The temperature map of the loop and coronal sources of an occulted solar flare Original Research Article

An occulted solar flare occurred at about 06:07 UT on 2002, November 2. The RHESSI X-ray images show two separate parts. The lower part consists of a complete loop and the upper part a coronal source which well extends above the solar limb. The loop source shrank for about 3 min with a speed of ∼24 km s−1 during the early impulsive phase and then expanded at ∼7 km s−1, while the coronal source presented an upward motion at about 6 km s−1. We obtained the temperature map of the loop source from RHESSI image spectrum. The temperature of the loop increases with altitude, indicating that the reconnection X-point of this flare is located above the loop source. However, the apparent coronal source is the top of another independent large-scale loop.