The quantitative properties of three soft X-ray flare kernels observed with the AS&E X-ray telescope on Skylab

Abstract

The physical parameters for the kernels of three solar X-ray flare events have been deduced using photographic data from the S-054 X-ray telescope on Skylab as the primary data source and 1–8 and 8–20 A fluxes from Solrad 9 as the secondary data source. The kernels had diameters of ∼5–7″ and in two cases electron densities at least as high as 3 × 1011 cm−3. The lifetimes of the kernels were 5–10 min. The presence of thermal conduction during the decay phases is used to argue: (1) that kernels are entire, not small portions of, coronal loop structures, and (2) that flare heating must continue during the decay phase.