MODELS OF EXPLOSIVE EVENTS

Models of magnetic reconnection are compared with observed properties of explosive events. Both point-like explosions and steady jet models are consistent with the observations. A 2-dimensional compressible MHD Code is used to simulate the evolution from a static, isothermal curr ent sheet to the steady jet. Crude line profiles of lines formed near 10(5) K are obtained to show that during the evolution the emission is dominated by a compression shock at the head of the jet which produce s high velocity wings to the line. Only when the shock has moved off t he grid and the system has relaxed to a steady jet are both line core and line wings equally bright and thus lie within the observational co nstraints.