFs and for comparative studies between solar and stellar flares.