Javier Rodriguez-Pacheco

CIRCUMSOLAR ENERGETIC PARTICLE DISTRIBUTION ON 2011 NOVEMBER 3

Late on 2011 November 3, STEREO-A, STEREO-B, MESSENGER, and near-Earth spacecraft observed an energetic particle flux enhancement. Based on the analysis of in situ plasma and particle observations, their correlation with remote sensing observations, and an interplanetary transport model, we conclude that the particle increases observed at multiple locations had a common single-source active region and the energetic particles filled a very broad region around the Sun. The active region was located at the solar backside (as seen from Earth) and was the source of a large flare, a fast and wide coronal mass ejection, and an EIT wave, accompanied by type II and type III radio emission. In contrast to previous solar energetic particle events showing broad longitudinal spread, this event showed clear particle anisotropies at three widely separated observation points at 1 AU, suggesting direct particle injection close to the magnetic footpoint of each spacecraft, lasting for several hours. We discuss these observations and the possible scenarios explaining the extremely broad particle spread for this event.

Detector system for low-energy cosmic ions study

Abstract A low-energy cosmic ion detector system composed of a telescope and its amplification electronics has been designed and constructed. The detector system is able to detect ions from hydrogen to iron in the energy range of 1–50 MeV/nucleon. The amplification electronics has been designed using space components so that its weight, dimensions and power consumption would be small enough to allow the telescope to be used for cosmic ion detection in space aboard a satellite. The system was calibrated in a heavy ion accelerator, and the results show good charge and mass discrimination for the registered ions as well as a good response from the amplification electronics.

Charge systematic errors associated with identification methods for heavy-ion ΔE–E telescopes

Abstract The contribution of identification methods to charge systematic errors for heavy-ion Δ E – E multidetector telescopes is studied. In this context, a new identification method is presented in two versions: the first uses one Δ E value and second uses all Δ E data for each event. A Monte Carlo simulation of the response of a solid-state telescope to an isotropic flux of heavy ions is used to test the systematic errors induced by this method and by the Seamster and range methods.

Energetic-particle-flux decreases related to magnetic cloud passages as observed by the Helios 1 and 2 spacecraft

It has been observed that a magnetic cloud (MC) can affect the propagation conditions of solar energetic particles and low-energy cosmic rays. This effect is commonly observed as a decrease in the energetic-particle fluxes, which are partially excluded from the interior of the cloud. The twin spacecraft Helios 1 and Helios 2 explored the inner heliosphere between 0.29 AU and 1 AU from the mid 1970s to early 1980s. The E6 Experiment onboard Helios is the energetic-particle detector able to measure electrons, protons and alphas in the range of 300 keV/n to >50 MeV/n. It has been shown previously that, in absence of strong solar-particle events, the single detector rates of the E6 anti-coincidence and saphire Cherenkov detectors are sensitive to cosmic rays with rigidities above GV. Because their statistical precision is in the order of hundreds of counts per second, both detectors are very well suited for studying the short-term decreases observed in their count rates during magnetic cloud passages. A total of 35 magnetic clouds have been identified at the Helios locations. Nineteen of them were free of solar energetic-particle contamination. This subset led us to investigate the effect of magnetic clouds on the galactic cosmic ray (GCR) flux. The depth of the decreases are studied in terms of the solar wind and magnetic field properties of the magnetic cloud. We found dependences with the MC magnetic field strength, magnetic rigidity and with the MC time of flight, with the latter supporting the idea of magnetically closed MCs, i.e. with the two legs rooted in the Sun. We also studied MC properties and found evidence of MC expansion during its journey through the inner heliosphere.

Evidence of Magnetic Flux Ropes in the Solar Wind From Sigmoidal and non-Sigmoidal Active Regions

We have examined WIND magnetic field and plasma data during the first half of 1998 in order to find encounters of this spacecraft with magnetic clouds. From the events obtained through this search, we have selected four of them taking into account their solar origin. The four magnetic clouds are related to halo or partial halo CMEs, but the morphology of the active region before the eruption is sigmoidal for three of them and non-sigmoidal for the other one. We have analyzed these events in the solar wind by fitting the experimental data to a non-force-free flux-rope model. We conclude that both kinds of active regions develop in the solar wind an ejection with a flux-rope topology.

