B. Yu. Yushkov

Gamma-ray emission and neutrons from solar flares recorded by the SONG instrument in 2001–2004

The SONG instrument onboard the CORONAS-F satellite recorded gamma-ray emission with energy above 500 keV in 28 solar flares over three years of its in-orbit operation. According to the GOES classification, the X-ray importance of these flares lay within the range M1.4-X28. The gamma-ray energy recorded by SONG exceeded 4 MeV in 16 flares. Gamma-ray emission with energy up to 100 MeV was recorded in three events, more specifically, on August 25, 2001, October 28, 2003, and November 4, 2003. Increases in the count rate in the SONG channels that recorded neutrons with energies above 20 MeV were found during these three events. The energies of the recorded neutrons were estimated for the neutron increases. The time dependence of the neutron increases was compared with data from high-altitude ground-based neutron monitors that could, in principle, record the arrival of high-energy neutrons from the Sun. It should be noted that we detected series of flares with gamma-ray emission generated by the same active region (AR). The series in the last decade of August 2002 (AR NOAA 0069), the end of May 2003 (AR NOAA 0365), and the famous period of extreme solar activity in October–November 2003 associated with AR NOAA 0486 and AR NOAA 0501 are quite revealing. The catalog can be of use for future statistical and correlation analyses of solar flares.

High-energy gamma radiation of solar flares as an indicator of acceleration of energetic protons

Using the SONG detector onboard the CORONAS-F satellite, gamma-ray emission of high energies (>100 MeV) was recorded during four solar flares. In the sequential spectra of gamma rays the peculiarity caused by generation and decay of neutral pions was isolated, which made it possible to determine with a high accuracy the moments of appearance in the solar atmosphere of protons accelerated up to energies above 300 MeV.

Dynamics of the earth radiation belts during strong magnetic storms based on CORONAS-F data

The results of an experimental study of the variations in the intensity of the fluxes of the Earth radiation belt (ERB) particles in 0.3–6 and 1–50 MeV energy intervals for electrons and protons, respectively, are reported. ERBs were studied during strong magnetic storms from August 2001 through November 2003. The results of the CORONAS-F mission obtained during the magnetic storms of November 6 (Dst = −257 nT) and November 24, 2001 (Dst = −221 nT), October 29–30 (Dst = −400 nT) and November 20, 2003 (Dst = −465 nT) are analyzed. The electron flux is found to decrease abruptly in the outer radiation belt during the main phase of the magnetic storms under consideration. During the recovery phase, the outer radiation belt is found to recover much closer to Earth, near the boundary of the penetration of solar electrons during the main phase of the magnetic storm. We associate the decrease in the electron flux with the abrupt decrease of the size of the magnetosphere during the main phase of the storm. Note that, in all cases studied, the Earth radiation belts exhibited rather long (several days) variations. In those cases where solar cosmic-ray fluxes were observed during the storm, protons with energies 1–5 MeV could be trapped to form an additional maximum of protons with such energies at L >2.

28 OCTOBER 2003 FLARE: HIGH-ENERGY GAMMA EMISSION, TYPE II RADIO EMISSION AND SOLAR PARTICLE OBSERVATIONS

The 28 October 2003 flare gave us the unique opportunity to compare the acceleration time of high-energy protons with the escaping time of those particles which have been measured onboard spacecraft and by neutron monitors network as GLE event. High-energy emission time scale and shock wave height and velocity time dependencies were also studied.

A method of calculation of vertical cutoff rigidity in the geomagnetic field

On the basis of generalization of the results of extensive trajectory calculations for trial charged particles moving in the geomagnetic field the method of calculation of effective vertical cutoff rigidity, taking into account the values of Kp-index and local time, is developed. The IGRF and Tsyganenko-89 models are used for the geomagnetic field. A comparison of the results of model simulations with the experimental data on penetration of charged particles into near-Earth space is made, and penetration functions for typical spacecraft orbits are calculated.

Dynamics of solar protons in the Earth’s magnetosphere during magnetic storms in November 2004–January 2005

The processes of penetration, trapping, and acceleration of solar protons in the Earth’s magneto-sphere during magnetic storms in November 2004 and January 2005 are studied based on the energetic particle measurements on the CORONAS-F and SERVIS-1 satellites. Acceleration of protons by 1–2 orders of magnitude was observed after trapping of solar protons with an energy of 1–15 MeV during the recovery phase of the magnetic storm of November 7–8, 2004. This acceleration was accompanied by an earthward shift of the particle flux maximum for several days, during which the series of magnetic storms continued. The process of relativistic electron acceleration proceeded simultaneously and according to a similar scenario including acceleration of protons. At the end of this period, the intensification was terminated by the process of precipitation, and a new proton belt split with the formation of two maximums at L ∼ 2 and 3. In the January 2005 series of moderate storms, solar protons were trapped at L = 3.7 during the storm of January 17–18. However, during the magnetic storm of January 21, these particles fell in the zone of quasi-trapping, or precipitated into the atmosphere, or died in the magnetosheath. At the same time, the belts that were formed in November at L ∼ 2 and 3 remained unchanged. Transformations of the proton (and electron) belts during strong magnetic storms change the intensity and structure of belts for a long time. Thus, the consequences of changes during the July 2004 storm did not disappear until November disturbances.

