Statistics, Morphology, and Energetics of Ellerman Bombs

Georgoulis, Rust, Bernasconi, and Schmieder, Ap J 575, 506, 2002

(reviewed by H. Hudson)

References

Ellerman, F., ApJ 46, 298, 1917 (“hydrogen bombs”)

Lyot, B., Ann. Ap. 7, 31, 1944 (“petits points”)

Severny, A.B., Observatory 76, 241, 1956 (“moustaches”)

Georgoulis et al., ApJ 575, 506, 2002 (“Ellerman bombs”)

“Moustaches”

Kurokawa et al., 1982

What is an Ellerman Bomb?

• A tiny intense chromospheric brightening, seen best in H-alpha line wings

• Time scale minutes

• Energy scale “microflare”

• Morphology of association with emerging flux and sunspot penumbrae

• No coronal manifestations except surges

Ding, Henoux, and Fang 1998

Conclusions

• This is a nice paper, from which one can learn a lot about Ellerman bombs

• These things are like flares in many ways, but seem to occur only in the lower atmosphere (Payne PhD thesis, 1993)

• EBs may show us something about the way emerging flux accommodates