Solar Flare Conditions Research Articles

Stochastic acceleration of electrons. I - Effects of collisions in solar flares

Stochastic acceleration of thermal electrons to nonrelativistic energies is studied under solar flare conditions. We show that, in turbulent regions, electron-whistler wave interactions can result in the acceleration of electrons in times comparable to or shorter than the Coulomb collision time. The kinetic equation describing the evolution of the electron energy distribution including stochastic acceleration by whistlers and energy loss via Coulomb interactions is solved for an initial thermal electron energy spectrum. In general, the shape of the resulting electron distributions are characterized by the energy E(c) where systematic energy gain by turbulence equals energy loss due to Coulomb collisions. For energies less than E(c), the spectra are steep (quasi-thermal) whereas above E(c), the spectra are power laws. We find that hard X-ray spectra computed using the electron distributions obtained from our numerical simulations are able to explain the complex spectral shapes and variations observed in impulsive hard X-ray bursts. In particular, we show that the gradual steepening observed by Lin et al. (1981) could be due to a systematic increase in the density of the plasma (due to evaporation) and the increasing importance of collisions instead of the appearance of a superhot thermal component.

E-region effective electron loss rates and electron temperatures under different solar flare conditions

Presuming the total life-time for recombination of molecular ions with electrons remains constant at each altitude under different solar flare conditions, one can estimate the mean dissociative recombination coefficient and the electron temperatures, with a knowledge of the quiet time recombination coefficient and the production rate profiles under these conditions. To estimate the electron temperatures, the temperature dependence of the form (300/T e )1/2 for the electron loss coefficient has been assumed. The computations show very high electron temperatures below about 130 km for the representative solar events considered.

Measurements of SEU and total dose in geostationary orbit under normal and solar flare conditions

The Meteosat-3 radiation effects experiment includes two 256-kb SRAMs configured for SEU detection and a RADFET array for dose measurement. SEU rates and doses are enhanced during solar flares. Two years of orbital data are compared with ground tests and prediction. The measured background dose is found to be lower than prediction. The measured solar flare dose agrees well with prediction. The view angle of the RADFETs was insufficient to allow the relative efficiency of low-Z/high-Z shielding to be verified.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

A new technique for estimating D-region effective recombination coefficients under different solar flare conditions

Under solar flare conditions, the intensity of the solar X-rays below 10 A increases by several orders of magnitude, while the increase in intensity of H-Lα is small. Photo-ionization rates in the various wavelength bands in theXUV spectrum have been presented graphically as a function of altitude under quiet, M3, X4, and outstanding flare conditions to show the relative importance of solar X-rays below 10 A in the height range between 50 and 90 km. Presuming the total time constant for recombination of the ions with electrons remains constant at each altitude under different flare conditions, one can obtain the effective recombination coefficient ψeff under these conditions with a knowledge of the quiet time recombination coefficient, the production rate profiles and λ profiles. The importance of the ratio λ of negative ions to electrons below 70 km in lowering the effective electron loss rates has been highlighted.

Effects of solar XUV variations on the thermosphere and the variability of the photoionization efficiency parameter during the solar cycle 21

Making use of the latest available semi-empirical atmospheric models, solar XUV radiations rates of photoionization and absorbed energy profiles have been graphically presented showing the latitudinal, seasonal and solar cycle variations. The photoionization limits of the major neutral constitutents of the terrestrial atmosphere O2, O, and N2 that occur at wavelengths 102.7, 91.2, and 79.6 nm, respectively have been quantified by showing the photoionization rates of O 2 + , O+, and N 2 + for different spectral groups both under quiet and different solar flare conditions. The variability of the photoionization efficiency parameter which is height-dependent, from winter to summer, for solar minimum to solar maximum for four significantly different latitudes under local noon conditions have been investigated during the solar cycle 21. More energy is required to produce an electron-ion pair in a denser atmosphere than in a thinner atmosphere and hence more energy is being deposited in the height range between 100–120 km which itself manifests in raising the electron gas temperatures higher than the neutral gas temperatures.

