RHESSI-20 Workshop: Preparing for the Next Decade in High-Energy Solar Physics Research

Group Summaries

Working Group 1

Leaders: Jeff Reep and Laura Hayes

Flare thermal response

 

Understanding the deposition and transport of energy across the solar atmosphere is a critical problem in solar physics.  In flares, the time scale for energy release is short, so that the plasma evolves rapidly, necessitating high cadence observations and modeling to understand the dynamics.  Furthermore, the energy transport occurs across the entirety of the atmosphere – from the corona through the deep chromosphere and perhaps to the photosphere.  The observational coverage of X-rays, EUV, and radio waves have all shed light on the non-thermal and thermodynamic processes occurring in flares, as well as allowing for model tests and validation.  In this session, we will address the thermal response of solar flares to the impulsive energy release that drives them.  We invite contributions that discuss the modeling, observations, and the inter-comparison between the two that can improve our understanding of flares.  We encourage discussions of potential capabilities of Solar Orbiter or DKIST, additionally.

 

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Working Group 2

Leaders: Silvina Guidoni, Diana Morosan

Particle Acceleration and Radio Diagnostics

X-ray and radio imaging and spectroscopy observations yield essential information for the understanding of plasma heating and the acceleration and transport of high-energy particles in solar eruptive events. Radio data provides plasma, magnetic field, and particle diagnostics in the corona and complements hard X-ray diagnostics in the chromosphere and dense coronal structures. The next generation of missions (e.g., Solar Orbiter/STIX) and advanced radio telescopes will bring light to currently unanswered questions, but also introduce new challenges and questions. It is likely that substantial progress in the field can only be achieved by collaborative work among observers and modelers. Therefore, this working group welcomes contributions on recent results in X-ray and radio observations, especially those addressing the complementary nature of radio and X-ray observations, as well as advances in associated particle acceleration models. We are also interested in studies that explore the limitations of high-energy observations and models, provide diagnostic tools or describe needed observations to constrain theories, and aim to develop a common language for scientists working in these areas or research. 

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Working Group 3

Leaders: Alexandra Lysenko, Melissa Pesce-Rollins

Ion studies and Fermi/LAT

Over the past 12 years, Fermi-LAT observations of high-energy solar flares have revealed an extremely rich and diverse sample of events with a wide variety of characteristics providing valuable information on accelerated ions. In order to fully understand the acceleration mechanisms at work during these flares it is imperative to combine  gamma-ray observations with the observations of the UV/optical/IR/radio counterparts as well as the frequently accompanying CMEs and SEPs. Although there are space-based observatories in high energy range operating at present, every instrument has its own limitations, thus it is also important to understand what new observations are needed and to develop requirements for potential future instrumental capabilities. This working group invites contributions relating to solar flares observed in gamma-ray range by Fermi-LAT and other instruments and their connection with multiwavelength counterparts, theory/modeling of the acceleration processes associated with these flares. Also contributions on new instrumentation requirements in gamma-ray range are welcomed.