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Magnetic reconnection and energy release on the Sun and solar-like stars

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 November 2008

Lidia van Driel-Gesztelyi
Lidia van Driel-Gesztelyi*
Affiliation:
University College London, Mullard Space Science Laboratory, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking, Surrey, RH5 6NT, U.K. Konkoly Observatory of Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary Observatoire de Paris, LESIA, FRE 2461(CNRS), F-92195 Meudon Principal Cedex, France email: Lidia.vanDriel@obspm.fr
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Abstract

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Magnetic reconnection is thought to play an important role in liberating free energy stored in stressed magnetic fields. The consequences vary from undetectable nanoflares to huge flares, which have signatures over a wide wavelength range, depending on e.g. magnetic topology, free energy content, total flux, and magnetic flux density of the structures involved. Events of small energy release, which are thought to be the most numerous, are one of the key factors in the existence of a hot corona in the Sun and solar-like stars. The majority of large flares are ejective, i.e. involve the expulsion of large quantities of mass and magnetic field from the star. Since magnetic reconnection requires small length-scales, which are well below the spatial resolution limits of even the solar observations, we cannot directly observe magnetic reconnection happening. However, there is a plethora of indirect evidences from X-rays to radio observations of magnetic reconnection. I discuss key observational signatures of flares on the Sun and solar-paradigm stellar flares and describe models emphasizing synergy between observations and theory.

Keywords

Sun: flares – Sun: magnetic fields – stars: activity – stars: flare – stars: magnetic fields
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 4 , Symposium S259: Cosmic Magnetic Fields: From Planets, to Stars and Galaxies , November 2008 , pp. 191 - 200
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2009

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