Abstract This work is intended to complement and provide a theoretical basis for interpretation of flare and flare-related phenomena during the current solar maximum. The two primary processes to be investigated are (1) the mechanism responsible for initiating and driving the coronal mass ejection, the solar flare and associated phenomena, and (2) magnetic reconnection and its potential role in energy conversion, heating and particle acceleration. Numerical modelling forms the core of the theoretical approach to be used in studying these topics, although some analytical studies will be used for the second topic. A primary objective will be to relate the results to observations. In particular, the first study will be directly compared to observations from white light coronagraphs, as well as to x-ray and H alpha data. The second study has application to x-ray, EUV, and H alpha data and to observations with particle detectors. ***
