Relative positions of microwave and hard X-ray burst sources

Abstract

Simultaneous microwave and hard X-ray imaging observations of 12 bursts show that it is difficult to discern a general pattern between microwave and hard X-ray burst locations. In general, the microwave source is displaced from the hard X-ray source. The commonly believed behavior of the microwave source being located near the top and hard X-ray source near the footpoints of a loop appears to be true in some cases but not all. If the burst source is simple, both may be located near loop tops. Sometimes when the hard X-ray source has two components, one weak and one strong, the microwave source is not located over a neutral line (loop top) but close to a sunspot where the magnetic field is strongest. It appears that more than one loop or arcade may sometimes be involved in the microwave and hard X-ray emission. This is particularly true when several interacting loops trigger the onset of a flare.