Flare Ribbon Expansion and Energy Release Rate

Abstract

We have examined the relation between the evolution of the Hα flare ribbons and the released magnetic energy in a solar flare that occurred on 2001 April 10. Based on the magnetic reconnection model, the released energy was quantitatively calculated by using the photospheric magnetic field strengths and separation speeds of the fronts of the Hα flare ribbons. We compared the variation of the released energy with the temporal and spatial fluctuations in the nonthermal radiation observed in hard X-rays and microwaves. These nonthermal radiation sources indicate when and where large energy releases occur. We also estimated the magnetic energy released during the flare. The estimated energy release rates in the Hα kernels associated with the hard X-ray sources are locally large enough to explain the difference between the spatial distributions of the Hα kernels and the hard X-ray sources. We also reconstructed the peaks in the nonthermal emission by using the estimated energy release rates.