Fitting Spatially-Resolved Transport Parameters from Solar Flares Light Curves

Authors: Brian O'Donnell (NJIT-Center for Solar Terrestrial Research), Dale E. Gary (NJIT-Center for Solar Terrestrial Research), Gregory D. Fleishman (NJIT-Center for Solar Terrestrial Research), Bin Chen (NJIT-Center for Solar Terrestrial Research)

Individual peaks in microwave and hard X-ray light curves of a solar flare can be modeled as an injection of particles followed by an exponential decay caused by various loss processes such as collisions, escape from the source, or other mechanisms to quench the emission. The microwave imaging spectroscopy data from the Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array (EOVSA) allows for fitting and analysis of distinct components of injection profiles and decay times for spatially (and possibly temporally) distinct portions of flares to be studied separately when imaging is available.  Because the microwave spectrum depends on the energy distribution of the emitting particles, the multifrequency images provide a measure of the energy dependence of both particle  injection and energy loss over the duration of the event.  We select two flares observed with EOVSA that have relatively simple temporal profiles and exhibit multiple source components.  We fit their spatially-resolved time profiles with one or more gaussian injections convolved with exponential decays to compare their particle-injection and energy-loss processes vs. energy. Possible interpretations of the fit parameters as physical constraints on flares will be discussed, such as the relation of these models and trapping times to the magnetic field geometry.