The behaviour of measured SEU at low altitude during periods of high solar activity (spacecraft memories)

The UoSAT-2 spacecraft, launched in 1984 into a polar orbit at an altitude of 700 km, has a number of systems which have been observed to experience single-event upsets at significant rates. During the year 1989, several solar flare events occurred which elevated the upset rates at high latitudes. The October 19 event, in particular, resulted in very high high-latitude upset rates. The data are separated and analyzed, deriving upset rates for the various memory devices under quiet cosmic-ray, South Atlantic anomaly, and solar flare conditions. The results of the heavy ion and proton testing of UoSAT memories undertaken in order to compare predictions and observations are presented. >

A new gamma-ray diagnostic for energetic ion distributions - The Compton tail on the neutron capture line

This paper presents a new radiation diagnostic for assaying the energy spectrum and the angular distribution of energetic ions incident on thick hydrogen-rich thermal targets. This diagnostic compares the number of emergent photons in the narrow neutron capture line at 2.223 MeV to the number of Compton scattered photons that form a low-energy tail on the line. It is shown that the relative strength of the tail can be used as a measure of the hardness of the incident ion-energy spectrum. Application of this diagnostic to solar flare conditions is the main thrust of the work presented here. It is examined how the strength of the Compton tail varies with flare viewing angle and the angular distribution of the flare-accelerated particles. Application to compact X-ray binary systems is also briefly discussed.

Acceleration of runaway electrons in solar flares

The dc electric field acceleration of electrons out of a thermal plasma and the evolution of the runaway tail are studied numerically, using a relativistic quasi-linear code based on the Ritz-Galerkin method and finite elements. A small field-aligned electric field is turned on at a certain time. The resulting distribution function from the runaway process is used to calculate the synchrotron emission during the evolution of the runaway tail. It is found that, during the runaway tail formation, which lasts a few tens of seconds for typical solar flare conditions, the synchrotron emission level is low, almost ot the same order as the emission from the thermal plasma, at the high-frequency end of the spectrum. However, the emission is enhanced explosively in a few microseconds by several orders of magnitude at the time the runaway tail stops growing along the magnetic field and tends toward isotropy due to the pitch-angle scattering of the fast particles. Results indicate that, in order to account for the observed synchrotron emission spectrum of a typical solar flare, the electric field acceleration phase must be accompanied or preceded by a heating phase which yields an enhanced electron temperature of about 2-15 keV in the flare region if the electric field is 0.1-0.2 times the Dreicer field and cyclotron-to-plasma frequency ratios are of order 1-2.

Soliton and strong Langmuir turbulence in solar flare processes

The occurrence of modulational instability in the current sheet is investigated. Particular attention is drawn to the plasma micro-instability in this current sheet (i.e., the diffusion region) and its relation to the flare process. It is found that the solitons or strong Langmuir turbulence is likely to occur in the diffusion region under solar flare conditions in which the electric resistivity could be greatly enhanced by several orders of magnitude in this diffusion region. The result is a significant heating and stochastic acceleration of particles. Physically, the occurrence of soliton and strong Langmuir turbulence can be identified with a sudden eruption of an electric current leading to a local vacuum in which an electric potential is formed and results in the release of a huge amount of free energy. A numerical example is used to demonstrate the transition of the magnetic field, velocity, and plasma density from the outer MHD region into the diffusive (resistive) region and, then, back out again with the completion of the energy conversion process. This is all made possible by an increase of resistivity by 4–5 orders of magnitude over the classical value.

The effect of radiation on the long term productivity of a plant based CELSS

Mutations occur at a higher rate in space than under terrestrial conditions, primarily due to an increase in radiation levels. These mutations may effect the productivity of plants found in a controlled ecological life support system (CELSS). Computer simulations of plants with different ploidies, modes of reproduction, lethality thresholds, viability thresholds and susceptibilities to radiation induced mutations were performed under space normal and solar flare conditions. These simulations identified plant characteristics that would enable plants to retain high productivities over time in a CELSS.

Relative importance of solar X-rays below 10 Å and pulsed HF radiowave absorption at 2.132 MHz frequency over Delhi under solar flare conditions

The computed photoionization rates in the discrete wavelength bands in the XUV spectra under quiet sun, moderate flare, strong flare and outstanding flare conditions have been presented graphically as a function of altitude in the height range 50 – 90 km to show the relative importance of solar X-rays below 10 Å. Ionospheric absorption data, measured by A 1 technique at the Ionosphere Research Centre at the University of Delhi, Delhi (28.6°N) at a single radio wave frequency of 2.132 MHz have been analyzed under solar flare conditions, with a special emphasis on a solar flare event on 3 February, 1983 which started at 1115 IST, reached its peak at 1140 IST and persisted till 1400 IST, during which time the radio wave absorption exceeded 60 or 65 dB for nearly three and half hours. During solar flare, a direct correlation between large enhancements of solar X-ray flux and ionospheric absorption is observed.

