Abstract
The most feasible energy source for solar and stellar flares is the energy stored in coronal magnetic fields. To convert a significant fraction of this energy into heat and kinetic energy in a short time requires rapid change in the topology of the magnetic fields, and hence, rapid reconnection of field lines. Recent numerical and analytical models of solar flares suggest that the magnetic energy released by reconnection drives chromospheric ablation in the flare ribbons. Simple theoretical arguments based on compressible reconnection theory predict that the temperature of the ablated plasma should be about 1.03 × 106 B0.62 oK where B is the coronal magnetic field strength in Gauss.
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Forbes, T.G. (1988). Magnetic Reconnection Models of Flares. In: Havnes, O., Pettersen, B.R., Schmitt, J.H.M.M., Solheim, J.E. (eds) Activity in Cool Star Envelopes. Astrophysics and Space Science Library, vol 143. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2951-7_21
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2951-7_21
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