Silvina Guidoni

Physical processes in solar flares span many orders of magnitude in spatiotemporal scales, so a single unified model accounting for all relevant processes remains computationally intractable. Instead, specialized codes have been developed, targeting specific domains that tackle specific aspects of the solar flare problem. Here, we present a comprehensive framework that links three models to capture flare initiation and energy release, the subsequent particle acceleration, the propagation and thermalization of those particles, and ultimately the heating of the lower solar atmosphere. We use the 2.5D ARMS magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) code to model stressing of the magnetic field in a simulated active region, the formation of a current sheet, magnetic reconnection, and the evolution of newly formed flare loops. We use the conditions in the ARMS current sheet to initialize the kglobal model, which predicts time-dependent nonthermal electron and proton distributions. Finally, we use RADYN+FP to inject these distributions into a newly reconnected ARMS loop and compute subsequent particle transport, atmospheric heating, and radiative emissions. This is the first detailed presentation of a RADYN+FP simulation tracking nonthermal electrons and protons in the same loop. As well as discussing the interesting physics that takes place, we note how this results in white-light flare emission height consistent with observations. This work is a first step toward building a fully 3D flare modeling framework.

Coronal pseudostreamer flux systems have a specific magnetic configuration that influences the morphology and evolution of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from these regions. Here we continue the analysis of the Wyper et al. magnetohydrodynamic simulation of a CME eruption from an idealized pseudostreamer configuration through the construction of synthetic remote-sensing and in situ observational signatures. We examine the pre-eruption and eruption signatures in extreme ultraviolet and white light from the low corona through the extended solar atmosphere. We calculate synthetic observations corresponding to several Parker Solar Probe–like trajectories at ∼10R _⊙ to highlight the fine-scale structure of the CME eruption in synthetic WISPR imagery and the differences between the in situ plasma and field signatures of flank and central CME-encounter trajectories. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of several aspects of our simulation results in the context of interpretation and analysis of current and future Parker Solar Probe data.

Spectral double power laws are common in solar high-energy phenomena such as flares and interplanetary energetic-electron events. However, the physical mechanism that produces the changes in power-law index within a single spectrum is unclear. We developed a fully analytical method of forming single power-law spectra from sequential acceleration of particles orbiting inside and hopping between simulated large-scale magnetic islands formed by flare reconnection. Here, we extend the analytical method to the formation of double power-law spectra by assuming sequential acceleration in two successive regions with different acceleration and particle-transport rates. The resulting spectral distribution is continuous and smooth, with a flattening at low energies, two power-law regions at mid-energies, and a steep rollover at high energies. The model provides analytical expressions for the spectral indices, all energy breaks, and normalization constants as functions of just three physical parameters of each acceleration region: (1) the energy gain in each accelerator, (2) the percentage of particles transferred between accelerators, and (3) the number of accelerators visited. One of the most salient predictions of our work is that the spectral index at high (low) energies is determined by the parameters of the first “seed” (second) acceleration region. By constructing the spectral distribution through an iterative analytical process, the evolution toward a double power law is easily characterized and explained. Our analytical model provides tools to interpret space- and ground-based observations from RHESSI, FOXSI, NuSTAR, Solar Orbiter/STIX, EOVSA, and future high-energy missions.

Whitepaper #290 in the Decadal Survey for Solar and Space Physics (Heliophysics) 2024-2033. Main topics: basic research; space weather applications. Additional topics: inner heliosphere; fundamental space plasma theory; space weather research/applications/operations

Whitepaper #049 in the Decadal Survey for Solar and Space Physics (Heliophysics) 2024-2033. Main topics: basic research. Additional topics: solar physics.

Whitepaper #048 in the Decadal Survey for Solar and Space Physics (Heliophysics) 2024-2033. Main topics: basic research. Additional topics: solar physics; space-based missions/projects.

Whitepaper #199 in the Decadal Survey for Solar and Space Physics (Heliophysics) 2024-2033. Main topics: infrastructure/workforce/other programmatic. Additional topics: state of the profession.

Whitepaper #129 in the Decadal Survey for Solar and Space Physics (Heliophysics) 2024-2033. Main topics: basic research. Additional topics: solar physics.