Metal lines in the solar flare of July 12, 1961, and the properties of the emission region

The intensities of neutral and singly ionized metal lines in the spectrum of an importance 3+ flare are analyzed. These lines are indicative of emission in the coolest regions of flares. It is shown that: 1) the temperature in the metal emission region of the flare is somewhat lower than in the undistubed chromosphere; 2) for most metals the degree of ionization is no higher in the flare than in the chromesphere; 3) individual components of certain multiplets appear in the flare but not in the chromosphere, evidently because the electron density is at least an order of magnitude higher in the flare. (auth)