RHESSI Observes 2.2 MeV Line Emission from a Solar Flare

  • Released Tuesday, September 2, 2003
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The solar flare at Active Region 10039 on July 23, 2002 exhibits many exceptional high-energy phenomena including the 2.223 MeV neutron capture line and the 511 keV electron-positron (antimatter) annihilation line. In the animation, the RHESSI low-energy channels (12-25 keV) are represented in red and appears predominantly in coronal loops. The high-energy flux appears as blue at the footpoints of the coronal loops. Violet is used to indicate the location and relative intensity of the 2.2MeV emission.

This movie zooms in to AR 10039 to reveal gamma-ray emission regions near the loop structures.

Full-disk view of the Sun, July 22, 2002, from SOHO-MDI.

Full-disk view of the Sun, July 22, 2002, from SOHO-MDI.

Close-up view of AR 10039 from SOHO-MDI

Close-up view of AR 10039 from SOHO-MDI

View of AR 10039 in the Hydrogen-Alpha line.

View of AR 10039 in the Hydrogen-Alpha line.

RHESSI sees low energy emission near the loops.

RHESSI sees low energy emission near the loops.

High energy emission appears at the loop footpoints.

High energy emission appears at the loop footpoints.

More high-energy emission at the base of the loops.

More high-energy emission at the base of the loops.

The 2.2MeV gamma-ray emission is prominent.

The 2.2MeV gamma-ray emission is prominent.

Emission persists.

Emission persists.

The 2.2MeV emission fades and the other footpoint appears.

The 2.2MeV emission fades and the other footpoint appears.

High energy emission drops with some low energy still visible.

High energy emission drops with some low energy still visible.

Still low-energy emission. Loops more visible in Hydrogen-Alpha.

Still low-energy emission. Loops more visible in Hydrogen-Alpha.

The coronal loops glow brightly in TRACE 195 angstrom band.

The coronal loops glow brightly in TRACE 195 angstrom band.

The loops continue to fade in TRACE.

The loops continue to fade in TRACE.

Video slate image says, "RHESS Observes 2.2 MeV Line Emission from a Solar FlareThe solar flare at Active Region AR 10039 on July 23, 2002 exhibits many exceptional high-energy phenomena including the 2.223 MeV neutron capture line and the 511 keV electron-positron (antimatter) annihilation line. In the animation, the RHESSI low-energy channels (12-25 keV) are represented in red and appears predominantly in coronal loops. The high-energy flux appears as blue at the footpoints of the coronal loops. Violet is used to indicate the location and relative intensity of the 2.2MeV emission."

Video slate image says, "RHESS Observes 2.2 MeV Line Emission from a Solar Flare

The solar flare at Active Region AR 10039 on July 23, 2002 exhibits many exceptional high-energy phenomena including the 2.223 MeV neutron capture line and the 511 keV electron-positron (antimatter) annihilation line. In the animation, the RHESSI low-energy channels (12-25 keV) are represented in red and appears predominantly in coronal loops. The high-energy flux appears as blue at the footpoints of the coronal loops. Violet is used to indicate the location and relative intensity of the 2.2MeV emission."

Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio

This page was originally published on Tuesday, September 2, 2003.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:57 PM EDT.

Missions

This page is related to the following missions:

Series

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Datasets used

  • SOHO/MDI [SOHO: Michelson Doppler Interferometer (MDI)]

    ID: 96
    Sensor: Michelson Doppler Interferometer (MDI) Collected by: NASA and ESA Dates used: 2002/07/21T23:59:30-2002/07/23T17:35:30

    This dataset can be found at: http://sohowww.nascom.nasa.gov

    See all pages that use this dataset

  • [RHESSI: X-ray Imaging Spectrometer]

    ID: 101
    Sensor: X-ray Imaging Spectrometer Dates used: 2002/07/23T00:16:00-2002/07/23T01:14:53

    The RHESSI instrument is an imaging spectrometer observing the Sun at X-ray to gamma-rays (photon energies of 3 keV to 17 MeV) at time resolutions of a few seconds. (eV stands for "electron volt" and is a unit of energy. Note that photons of visible light have energies of 2-3 eV. 1 keV is a thousand electron volts and 1 MeV is a million electron volts.

    This dataset can be found at: http://hesperia.gsfc.nasa.gov/hessi/

    See all pages that use this dataset

  • [TRACE]

    ID: 106
    Dates used: 2002/07/23T00:00:59-2002/07/23T03:32:45

    The TRACE satellite views the Sun at ultraviolet wavelengths with high temporal (approximately 1-12 seconds) and spatial (1 arcsecond per pixel) resolution. Launched on April 2, 1998, it orbits the Earth in a Sun-synchronous orbit.

    This dataset can be found at: http://sunland.gsfc.nasa.gov/smex/trace/

    See all pages that use this dataset

  • H-alpha [Big Bear Solar Observatory: H-alpha Telescope]

    ID: 265
    Type: Observed Data Sensor: H-alpha Telescope Collected by: BBSO Dates used: 2002/07/22T16:22:36-2002/07/23T01:21:45

    Solar imagery in Hydrogen-alpha spectral line

    This dataset can be found at: http://www.bbso.njit.edu

    See all pages that use this dataset

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