Energetic solar-proton precipitation in the auroral zone associated with storm sudden commencements

Abstract

Measurements by balloon-borne instruments, data from the satellites Explorer 41 and 43 and riometer recordings were used to investigate the influence of magnetospheric processes on the precipitation of energetic solar protons related to the occurrence of two ssc's on 8–9 August 1972. The high-energy protons ( E p ⩾ 30 MeV) had direct access to auroral-zone latitudes. The flux variations of low-energy (some MeV) protons in interplanetary space and the magnetosphere were different from those of the protons precipitated in the auroral zone. These low-energy protons were precipitated mainly during and after the ssc's. The importance of direct proton access, radial diffusion, pitch angle scattering and proton acceleration for the explanation of the low-energy proton behaviour is discussed.