Abstract
Solar flares-the most powerful explosions in the solar system-are also efficient particle accelerators, capable of energizing a large number of charged particles to relativistic speeds. A termination shock is often invoked in the standard model of solar flares as a possible driver for particle acceleration, yet its existence and role have remained controversial. We present observations of a solar flare termination shock and trace its morphology and dynamics using high-cadence radio imaging spectroscopy.We show that a disruption of the shock coincides with an abrupt reduction of the energetic electron population. The observed properties of the shock are well reproduced by simulations. These results strongly suggest that a termination shock is responsible, at least in part, for accelerating energetic electrons in solar flares.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1238-1242 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Science |
Volume | 350 |
Issue number | 6265 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 4 2015 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- General