Speaker
Description
First Name: Vanessa
Last Name: Polito
Email Address: polito@lmsal.com
Affiliation: Lockheed Martin Solar & Astrophysics Laboratory
All Authors: Vanessa Polito
Abstract: In this review talk, I will discuss recent advances in our understanding of the energy-release mechanisms operating during the impulsive phase of solar flares. Although the fundamental picture of magnetic reconnection as the driver of flare energy release is well established, many key details of how this energy is converted into various forms, and how it is transported through the solar atmosphere, remain poorly understood. I will highlight recent discoveries enabled by high-resolution imaging and spectroscopic observations from IRIS, Solar Orbiter, and Aditya, which provide unprecedented views of the fine-scale dynamics in the chromosphere, transition region, and corona during flares. By combining these observations with advanced numerical simulations and theoretical models, we can now place significantly stronger constraints on the physical processes governing the release, transport, and deposition of energy that ultimately drive solar flares.