Coronal scattering as a source of flare-associated polarized hard X-rays

Abstract

We consider the scattering of flare-associated X-rays above 1 keV at coronal heights, particularly from regions of enhanced density. This includes a discussion of the polarization of the scattered X-rays. Although the scattered radiation would not be bright by comparison with the total hard X-ray flux from a flare, its detectability would be enhanced for events located a few degrees behind the limb for which the dominant `footpoint' hard X-ray sources are occulted. Thus we predict that major flares occurring beyond the solar limb may be detectable via scattering in density enhancements that happen to be visible above the limb, and that such sources may be strongly polarized. Since thin-target bremsstrahlung will generally greatly exceed the scattered thick-target flux in flare loops themselves, these considerations apply only to coronal structures that do not contain significant populations of non-thermal electrons.