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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 April 2016
We study the effect of chromospheric bombardment by an electron beam during solar flares. Using a semi-empirical flare model, we investigate energy balance at temperature minimum level and in the upper photosphere. We show that non-thermal hydrogen ionization (i.e., due to the electrons of the beam) leads to an increase of chromospheric hydrogen continuum emission, H− population, and absorption of photo-spheric and chromospheric continuum radiation. So, the upper photosphere is radiatively heated by chromospheric continuum radiation produced by the beam. The effect of hydrogen ionization is an enhanced white-light emission both at chromospheric and photospheric level, due to Paschen and H− continua emission, respectively. We then obtain white-light contrasts compatible with observations, obviously showing the link between white-light flares and atmospheric bombardment by electron beams.