A correlation between the emission of white light and cosmic radiation by a solar flare

Abstract

It is pointed out that the majority of the solar flares which were observed to produce increases in the terrestrial cosmic ray intensity were also observed in white light. This is interpreted as evidence that it is only the most energetic flares which produce any appreciable quantity of cosmic radiation, and that the rarity of the cosmic ray flare effect is, at least in part, due to the rarity of very energetic solar flares. Evidence is presented that suggest that cosmic radiation produced in a flare on the east limb of the sun is unable to reach the earth.