Evaluation of the energy spectrum of solar protons according to the balloon measurement data and Monte Carlo simulation

Abstract

The method for evaluating the energy spectra of solar protons at the boundary of the Earth’s atmosphere according to the data of balloon measurements carried out at the Lebedev Institute of Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, and the results of Monte Carlo simulation of the processes of proton interaction in the Earth’s atmosphere has been developed. The balloon measurements during solar proton events make it possible to determine the absorption spectra of solar cosmic rays in the atmosphere. Comparison of the experimental data with the results of the simulation of propagation of solar protons (E p = 10 MeV-10 GeV) in the atmosphere, based on GEANT-4, allows determination of the energy spectra of solar protons at the atmospheric boundary. The results of the determination of the energy spectra of solar protons in a number of solar proton events in the current (23th) solar activity cycle are reported.