Abstract
We explore the possibility that solar flare proton fluxes are limited in magnitude by saturation effects inherent to the acceleration mechanism. If cyclotron damping of Alfven waves acts to accelerate protons, the criterion that the damping time is comparable to the acceleration time provides a fast particle number density at which protons load the wave spectrum. The limiting flux J*at 1 AU is obtained by a volume integration over the acceleration region and redistribution into an interplanetary emission cone. A simplified explosion model permits a delineation between volume and surface acceleration mechanisms in terms of a temporal parameter, the effective duration of acceleration. We conclude that J*may be a realistic concept, but that further investigation is warranted to sharpen the criterion.
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