Dynamics and Energetics of the Thermal and Nonthermal Components in the Solar Flare of January 20, 2005, Based on Data from Hard Electromagnetic Radiation Detectors Onboard the CORONAS-F Satellite

Based on data from the SONG and SPR-N multichannel hard electromagnetic radiation detectors onboard the CORONAS-F space observatory and the X-ray monitors onboard GOES satellites, we have distinguished the thermal and nonthermal components in the X-ray spectrum of an extreme solar flare on January 20, 2005. In the impulsive flare phase determined from the time of the most efficient electron and proton acceleration, we have obtained parameters of the spectra for both components and their variations in the time interval 06:43–06:54 UT. The spectral index in the energy range 0.2–2 MeV for a single-power-law spectrum of accelerated electrons is shown to have been close to 3.4 for most of the time interval under consideration. We have determined the time dependence of the lower energy cutoff in the energy spectrum of nonthermal photons Eγ0(t) at which the spectral flux densities of the thermal and nonthermal components become equal. The power deposited by accelerated electrons into the flare volume has been estimated using the thick-target model under two assumptions about the boundary energy E0 of the electron spectrum: (i) E0 is determined by Eγ0(t) and (ii) E0 is determined by the characteristic heated plasma energy (≈5kT (t)). The reality of the first assumption is proven by the fact that plasma cooling sets in at a time when the radiative losses begin to prevail over the power deposited by electrons only in this case. Comparison of the total energy deposited by electrons with a boundary energy Eγ0(t) with the thermal energy of the emitting plasma in the time interval under consideration has shown that the total energy deposited by accelerated electrons at the beginning of the impulsive flare phase before 06:47 UT exceeds the thermal plasma energy by a factor of 1.5–2; subsequently, these energies become approximately equal and are ∼(4–5) × 1030 erg under the assumption that the filling factor is 0.5–0.6.

On the Ground Level Enhancement Beginning

Based on our analysis of the data fromthe global network of neutronmonitors for several events, we have found the times of the first increases in count rate at individual stations that precede the main solar cosmic-ray enhancement. The onset time of proton acceleration at the Sun has been determined from the appearance of a broad gamma-ray line with its maximum near 70 MeV that is generated during the decay of neutral pions, which, in turn, are produced when protons with energies above 300 MeV interact with the solar atmosphere. The time of the first recording of energetic protons at the Earth is delayed relative to the time at which these protons appeared at the Sun by 60–300 s, i.e., by a value comparable to the difference between the direct photon and particle propagation times. At least two conclusions follow from the existence of such “precursors”. First, the protons begin to escape from the solar atmosphere into interplanetary space immediately after their acceleration. Second, some of the protons traverse a path shorter than the nominal length of interplanetary magnetic field lines.

Dynamics of the boundary of the penetration of solar energetic particles to Earth’s magnetosphere according to CORONAS-F data

The dynamics of the boundary of the penetration of solar energetic particles (electrons and protons) to Earth’s magnetosphere during solar flares and related geomagnetic disturbances in November 2001 and October–November 2003 is analyzed using CORONAS-F data. The relationship between the penetration boundary, the geomagnetic activity indices, and the local magnetic time is investigated. The correlation coefficient between the invariant latitude of the penetration boundary and the Kp and Dst indices for electrons with energies ranging from 0.3 to 0.6 MeV in the dayside sector is demonstrated to be higher than that in the nightside sector. The correlation coefficient for protons with energies from 1 to 5 MeV is higher in the nightside sector as compared to the dayside sector. For protons with energies from 50 to 90 MeV, the correlation is high at all MLT.

Measurements of neutron fluxes with energies from thermal to several MeV in near-Earth space: SINP results.

Neutron measurement results obtained at SINP MSU since 1970 are presented. These measurements were made using techniques based on neutron moderation and subsequent detection in a Li6I(Eu) crystal or a He3 coronal counter. The measurements were mainly carried out in orbits with inclination of 52 degrees and altitudes of 200-450 km. The spatial and angular distributions of the measured neutron fluxes were studied. The albedo neutron flux was estimated according to the count rate difference for opposite detector orientations towards Earth and away from it. This flux is comparable to the local neutron flux outside the Brazil anomaly region, where local neutrons dominate. Neutron fluxes, generated by solar protons, were detected during a solar flare on June 6, 1991 for the first time. Their spectrum was estimated as a power law with alpha>2.