Non-collisional pitch angle scattering and hard X-ray observations of solar flares

Burge Christina, c.burge@astro.gla.ac.uk, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
Kontar Eduard, University of Glasgow


Abstract
X-ray emission from solar flares is an important diagnostic of the properties of the region in which the X-rays are produced as well as the dynamics of energetic electrons. X-ray emission is produced at the foot-points of solar flares when accelerated electrons from a coronal loop enter the denser chromosphere. The size of these X-ray sources is an indicator of the density profile of the chromosphere, and also provides information about any transport effects undergone by the electrons. We simulate the distribution of a population of electrons injected into the chromosphere. Building on previous work, we include scattering effects due to small-scale perturbations of the magnetic field. The traditional thick target model predicts X-ray source sizes much smaller than those observed by RHESSI. The inclusion of these additional transport effects is investigated to address this discrepancy.