VLA Observations of the Coronal Plasma

Abstract

VLA observations at 20-cm wavelength specify the brightness temperature and magnetic structure of plasma constrained within coronal loops in solar active regions. Comparisons with simultaneous SMM observations at soft X-ray wavelengths lead to measurements of physical parameters like electron density, electron temperature and magnetic field strength. Such comparisons also indicate coronal loops can be detected at either radio or X-ray wavelengths while remaining invisible in the other spectral domain, and that the dominant radiation mechanisms can be thermal bremsstrahlung or thermal gyroresonance radiation. VLA observations at the longer 90-cm wavelength reveal the thermal emission of a hot transition sheath enveloping a cooler, underlying Hα filament seen in absorption. The 20-cm VLA observations indicate that the precursor, impulsive and post-flare components of solar flares originate in spatially separated and resolved sources.