Soft X-ray observations of global waves

• Khan-Aurass 2002

• Narukage et al. 2002

• Hudson et al. 2002

Solar shock: Type II burst

Moreton-Ramsey waveand EIT wave

Thompson et al., 2000

X-ray observation of a global wave

• Wave propagation tells us about coronal structure

• The innermost (earliest) motions tell us about the flare process itself

May 6, 1998

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FOV 10 arc min

SOHO/ EIT

Uchida’s 1968 model

S.W.

Uchida

A.R.

What caused the blast wave?

• In principle we can see all of the process in soft X-rays

• The earliest manifestation of the May 6 wave is close (104 km) to the flare core

• But… it is significantly displaced from the core

Implosion conjecture

• At low , the coronal energy is purely B2/8• During a flare, there’s no time for energy

transport through the photosphere

• Therefore, some field lines must shorten

Isomagnetobars

Closed field linesOpen field lines

How low-implosions must work