Does There Exist a Relationship Between Acoustic and White-Light Emission in Hard-X ray Solar Flares?

Abstract:

 Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the observed seismicity during some solar flares. One theory associates high-energy electrons and white-light emission with sunquakes. This relationship is based on the back-warming model, where high-energy electrons and their subsequent heating of the photosphere induce acoustic waves in the solar interior. 

We carried out a correlative study of solar flares with emission in hard-X rays (HXRs) above 50 keV, enhanced white light emission at 6573Å, and acoustic sources. We selected those flares observed by RHESSI (Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager) with a considerable flux in the 50-100 and 100-300 keV bands between January 1, 2010 and June 26, 2014. Additionally, we restricted the sample to flares close to disk center where it is observationally easiest to detect a sunquake. We then used data from the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager onboard the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO/HMI) to search for white-light emission and helioseismic signatures. 

Finally, we calculated a coefficient of correlation  for this set of dichotomic observables. We discuss the phenomenological connectivity between these physical quantities and the observational difficulties of detecting seismic signals and white-light radiation with terrestrial and space-borne observations.