Effect of solar flares on 54Mn and 57Co radioactive decay constants performance

Abstract

Changes in radioactive decay rates due to solar flares have attracted increasing scientific attention in recent decades. In previous studies we demonstrated that solar flares cause changes in the decay rate of 241Am, 222Rn, and 232Th. The change in the count rate of 54Mn due to solar flares, as observed by scholars at Purdue University in 2006, encouraged us to repeat the measurements. In addition, we measured gamma radiation count rates of 57Co that undergoes electron capture, as in 54Mn decay. Our new measurements indicate that there is a delay of about five days between the solar flare occurrence and the decrease in 54Mn count rates. Also, we conclude that in the 54Mn study of 2006 there was a delay between the solar flares and the resulting count rate dips. With regard to the 57Co counting system, we measured about a seven-day delay between the occurrence of solar flares and the count rate dips. We conclude that 54Mn and 57Co interact with neutrinos that originate during solar flares.