Turbulence and Particle Acceleration in Solar Flares

Authors
Prof.
Lyndsay Fletcher
Date and time
4 May 2021 - 12:30 Europe/London
Address

Aula

Talk language
English
Slides language
English
Serie number
1
Description

A solar flare involves the conversion of magnetic energy stored in the coronal magnetic field into the kinetic energy of thermal and non-thermal particles, mass motion, and radiation. How this happens remains a central question in solar physics. A particular long-standing puzzle is how such a high fraction of the stored magnetic energy - up to a half - arrives in the kinetic energy of accelerated non-thermal particles. In this talk I will present an observational overview of solar flares with an emphasis on accelerated particles, discuss some ideas and constraints on particle acceleration, and present some new observations of the possible role of plasma turbulence in the acceleration process.