We study the C8.4 class solar flare SOL2016-05-14T11:34 UT using high-resolution spectral imaging in the Ca ii 8542 Ã line obtained with the CRISP imaging spectropolarimeter on the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope .
Spectroscopic inversions of the Ca ii 8542 Ã line using the non-LTE code NICOLE are used to investigate the evolution of the temperature and velocity structure in the flare chromosphere .
A comparison of the temperature stratification in flaring and non-flaring areas reveals strong footpoint heating during the flare peak in the lower atmosphere .
The temperature of the flaring footpoints between continuum optical depth at 500Â nm , \mathrm { log~ { } \tau _ { 500 } ~ { } \approx - 2.5 ~ { } and~ { } -3.5 } is \mathrm { \sim 5 - 6.5 ~ { } kK } , close to the flare peak , reducing gradually to \mathrm { \sim 5 ~ { } kK } .
The temperature in the middle and upper chromosphere , between \mathrm { log~ { } \tau _ { 500 } \approx - 3.5 ~ { } and~ { } -5.5 } , is estimated to be \mathrm { \sim 6.5 - 20 ~ { } kK } , decreasing to pre-flare temperatures , \mathrm { \sim 5 - 10 ~ { } kK } , after approximately 15 minutes .
However , the temperature stratification of the non-flaring areas is unchanged .
The inverted velocity fields show that the flaring chromosphere is dominated by weak downflowing condensations at the Ca ii 8542 Ã formation height .