CMEless Flares
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| CMEless Flares | |
|---|---|
| Number: | 107 |
| 1st Author: | Hugh Hudson |
| 2nd Author: | Säm Krucker |
| Published: | 10 August 2009 |
| Next Nugget: | NUGGET 108 |
| Previous Nugget: | Where are the flares |
Introduction
Solar flares are much more common than coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Nevertheless the standard model for a solar flare essentially requires the prior or simultaneous occurrence of a CME. How do we reconcile this discrepancy? A comparison of flare properties, for flares with and without CMEs, would seem like an obvious place to start. In this Nugget we tackle this question as regards the X-ray properties, basing our study on recent lists of powerful (hence easy-to-study) major flares without CMEs. These "confined" flares comprise about 10% of all of the X-class flares and have recognizable magnetic properties that point to the flare's magnetic environment as a key factor (reference [1]).