Flare heating by energetic nonthermal electrons

A model has been developed which includes, in a self-consistent fashion, the energy degradation and attendant bremsstrahlung emission of a high energy electron beam, the heating of the plasma by the beam and the subsequent cooling by thermal conduction and radiation. To assist in the interpretation of experimental diagnostics the model also characterizes the radiative behavior of iron ions present in the flare plasma. The electron deposition is described by the Fokker-Planck equation for an initial power law particle distribution. Results are presented for the bremsstrahlung radiation emitted by the incident beam as it impinges on the disturbed atmosphere. A comparison is made between the direct beam heating and thermal conduction heating of the flare plasma. Finally, the radiation emitted by several selected spectral lines from the Fe ions are shown as a function of time during and after the deposition.