Selective Effects in Cosmic Rays Induced by Coulombian Interactions with Finite Temperature Plasmas

The role of Coulombian energy losses in cosmic ray physics is generally over simplified by using the Bethe-Block formulation which does not depend explicitly on the temperature of the medium. The role of low energy particles is usually neglected, as a result of the over estimation of losses when the temperature of the medium is ignored. A deep analysis of Coulombian losses may raise the importance of these particles in the dynamics of the Galaxy. In fact, the deceleration of these particles is determined by charge interchange processes with the target ions and electrons, which energy dependence is roughly the inverse of ionisation losses. Even high energy particles may be subject to this kind of deceleration if the temperature is very high. The consideration of Coulombian losses through all energy ranges with explicit dependence on the temperature has been discussed by Perez and Lara (1979): a fully ionized medium of hydrogen has been assumed to prevail in most of cosmic ray sources. One kind of the implications is the determination of particle composition. It is claimed that a given kind of ion is preferentially accelerated or depleted depending on whether the acceleration is higher or lower than the deceleration rate at the beginning of the acceleration of thermal material. Species which undergo depletion are accelerated only if their energy is higher than that for which both rates are equated (Ec,E′c and E′c′) in such a way that only those of the hot tails of their thermal distributions are effectively accelerated. These will appear depleted relative to other species which are free accelerated because their deceleration rates at low energies are lower than the acceleration rate. It can be noted in the next figures, that if both rates would not intersect at the beginning of the acceleration, they would not join at higher energies because the acceleration rate grows faster with energy than the deceleration rate. Three arbitrary acceleration rates are used for illustration: Fermi-2nd order (αβW), Betatron or adiabatic heating (αβ2W) and shock wave acceleration (αW), where α, β and W are the efficiency, the particles velocity and the total energy per nucleon respectively. In Fig. 1 it can be seen that this selective acceleration relative to Coulombian losses is defined at different energy levels depending on the kind of acceleration involved. Since the main effect of the temperature on the losses at the beginning of the acceleration is through the local charge states of the ions, the sequence of energy losses among different species is highly assorted. This is translated in a great amount of possibilities of particle enhancements and depletions according to the temperature of the source and the kind of acceleration operating therein. If particles under go acceleration in a fully stripped state, the sequence of losses at all energy levels is such that the heavy elements are depleted in relation with the lighter ones; same is the situation, what-ever the initial charge state, for high energy particles in the range of ionisation. It may be concluded, on basis to the observational enhancement of heavy cosmic rays, that hot regions are not likely sources, and that acceleration initiates from thermal energies. On Fig. 2 it is illustrated the enhancement of Fe over 0 in solar flare conditions, on basis to the charge states as given by Jordan (1969). If α &lt; 2.71 s−1 both elements would be depleted, whereas if α&gt;3.45 s−1 both would be preferentially accelerated.

XUV electron density diagnostics for solar flares

view Abstract Citations (168) References (34) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS XUV electron density diagnostics for solar flares. Dere, K. P. ; Mason, H. E. ; Widing, K. G. ; Bhatia, A. K. Abstract Potential electron-density diagnostics for the high-temperature component of solar flares are studied with reference to the wavelength region from 171 to 630 A. The specific ions discussed include Fe IX through Fe XV, Ni XI through Ni XVII, and ions in the beryllium, boron, carbon, and nitrogen isoelectronic sequences. Line ratios that could be useful as density indicators under solar-flare conditions are indicated, available data for the ions considered are reviewed, and several theoretical intensity ratios are plotted. The results are employed to determine the electron-density distribution as a function of electron temperature for several spectra from two flares. For these flares it is found that the electron density increases from 10 billion to 500 billion per cu cm for a temperature increase from 1 million to 10 million K. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series Pub Date: June 1979 DOI: 10.1086/190590 Bibcode: 1979ApJS...40..341D Keywords: Electron Density (Concentration); Far Ultraviolet Radiation; Plasma Diagnostics; Solar Flares; Solar Spectra; Ultraviolet Spectroscopy; Electron Energy; High Temperature; Iron; Isoelectronic Sequence; Line Spectra; Metal Ions; Nickel; Skylab Program; Spectroheliographs; Tables (Data); Solar Physics; Extreme UV:Solar Flares full text sources ADS |