Hα flare spectra

We have studied over 1000 Hα flare profiles from 24 solar flares of Class 1 or brighter as recorded with Lockheed Solar Observatory's multi-slit spectrograph. We find that the profiles can be classified in terms of whether or not they show central self-reversals, whether or not they have extended wings, and whether they are asymmetric. The profile groupings were found not to be correlated with the size (class) of the flares, nor do they seem to be well correlated with the kind of chromospheric flare structure from which they are emitted. Although different flare points within the same overall event may show profiles of different types, any given element (bright patch) can usually be described in terms of a single combination of the profile descriptors.