Solar flare plasma conditions inferred from solar cosmic rays

Abstract

A critical look at the solar cosmic ray heavy ion data suggests that a flare plasma isolation at a temperature around 6 × 10 5 K seems to occur. Using such an isolated plasma, it is shown that a betatron type acceleration mechanism can produce a run away acceleration to very high energies in a very short interval of time. Thus the trapped plasma is suggested as a possible trigger mechanism for flares.