E. R. Christian

RECORD-SETTING COSMIC-RAY INTENSITIES IN 2009 AND 2010

We report measurements of record-setting intensities of cosmic-ray nuclei from C to Fe, made with the Cosmic Ray Isotope Spectrometer carried on the Advanced Composition Explorer in orbit about the inner Sun-Earth Lagrangian point. In the energy interval from ~70 to ~450 MeV nucleon^(–1), near the peak in the near-Earth cosmic-ray spectrum, the measured intensities of major species from C to Fe were each 20%-26% greater in late 2009 than in the 1997-1998 minimum and previous solar minima of the space age (1957-1997). The elevated intensities reported here and also at neutron monitor energies were undoubtedly due to several unusual aspects of the solar cycle 23/24 minimum, including record-low interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) intensities, an extended period of reduced IMF turbulence, reduced solar-wind dynamic pressure, and extremely low solar activity during an extended solar minimum. The estimated parallel diffusion coefficient for cosmic-ray transport based on measured solar-wind properties was 44% greater in 2009 than in the 1997-1998 solar-minimum period. In addition, the weaker IMF should result in higher cosmic-ray drift velocities. Cosmic-ray intensity variations at 1 AU are found to lag IMF variations by 2-3 solar rotations, indicating that significant solar modulation occurs inside ~20 AU, consistent with earlier galactic cosmic-ray radial-gradient measurements. In 2010, the intensities suddenly decreased to 1997 levels following increases in solar activity and in the inclination of the heliospheric current sheet. We describe the conditions that gave cosmic rays greater access to the inner solar system and discuss some of their implications.

The Absolute Flux of Protons and Helium at the Top of the Atmosphere Using IMAX

The cosmic-ray proton and helium spectra from 0.2 GeV nucleon^(-1) to about 200 GeV nucleon^(-1) have been measured with the balloon-borne experiment Isotope Matter-Antimatter Experiment (IMAX) launched from Lynn Lake, Manitoba, Canada, in 1992. IMAX was designed to search for antiprotons and light isotopes using a superconducting magnet spectrometer together with scintillators, a time-of-flight system, and Cherenkov detectors. Using redundant detectors, an extensive examination of the instrument efficiency was carried out. We present here the absolute spectra of protons and helium corrected to the top of the atmosphere and to interstellar space. If demodulated with a solar modulation parameter of Φ = 750 MV, the measured interstellar spectra between 20 and 200 GV can be represented by a power law in rigidity, with (1.42 ± 0.21) × 10^4R^(-2.71±0.04) (m^2 GV s sr)^(-1) for protons and (3.15 ± 1.03) × 10^3R^(-2.79±0.08) (m^2 GV s sr)^(-1) for helium.

SEPARATION OF THE INTERSTELLAR BOUNDARY EXPLORER RIBBON FROM GLOBALLY DISTRIBUTED ENERGETIC NEUTRAL ATOM FLUX

The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) observes a remarkable feature, the IBEX ribbon, which has energetic neutral atom (ENA) flux over a narrow region ~20° wide, a factor of 2-3 higher than the more globally distributed ENA flux. Here, we separate ENA emissions in the ribbon from the distributed flux by applying a transparency mask over the ribbon and regions of high emissions, and then solve for the distributed flux using an interpolation scheme. Our analysis shows that the energy spectrum and spatial distribution of the ribbon are distinct from the surrounding globally distributed flux. The ribbon energy spectrum shows a knee between ~1 and 4 keV, and the angular distribution is approximately independent of energy. In contrast, the distributed flux does not show a clear knee and more closely conforms to a power law over much of the sky. Consistent with previous analyses, the slope of the power law steepens from the nose to tail, suggesting a weaker termination shock toward the tail as compared to the nose. The knee in the energy spectrum of the ribbon suggests that its source plasma population is generated via a distinct physical process. Both the slope in the energy distribution of the distributed flux and the knee in the energy distribution of the ribbon are ordered by latitude. The heliotail may be identified in maps of globally distributed flux as a broad region of low flux centered ~44°W of the interstellar downwind direction, suggesting heliotail deflection by the interstellar magnetic field.

MEASUREMENT OF THE SECONDARY RADIONUCLIDES 10Be, 26Al, 36Cl, 54Mn, AND 14C AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE GALACTIC COSMIC-RAY AGE

We report on abundance measurements of ^(10)Be, ^(26)Al, ^(36)Cl, and ^(54)Mn in the Galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) using the Cosmic-Ray Isotope Spectrometer (CRIS) instrument aboard the Advanced Composition Explorer spacecraft at energies from ~70 to ~400 MeV nucleon^(-1). We also report an upper limit on the abundance of GCR ^(14)C. The high statistical significance of these measurements allows the energy dependence of their relative abundances to be studied. A steady-state, leaky-box propagation model, incorporating observations of the local interstellar medium (ISM) composition and density and recent partial fragmentation cross section measurements, is used to interpret these abundances. Using this model, the individual galactic confinement times derived using data for each species are consistent with a unique confinement time value of τ_(esc) = 15.0 ± 1.6 Myr. The CRIS abundance measurements are consistent with propagation through an average ISM hydrogen number density n_H = 0.34 ± 0.04 H atoms cm^(-3). The surviving fractions, f, for each radioactive species have been calculated. From predictions of the diffusion models of Ptuskin & Soutoul, the values of f indicate an interstellar cosmic-ray diffusion coefficient of D = (3.5 ± 2.0) × 10^(28) cm^2 s^(-1).

