A UNIFIED MODEL FOR SOLAR FLARES

We performed 2.5-dimensional numerical simulation for two cases,one with the the reconnection point at a high altitude,the other with the reconnection point at a low altitude.In the high-altitude case,the bright loop appears to rise for a long time,with its two footpoints separating and the field lines below the bright loop shrinking,which are all typical features of two-ribbon flares.In the low-altitude case,the bright loops cease rising only a short time after the impulsive phase of the reconnection and then become rather stable,which shows a large similarity to the compact flares.The results imply that the two types of solar flares,i.e.,the two-ribbon flares and the compact ones,might be unified into the same magnetic reconnection model,where the height of the reconnection point leads to the bifurcation.