Physical Processes in Solar Flares

• 1 / The Present State of the Solar Problem.- 1.1.Observed phenomena and the energetics of solar flares.- 1.2.Physical concepts of the nature of flares.- 1.3.Flare-induced physical processes in the solar atmosphere.- 1.4.The solar flare problem.- 2 / Chromospheric Heating: The Mechanism Producing High-Temperature Plasma in Solar Flares.- 2.1.Impulsive heating by accelerated electrons.- 2.2.Impulsive heating by intense heat flows.- 2.3.Chromospheric heating by X-ray emission.- 3 / Magnetic Reconnection and Energy Release in Solar Flares.- 3.1.Reconnection as a heating mechanism for X-ray coronal loops.- 3.2.The natural high-temperature turbulent current sheet.- 3.3.The high-temperature turbulent current sheet with a small transverse magnetic field.- 3.4.The current sheet structure under the fast and slow reconnection regimes.- 3.5.Stabilization of tearing instability in current sheets on the Sun.- 3.6.The effect of the longitudinal magnetic field in the current sheets on the Sun.- Conclusion.- References.

'But the book is most highly recommended to those who are unfamiliar with the truly substanial contribution of Somov to the solar flare problem.' Solar Physics 144:203 (1993) 'Libraries would be well advised to stock this book.' The Observatory 112:1111 (1992) 'The style of the book is otherwise clear and accessible. I would recommend this first section in particular to any graduate student about to embark on some aspect of the solar-flare problem...Libraries would be well advised to stock this book .' The Observatory 112:1111 (1992)