Other RHESSI
Web Sites

Flare Modeling Software

This page provides links to software for computing the x-ray, gamma-ray, and radio emissions from solar flare models. The numerical codes are packaged with documentation in html (*.html, *.htm), Adobe Acrobat 4.0 (*.pdf), and/or Microsoft Word (*.doc) format. Sample input and output data are also included for testing the codes. IDL routines (*.pro) for graphically displaying the output are included in most cases.

Most of the numerical codes will run and have been tested on a Pentium III PC equipped with a compiler such as Compaq Visual Fortran and 128 MB of memory. The graphics routines will run on a PC equipped with IDL version 5.3 or later.

The codes are open and can be freely modified by the user. This open-code policy has been adopted to maximize the use of HESSI data and to open the physical interpretation of the HESSI data to as broad a community as possible. Please remember, however, that the developers of these codes put many hours of labor into them, and are most knowledgeable about the strengths and limitations of the codes.

These codes should always be properly cited when used to obtain results for publication. We strongly recommend that such work be done in collaboration with the code developers. Although the codes have been tested, the correctness of the numerical results is not guaranteed and all results should be thoroughly scrutinized. We ask that any errors or significant improvements to the codes be reported to the developers for inclusion in future releases.

Links to numerical programs are provided below. Additional programs will be added as they become available. A program that computes images and spectra of the x-ray and microwave emissions from specific flare models is currently under development. This will be made available here, and compiled versions will be made available in the HESSI branch of the SolarSoftWare tree.

The Numerical Codes

For each code the program name links to the online documentation. To download the code, documentation, and accompanying files to a Windows PC, click on the name of the Zip file or on the link to the program files. Download to an empty file folder, and unzip any downloaded *.zip files to extract the compressed files.

Bremsstrahlung

Program: Bremspec
Description: Computes thin-target bremsstrahlung x-ray and gamma-ray flux spectra
Language: Fortran 77
Developer: Gordon D. Holman
Revised: March 5, 2002
Zip file: bremspec.zip

Program: Bremthick
Description: Computes thick-target bremsstrahlung x-ray and gamma-ray flux spectra
Language: Fortran 77
Developer: Gordon D. Holman
Revised: March 5, 2002
Zip file: bremthick.zip

Electron Propagation and Energy Losses

Program: Efluxprog
Description: Computes the steady-state electron distribution function in a flare magnetic loop as a function of position along a magnetic field line, electron pitch angle, and electron energy by integrating the steady-state Fokker-Planck equation
Language: Fortran 77
Developers: James M. McTiernan and Gordon D. Holman
Revised: March 5, 2002
Zip file: efluxprog.zip

Program: Fkrplk
Description: Computes the electron distribution function in a flare magnetic loop as a function of position along a magnetic field line, electron pitch angle, electron energy, and time by integrating the Fokker-Planck equation
Language: Fortran 77
Developers: James M. McTiernan and Leon Ofman
Zip file: fkrplk.zip

Gamma-Ray Lines

Program: Nuclear Deexcitation Line Code
Description: Monte Carlo computation of thin-target or thick-target gamma-ray line spectra
Language: Fortran 77
Developers: R. Ramaty, R.J. Murphy and B. Kozlovsky
Program files: Ramaty's Home Page

Hydrodynamics

Program: NRL Solar Flux Tube Model (SOLFTM)
Description: Chromospheric evaporation hydrodynamics (1-D)
Language: Fortran 77
Developer: John T. Mariska
Zip file: NRL Hydro Index

Radio Emission

Program: Gyrospec
Description: Gyrosynchrotron emission and absorption coefficients; computes flux & brightness temperature spectra for a homgeneous radio source
Language: Fortran 77
Developers: Gordon D. Holman, Thomas J. Kelly, & Mark E. Pesses
Zip file: gyrospec.zip

Reuven Ramaty's original gyrosynchrotron code can be found at his Web site.

Program: Gyrort
Description: Radiative transfer through an inhomogeneous gyrosynchrotron source; computes flux & brightness temperature spectra for an inhomogeneous radio source
Dependencies: Requires Program Gyrospec
Language: Fortran 77
Developer: Gordon D. Holman
Zip file: gyrort.zip