First results from PADRE/MeDDEA: X-rays from a flare and its CME
Abstract
The MeDDEA hard X-ray spectrometer onboard NASAs PADRE CubeSat operates four flight-spare detectors from the Solar Orbiter/STIX instrument. This paper aims to evaluate the accuracy of the MeDDEA calibration and to demonstrate that MeDDEA data are ready for scientific exploitation. Using the first joint observations between MeDDEA and STIX, we investigate faint HXR emission associated with an escaping CME relative to the emission from the full flare. The first large flare observed by MeDDEA is analyzed, and the MeDDEA spectrum is compared with simultaneous observations from Fermi/GBM and ASO-S/HXI. From the Solar Orbiter viewpoint, the flare is highly limb-occulted allowing STIX to isolate high coronal emission associated with the CME while MeDDEA observed the full flare. We combined spectral fitting with HXR/EUV imaging from STIX, HXI, and AIA to investigate the locations and energetics of the flare- and CME-associated HXR sources. The MeDDEA spectral observations are in agreement with FERMI/GBM and ASO-S/HXI within 10 percent in the energy range of 18-30 keV. The CME-associated photon flux observed by STIX in the nonthermal range is faint at about 1 percent of the flare photon flux. The energy content of the thermal component associated with the CME, on the other hand, is found to be of the same order of magnitude as the thermal energy of the flare loop, at least for a filling factor of unity. Imaging information from STIX in combination with AIA reveals that the emission measured by STIX is located within the associated CME. We report that MeDDEA provides scientifically reliable spectral observations and is ready for scientific use.
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BibTeX
@misc{stiefel2026first,
title = {{First results from PADRE/MeDDEA: X-rays from a flare and its CME}},
author = {Muriel Zoë Stiefel and Säm Krucker and Olivier Limousin and Niharika Godbole and Gwendoline Marc and Amir Caspi and Kyle Gregory and Ace Stratton and Diana Renaud and Aline Meuris and Laura A Hayes and André Csillaghy and Pascal Saint-Hilaire and Juan Camilo Buitrago Casas and Christopher Smith and Savannah Sky Perez-Piel and Anton Tremsin and Elizabeth Warren and Bradley Pafchek and Eliad Peretz and Carlos Urdiales and Reynaldo Gonzalez and Chris M Moeckel and Juan Carlos Martinez Oliveros and Steven Christe},
howpublished = {HAL},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.34999},
eprint = {2609.34999},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05842243v1},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - First results from PADRE/MeDDEA: X-rays from a flare and its CME
AU - Muriel Zoë Stiefel
AU - Säm Krucker
AU - Olivier Limousin
AU - Niharika Godbole
AU - Gwendoline Marc
AU - Amir Caspi
AU - Kyle Gregory
AU - Ace Stratton
AU - Diana Renaud
AU - Aline Meuris
AU - Laura A Hayes
AU - André Csillaghy
AU - Pascal Saint-Hilaire
AU - Juan Camilo Buitrago Casas
AU - Christopher Smith
AU - Savannah Sky Perez-Piel
AU - Anton Tremsin
AU - Elizabeth Warren
AU - Bradley Pafchek
AU - Eliad Peretz
AU - Carlos Urdiales
AU - Reynaldo Gonzalez
AU - Chris M Moeckel
AU - Juan Carlos Martinez Oliveros
AU - Steven Christe
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/28
PB - HAL
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.34999
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05842243v1
AB - The MeDDEA hard X-ray spectrometer onboard NASAs PADRE CubeSat operates four flight-spare detectors from the Solar Orbiter/STIX instrument. This paper aims to evaluate the accuracy of the MeDDEA calibration and to demonstrate that MeDDEA data are ready for scientific exploitation. Using the first joint observations between MeDDEA and STIX, we investigate faint HXR emission associated with an escaping CME relative to the emission from the full flare. The first large flare observed by MeDDEA is analyzed, and the MeDDEA spectrum is compared with simultaneous observations from Fermi/GBM and ASO-S/HXI. From the Solar Orbiter viewpoint, the flare is highly limb-occulted allowing STIX to isolate high coronal emission associated with the CME while MeDDEA observed the full flare. We combined spectral fitting with HXR/EUV imaging from STIX, HXI, and AIA to investigate the locations and energetics of the flare- and CME-associated HXR sources. The MeDDEA spectral observations are in agreement with FERMI/GBM and ASO-S/HXI within 10 percent in the energy range of 18-30 keV. The CME-associated photon flux observed by STIX in the nonthermal range is faint at about 1 percent of the flare photon flux. The energy content of the thermal component associated with the CME, on the other hand, is found to be of the same order of magnitude as the thermal energy of the flare loop, at least for a filling factor of unity. Imaging information from STIX in combination with AIA reveals that the emission measured by STIX is located within the associated CME. We report that MeDDEA provides scientifically reliable spectral observations and is ready for scientific use.
ER -