• Open Access

Turbulent Kinetic Energy in the Energy Balance of a Solar Flare

E. P. Kontar, J. E. Perez, L. K. Harra, A. A. Kuznetsov, A. G. Emslie, N. L. S. Jeffrey, N. H. Bian, and B. R. Dennis
Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 155101 – Published 11 April 2017

Abstract

The energy released in solar flares derives from a reconfiguration of magnetic fields to a lower energy state, and is manifested in several forms, including bulk kinetic energy of the coronal mass ejection, acceleration of electrons and ions, and enhanced thermal energy that is ultimately radiated away across the electromagnetic spectrum from optical to x rays. Using an unprecedented set of coordinated observations, from a suite of instruments, we here report on a hitherto largely overlooked energy component—the kinetic energy associated with small-scale turbulent mass motions. We show that the spatial location of, and timing of the peak in, turbulent kinetic energy together provide persuasive evidence that turbulent energy may play a key role in the transfer of energy in solar flares. Although the kinetic energy of turbulent motions accounts, at any given time, for only (0.51)% of the energy released, its relatively rapid (110s) energization and dissipation causes the associated throughput of energy (i.e., power) to rival that of major components of the released energy in solar flares, and thus presumably in other astrophysical acceleration sites.

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  • Received 27 October 2016

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.118.155101

Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.

Published by the American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Plasma Physics

Authors & Affiliations

E. P. Kontar1, J. E. Perez1,2, L. K. Harra3, A. A. Kuznetsov4, A. G. Emslie5, N. L. S. Jeffrey1, N. H. Bian1, and B. R. Dennis6

  • 1School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
  • 2Faculty of Physics and Mathematics, Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon, San Nicolas de Los Garza 66455, Mexico
  • 3UCL-Mullard Space Science Laboratory, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT, United Kingdom
  • 4Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Irkutsk 664033, Russia
  • 5Department of Physics and Astronomy, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky 42101, USA
  • 6Solar Physics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA

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Issue

Vol. 118, Iss. 15 — 14 April 2017

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