Authors: DeOndre Kittrell (NASA GSFC), Katharine Reeves (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

We conduct ­detailed thermal analysis of the plasma sheet region during the post-eruption phase of a flare that occurred on September 10, 2017. The plasma sheet that develops is observed using the 131A and 193A filters of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on the Solar Dynamic Observatory. Intensity data is used to distinguish between loops and the plasma sheet. We utilize the differential emission measure in order to calculate the emission measure, emission measure average weighted temperature, density, and thermal energy inside the plasma sheet region. These quantities are observed over time to assess how the plasma conditions of the plasma sheet region change throughout the duration of the event. Initial measurements show minimal change in temperature and thermal energy as the current sheet region evolves. From examining the conductive loss rate and radiative loss rate, rapid cooling is expected, contradicting the temperature results. These preliminary findings give some indication that there are underlying thermal processes that may be contributing to sustained plasma conditions.