Unveiling Unprecedented Fine Structure in Coronal Flare Loops with the DKIST Journal Article

Overview

Abstract; We present the highest-resolution Hα observations of a solar flare to date, collected during the decay phase of an X1.3-class flare on 2024 August 8 at 20:12 UT. Observations with the Visible Broadband Imager at the National Science Foundation’s Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope (DKIST) reveal dark coronal loop strands at unprecedented spatial resolution in the flare arcade above highly structured chromospheric flare ribbons. After surveying the 20 best-seeing images, we calculate a mean loop width near the top of the arcade of 48.2 km, with a minimum loop width of ∼21 km and distribution mode of ∼43 km. The distributions of loop widths observed by the DKIST in our study are often symmetric about the mean loop width. This is initial evidence that the DKIST may be capable of resolving the fundamental scale of coronal loops, although further investigation is required to confirm this result. We demonstrate that the resolving power of the DKIST represents a significant step toward advancing modern flare models and our understanding of fine structure in the coronal magnetic field.

Tamburri CA; Kazachenko MD; Cauzzi G; Kowalski AF; French R; Yadav R; Evans CL; Notsu Y; Corchado-Albelo MF; Reardon KP