Critical Examination of the Fundamental Assumptions of Solar Flare and CME Models

The fundamental assumptions of conventional solar flare and CME theory are examined. In particular, the common assumption that magnetic energy that drives flares and CMEs can be stored in situ with sufficient energy density is found wanting. In addition, the observational constraint that flares and CMEs must produce non-thermal electrons with energies of order 10-20KeV with electron fluxes of order 10³⁴ - 10³⁶ electrons to explain the observed hard X-rays when imposed on the 'standard model' for flares and CMEs is found to miss the mark by many orders of magnitude. We suggest, in conclusion, there are really only two possible ways to explain the requirements of observations and theory: flares and CMEs are caused by mass loaded prominence or driven directly by emerging magnetized flux.