Spatially Resolved Energetic Electron Properties for the 21 May 2004 Flare from Radio Observations and 3D Simulations

Abstract

We investigate in detail the 21 May 2004 flare using simultaneous observations of the Nobeyama Radioheliograph, Nobeyama Radiopolarimeters, Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) and Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). The flare images in different spectral ranges reveal the presence of a well-defined single flaring loop in this event. We have simulated the gyrosynchrotron microwave emission using the recently developed interactive IDL tool GX Simulator. By comparing the simulation results with the observations, we have deduced the spatial and spectral properties of the non-thermal electron distribution. The microwave emission has been found to be produced by the high-energy electrons ($>100$ keV) with a relatively hard spectrum ($\delta\simeq 2$); the electrons were strongly concentrated near the loop top. At the same time, the number of high-energy electrons near the footpoints was too low to be detected in the RHESSI images and spatially unresolved data. The SOHO Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Telescope images and the low-frequency microwave spectra suggest the presence of an extended "envelope" of the loop with lower magnetic field. Most likely, the energetic electron distribution in the considered flare reflects the localized (near the loop top) particle acceleration (injection) process accompanied by trapping and scattering.