Structure of the impulsive phase of solar flares from microwave observations

Variation of the microwave intensity and spectrum due to synchrotron radiation from semirelativistic particles injected at the top of a closed magnetic loop has been described. Using the recent high spatial resolution X-ray observations from the HXIS experiment of the SMM and observations by the VLA, it is shown that the high microwave brightness observed at the top of the flare loop can come about if (i) the magnetic field from top to footpoints of the loop does not increase very rapidly, and (ii) the accelerated particles injected in the loop have a nearly isotropic pitch angle distribution. The limits on the rate of increase of the magnetic field or the average pitch angle depend on the geometry and location of the loop on the solar disk.