X-ray source motion along the loop in two solar flares

Abstract

We explore the 3-8 keV X-ray source motion along the loop legs in two solar flares observed by the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) on August 12 and November 28, 2002. Firstly, an artificial loop is constructed to have an outline with a fixed width wide enough to cover the X-ray sources at an energy band between 3-60 keV and at various times. Secondly, RHESSI images are reconstructed at 15 energy bands with an 8 s integration window but 1 s cadence. Thirdly, the X-ray source motions are traced from the brightness distribution along the flare loop. We find that these two events tend to start as a single source at 3-8 keV around the loop top, and then separate into two which move downward along the loop legs. These two almost reach the feet of the loop at the hard X-ray (i.e. at 25-50 keV) peak. After that, the two sources move back upward to the loop top and merge together at the same position where they began. The typical timescale is about similar to 70 s, and the maximum speed can reach 1000 km s(-1). Such a downward-to-upward motion along the loop is rarely seen in the observations, and it seems to be consistent with the density evolution at the loop top, first decreasing after heating and then increasing due to evaporation.