Book Description

High time and intensity resolution satellite measurements of X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation during solar flares are studied to determine the wavelength dependence of the flare radiation responsible for sudden frequency deviations (SFD). SFD's measure the flare-induced effects in the E and F1 regions of the ionosphere and are in effect like a broadband (1-1030 Å) detector for impulsive flare enhancements. He II 303.8 Å, O V 629.7 Å, H Ly [upsilon] 972.5 Å, C III 977.0 Å, and H Ly [alpha] 1215.7 Å were found to have essentially the same time dependence as the total ionizing radiation producing SFD's, except that they decay faster than the net 1-1030 Å radiation. Flare enhancements of Fe XV 284.1 Å, Fe XVI 335.3 Å, Si XII 499.3 Å. Mg X 625.3 Å, and Ne VIII 770.4 Å, which are normally coronal lines, appear to have a much slower time dependence than the radiation responsible for SFD's. X-rays in the 0.5-3 Å range are slightly slower than the radiation responsible for SFD's during the decay stage; 1-8 Å X-ray flares are slower, especially during the decay stages; and 8-20 Å flare radiation enhancements are slower throughout the entire SFD.