Spectral Properties of He and Heavy Ions in 3He-rich Solar Flares

Using advanced instrumentation on the ACE spacecraft, we have conducted a survey of solar energetic particle spectra in ^3He-rich events over a broad energy range ~80 keV nucleon^(-1) to 15 MeV nucleon^(-1) during the period 1997 September-2001 March. The spectra of ^4He and heavy ions (C, N, O, Ne, Mg, Si, S, Ca, Fe) were generally similar over this range but often hardened below ~1 MeV nucleon^(-1). In most of the events there was even stronger hardening of the ^3He spectrum below ~1 MeV nucleon^(-1), leading to an energy-dependent ^3He : ^4He ratio. These observations point to unique and distinct properties of ^3He in these events and place new constraints on models that seek to explain enhancements of ^3He and heavy ions using the same mechanisms. In addition to the events with spectra in the form of power laws or double power laws, there is a second class of event in which the low-energy ^3He and Fe spectra are rounded, while the ^4He remains a power law. In these cases ^3He and Fe spectra can be fitted at low energies by a stochastic acceleration model, but this model does not explain the higher energy portions of these spectra, nor the power-law spectral forms of the ^4He. These observations appear to require an additional mechanism, such as acceleration by cascading MHD turbulence. The ^3He enrichment pattern that we observe suggests that all these different spectral features might be due to processes with a common origin but then followed by different acceleration histories.

New observations of heavy-ion-rich solar particle events from ACE

Following launch of the Advanced Composition Explorer in August 1997, the Solar Isotope Spectrometer measured the composition of nine solar energetic particle events. We have used isotopic measurements of Ne to determine the degree of charge-to-mass-dependent fractionation and infer the charge states of C-Ni in the four most heavy-ion-rich of the nine events. The results indicate a source temperature of ∼4×10^6 K; this and the measured abundances suggest that these four events are more characteristic of impulsive events than gradual. Although the ^3He/^4He ratios are not enhanced to the level commonly ascribed to impulsive events, there are sizable enhancements over typical solar wind values measured in three of the events.

CONSTRAINTS ON THE TIME DELAY BETWEEN NUCLEOSYNTHESIS AND COSMIC-RAY ACCELERATION FROM OBSERVATIONS OF 59 Ni AND 59 Co

Measurements of the abundances of cosmic-ray ^(59)Ni and ^(59)Co are reported from the Cosmic-Ray Isotope Spectrometer (CRIS) on the Advanced Composition Explorer. These nuclides form a parent-daughter pair in a radioactive decay which can occur only by electron capture. This decay cannot occur once the nuclei are accelerated to high energies and stripped of their electrons. The CRIS data indicate that the decay of ^(59)Ni to ^(59)Co has occurred, leading to the conclusion that a time longer than the 7.6 × 10^4 yr half-life of ^(59)Ni elapsed before the particles were accelerated. Such long delays indicate the acceleration of old, stellar or interstellar material rather than fresh supernova ejecta. For cosmic-ray source material to have the composition of supernova ejecta would require that these ejecta not undergo significant mixing with normal interstellar gas before ~10^5 yr has elapsed.

EVIDENCE FOR ANOMALOUS COSMIC-RAY HYDROGEN

The High Energy Telescopes on the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft are used to measure the differential energy spectra of hydrogen and other elements. During the period of minimum solar modulation in 1987, changes in the shape of the hydrogen energy spectra are observed. It is shown that these changes are difficult to explain in the framework of current modulation theory, and are consistent with the emergence of an anomalous cosmic ray (ACR) hydrogen component. ACR hydrogen is predicted by the current theories of anomalous cosmic rays, but this is the first evidence that ACR hydrogen is actually present. Several different estimates of the contribution of ACR hydrogen are used to obtain peak fluxes of 0.33 ± 0.12 particles/m2s sr MeV and 0.67 ± 0.18 particles/m2s sr MeV for Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 respectively during the time period 1987/209-313. Using a model developed by Cummings and Stone (1987), we relate these fluxes of ACR hydrogen and the peak fluxes of ACR helium to the relative abundance of hydrogen and helium, n(H I)/n(He I), in the neutral gas flowing into the solar system from the local interstellar medium. For two different choices of parameters, we obtain values of 3 ± 1 and 5 ± 3 for n(H I)/n(He I), which should be compared to the cosmic relative abundance of ~ 10. Our values are consistent with previous results obtained from solar ultraviolet backscatter experiments, and support the hypothesis that hydrogen is substantially ionized in the very local interstellar medium.

COSMIC RAY ORIGIN IN OB ASSOCIATIONS AND PREFERENTIAL ACCELERATION OF REFRACTORY ELEMENTS: EVIDENCE FROM ABUNDANCES OF ELEMENTS 26Fe THROUGH 34Se

We report abundances of elements from _(26)Fe to _(34)Se in the cosmic radiation measured during fifty days of exposure of the Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder (TIGER) balloon-borne instrument. These observations add support to the concept that the bulk of cosmic ray acceleration takes place in OB associations, and they further support cosmic ray acceleration models in which elements present in interstellar grains are accelerated preferentially compared with those found in interstellar gas.

Inferred charge states of high energy solar particles from the solar isotope spectrometer on ACE

The large solar event on November 6, 1997, was enriched in heavy elements (Fe/O ∼ 1) with very hard energy spectra (power law index of −2). There was also a large enrichment in heavier isotopes, suggesting unusually strong charge to mass (Q/M) fractionation (∼(Q/M)^(−7)). Assuming that the fractionation is dominated by Q/M and first ionization potential (FIP) related processes, we have inferred the charge states of twelve elements with energies of 12–60 MeV/nucleon. These results suggest a source temperature of 3–6 × 10^6K, significantly higher than deduced at lower energies.