Production of Loop-Top Hard X-Ray Emission

The main goal of this work has been to understand the particle acceleration mechanism (or mechanisms) in impulsive solar flares, using hard X-ray observations of high spatial and spectral resolution. Several new observations, including the observations by YOHKOH that reveal emission from both footpoints and loop tops, have suggested to us that a model employing stochastic acceleration is the most likely candidate for explaining energetic particles in a majority (if not all) of impulsive flares. In this model, most of the flare energy is initially converted into plasma waves and turbulence, which in turn can accelerate particles from thermal to relativistic energies on sub-second timescales. This research has provided important tools for the interpretation of the high spectral and spatial resolution observations obtained from the Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) . In the course of our research, we have focused on two different (but possibly related) stochastic acceleration models: (1) a model that employs high-frequency whistler turbulence and concentrates on the energetic electrons, and (2) a model that employs low frequency MHD waves, and is able to accelerate both the ambient electrons and ions.