Cartoon scenario of an erupting flox rope, a shock wave draped around, and suggested radio and X-ray sources (SXR = soft X-rays, HXR = hard X-rays): (a) shows the configuration with a neighbouring open field line, (b) the configuration after reconnection between the flux rope and the open field line. This enables the release of electrons that had previously been confined in the flux rope, as beams travelling upward and downward from the reconnection site.