THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOLAR FLARE GAMMA-RAY EMISSION AND NEUTRON PRODUCTION

We have examined six solar neutron events measured by satellite instruments and/or neutron monitors (NM) to understand the relationship between the intensity–time profiles of the -ray lines, the pion-related -rays, and the neutron production. In all six events the solar neutron production was clearly time-extended. We find that neutron emission as detected by NMs most closely follows the emission of pion-related -rays, whereas lower energy neutron production may follow that of nuclear -ray line emissions. Although this distinction is not unexpected, it is safe to say that the 2.223 MeV -ray line from neutron capture on hydrogen is a poor measure of the neutron production at energies >200 MeV. During the three events on 1982, June 3, 1990, May 24 and 1991, June 4 solar neutrons with energies greater than 200 MeV were recorded by NMs. The NM increases on 1982, June 3 and 1990, May 24 can be modeled using the time profile of the pion-related -rays. For the 1991, June 4 event the NM signal was small but lasted for 60 min and the high-energy -ray data available to us are insufficient to conclude unambiguously that the high-energy neutron production followed the pion-related -rays. In the other three events on 1991, June 9, 11, and 15 solar neutrons with energies 10–100 MeV were observed by the COMPTEL -ray instrument on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. The duration of the low-energy neutron production on 1991, June 9 corresponded clearly to the high-energy and not to the low-energy -ray emission.     

Detemination of the ring current radii from cosmic ray neutron monitor data for the 17 December 1971 magnetic storm

Variations of the cosmic ray cut-off rigidities have been observed at mid latitudes during the magnetic storm period 16–18 December 1971. In the present paper the cut-off changes over Europe are determined on an hourly basis from the registrations of 10 European neutron monitor stations. As a first order approximation it is assumed that the observed cut-off variations originate from a spherical current sheet concentric with the Earth and with a current density proportional to the cosine of the geomagnetic latitude. Applying results obtained by Treiman (1953), the radii of the current sphere can then be deduced from the dependences of the relative cut-off rigidity variations on geomagnetic latitude. The sphere is found to be located between 4 and 6 Earth radii during the main phase of the magnetic storm on 17 December 1971. A comparison of these results with in situ measurements carried out in the equatorial plane by Explorer 45 shows good agreement.     

Optimization of lunar occultations for determining the positions of point-like X-ray sources

In view of the scheduled satellite mission EXOSAT (European X-Ray Observatory Satellite) of ESA (European Space Agency) the lunar occultation technique to determine the position of point-like X-ray sources is investigated. An error analysis for the source coordinates resulting from this technique is presented and an occultation strategy is proposed to achieve optimum lunar occultations. The analysis takes into account the errors of the space coordinates of the satellite and the Moon, the unevenness of the lunar surface, the intensities of source and background, the apparent angular velocity of the Moon as seen from the satellite, the finite sizes of the preoccultation position error boxes of the X-ray sources and the inaccuracies in the satellite orbit correction manoeuvres necessary to achieve the occultations.     

Solar Proton Rigidity Spectra From 1 to 10 gv of Selected Flare Events Since 1960

We have deduced the power-law rigidity spectra, J(P)=AP ^–, and the spectral evolution of the solar flare events that occurred in the present solar activity cycle on 6 November 1997, 14 July 2000, and 15 and 18 April 2001. The implications of these results for the acceleration of high-energy protons are discussed. The analysis is based on the ratios of the Mt. Washington to the Durham neutron monitor count-rate increases during the solar flare events. These two neutron monitors are located at different elevations (828 and 1030 g cm^–2, respectively) but at approximately the same geographical latitude and longitude. The proton spectra from 1 to 10 GV determined from the ratios of the count rate increases of the two neutron monitors are found to agree with those deduced from the global neutron monitor network or selected neutron monitors in 10 solar flare events from 1960 to 1990 for which comparative results are available. Thus the ratio method is quick, easy and reliable for deducing the spectral shape of solar flare protons at neutron monitor rigidities and for obtaining the spectral evolution as a function of time.