Low‐energy (<1.6 MeV) particle counting rates and solar magnetic activity: A study of the 1980 anomaly

We present a study of the relation between the solar magnetic activity (centered in sunspots, flares types N and B, and long-duration X class flares) and the counting rates of particles in interplanetary space with energies below 1.6 MeV obtained from the Low-Energy Proton Experiment (DFH-EPAS) onboard International Sun-Earth Explorer spacecraft, during the period 1978–1982. Our study shows that the particle counting rates are neither correlated with sunspots number nor with flares type N, but they are correlated with flares type B and mainly with long-duration X class flares. The origin of the low counting rates of particles detected during the years 1979–1980 is investigated as well. The disappearance of the strongest interplanetary shocks during that period can explain this phenomenon, at least within the energy range studied. The absence of any anomalous behavior in the flares type B and in the long-duration X class flares during this period suggests that this shock behavior can be produced by anomalous conditions of the interplanetary magnetic field during the Suns polar magnetic field reversal.

A year of operation of Melibea e-Callisto Solar Radio Telescope

The e-CALLISTO (Compound Astronomical Low-cost Low-frequency Instrument for Spectroscopy and Transportable Observatory) is a worldwide radio-spectrograph network with 24 hours a day solar radio burst monitoring. The e-CALLISTO network is led by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ Zurich), which work up collaborations with local host institutions. In 2013 the University of Alcala joined the e-CALLISTO network with the installation of two Solar Radio Telescopes (SRT): the EA4RKU-SRT that was located at the University of Alcala from January 2013 till June 2013 and the Melibea-SRT that is located at Peralejos de las Truchas (Guadalajara) in operation from June 2013. The Spanish e-Callisto SRTs provide routine data to the network. We present examples of type III and type II radio-bursts observed by Melibea during its first year of operation and study their relation with soft X-ray flares observed by GOES and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) and Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) events observed by space-borne instrumentation.

Charge state behaviour of projectiles under an acceleration mechanism in a hot plasma

Abstract We have studied the ionization states of most ions in solar flares when a stochastic acceleration mechanism is present. Calculations using a computer code (ESCAPE) designed to find the charge states of heavy and light ions under stochastic acceleration have shown an energy dependence on the ionization states, stronger for heavy ions. Moreover the charge states depend on source parameters as density or temperature, but if an acceleration mechanism is taken into account in impulsive solar energetic particles events, the same source temperature may not be inferred for all the ions.

Low-cost programmable pulse generator for particle telescope calibration☆

Abstract In this paper we present a new calibration system for particle telescopes including multipulse generator and digital controller. The calibration system generates synchronized pulses of variable height for every detector channel on the telescope. The control system is based on a commercial microcontroller linked to a personal computer through an RS-232 bidirectional line. The aim of the device is to perform laboratory calibration of multi-detector telescopes prior to calibration at accelerator. This task includes evaluation of linearity and resolution of each detector channel, as well as coincidence logic. The heights of the pulses sent to the detectors are obtained by Monte Carlo simulation of telescope response to a particle flux of any desired geometry and composition.

AN INTERPRETATION OF GLE71 CONCURRENT CME-DRIVEN SHOCK WAVE

Particle accelerations in solar flares and CME-driven shocks can sometimes result in very high-energy particle events (>= 1 GeV) that are known as ground level enhancements (GLEs). Recent studies on the first GLE event (GLE71 2012 May 17 01:50 UT) of solar cycle 24 suggested that CME-driven shock played a leading role in causing the event. To verify this claim, we have made an effort to interpret the GLE71 concurrent shock wave. For this, we have deduced the possible speed and height of the shock wave in terms of the frequency (MHz) of the solar radio type II burst and its drift rate (MHz min(-1)), and studied the temporal evolution of the particle intensity profiles at different heights of the solar corona. For a better perception of the particle acceleration in the shock, we have studied the solar radio type II burst with concurrent solar radio and electron fluxes. When the particle intensity profiles are necessarily shifted in time at similar to 1 AU, it is found that the growth phases of the electron and cosmic ray intensity fluxes are strongly correlated (>0.91; >= 0.87) with the frequency drift rate of the type II burst, which is also consistent with the intensive particle accelerations at upper coronal heights (similar to >= 0.80 R-S < 1.10 R-S). Thus, we conclude that the CME-driven shock was possibly capable of producing the high-energy particle event. However, since the peaks of some flare components are found to be strongly associated with the fundamental phase of the type II burst, the preceding flare is supposed to contribute to the shock acceleration process.