Arrival of the first relativistic solar protons and conditions in the solar corona

When solar cosmic rays (SCRs) can be observed with ground-based equipment (ground-level enhancements, GLEs), events are often characterized by a rapid increase in the relativistic proton intensity during the initial phase, which makes it possible to estimate the time of particle escape from the solar corona. This phase attracts attention of researchers owing to its closeness in time to the instant of particle acceleration. It is known that the observed SCR characteristics bear traces of many physical processes, including different acceleration mechanisms the relative role of which is still unclear. Flare processes and acceleration by a shock, related to coronal mass ejection (CME), are the main pretenders to the role of SCR accelerator. Several powerful solar proton events during cycle 23 are considered in the work, and the release time of the first particles from the corona and the dynamics of CMEs have been estimated. The time series of the X-ray and radio bursts, close in time to particle escape, are analyzed. The conclusion have been drawn that the first relativistic particles were most probably accelerated during flare processes.     

Regularities in solar high-energy particle fluxes: Experimental data and probabilistic model

The currently available experimental data, among which the series of particle flux measurements on satellites are of crucial importance, have revealed a number of regularities pertaining to solar cosmic rays (SCRs). Based on these regularities, we have developed a probabilistic model of particle fluxes. This model not only provides a basis for determining radiation conditions in space flights and space weather impacts but also allows such situations as the occurrence of extreme SCR events in the quiet-Sun period in 2005–2006 to be predicted.     

Cosmogenic radioisotopes in the Dhajala chondrite: implications to variations of cosmic ray fluxes in the interplanetary space

Activities of a suite of radioisotopes ranging in half-life from 5.6 days (⁵²Mn) to 3.7 m.y. (⁵³Mn) have been measured in the Dhajala chondrite. The results show that all the radioactivities are close to the expected levels except⁵⁴Mn and ²²Na. Their activities are higher than those based on the interplanetary fluxes at 1 A.U. near the ecliptic, expected immediately before the fall of Dhajala, corresponding to the time of solar minimum. Furthermore, activity ratios of ⁵⁴Mn/⁵³Mn and ²²Na/²⁶Al are higher by 30–50% than expected. The departure from the expected values is discussed in terms of spatial variations of cosmic rays based on the computed orbital parameters of the meteoroid. If the galactic cosmic ray fluxes in the equatorial region (±15°) are assumed to be the same as in the ecliptic plane then these results suggest higher fluxes by 33 ± 7% at heliographic latitudes 15–40°S, during solar minimum.     

Verification of magnetic field models based on measurements of solar cosmic ray protons in the magnetosphere

Measurements of solar cosmic ray (SCR) protons in the magnetosphere can be used to verify models of the Earth’s magnetic field. The latitudinal profiles of precipitating SCRs with energies of 1–90 MeV were measured on the CORONAS-F low-orbiting satellite during a strong magnetic storm on October 29–30, 2003. A flux of precipitating protons can remain equal to the interplanetary flux only due to a strong pitch angle diffusion that originates when the radius of the field line curvature is close to that of the particle rotation Larmor radius. The observed boundaries of the strong diffusion region can be compared with the boundaries anticipated according to the models of the magnetic field of the Earth’s magnetosphere. The adiabaticity parameter values, calculated for several instants of the CORONAS-F satellite pass based on the TS05 and parabolic models, do not always correspond to measurements. How possible changes in the model configurations of the magnetic field can allow us to eliminate discrepancies with the experiment and to explain why solar protons with energies of several megaelectronvolts penetrate deep in the Earth’s inner magnetosphere is considered here.     

Dependence of the relativistic electron energy spectra during the magnetic storm recovery phase on the acceleration and loss rates

The dependence of the particle energy spectra on the acceleration and loss rates is studied based on the analytical solutions to the equation for the particle distribution function, taking into account diffusion in the momentum space (stochastic acceleration) and loss (due to particle escape from the acceleration region). The energy spectra and time dynamics of the MeV electron fluxes, observed based on the geostationary satellite data during the prolonged recovery phases of the known magnetic storms of June 11, 1980 and November 3–4, 1993, have been analytically described. The acceleration and loss rates have been estimated for these storms. A comparison is performed with the preciously studied energy spectra of MeV electrons and with the acceleration and loss rates during the recovery phases of the magnetic storms of January 10, 1997, and April 6, 2000.     

Variations in the Fe/O value resulting from changes in the ion energy in flows of accelerated solar particles

Qualitative estimates of the relative iron and oxygen ions (Fe/O) in flows of solar cosmic rays from impulsive and long-duration solar flares are obtained for different ion energy ranges. The Fe/O value serves as a measuring unit for the known FIP effect in the solar atmosphere. It is shown that the FIP effect is most evident (maximum Fe/O values) in impulsive events for ions at energies <2 MeV/n. In long-duration events, the Fe/O value gradually decreases in parallel with ion energy and its maximum values are observable in the area of relatively low energies. The comparison of some flare models provided grounds for a qualitative explanation of the Fe/O behavior in response to changes in ion energies for both classes of solar cosmic ray (SCR) events.     

A new index of solar activity: An index of cosmic ray scintillation

An index of cosmic ray scintillation introduced previously is verified. This procedure has been performed within the scope of the long-term full-scale monitoring of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) in the real time regime. The 5-min data of the global network of high-latitude neutron monitors at Tixie Bay (Apatity) and Oulu (Finland) stations during the last four solar cycles (cycles 20–23), i.e., during the entire period of data registration with a high (5 min) resolution, have been used. The relationship between the amplitude-frequency-time structure of a precursor in the GCR scintillation index and the soliton-like structure of the heliospheric current sheet during the disturbed period has been established. This indicates that the precursor is of a coherent origin. Only the presence of a coherent process—quasi-week variation—makes it fundamentally possible to predict heliospheric storms. Finally, the justifiability of the effective prediction of heliospheric storms (～80%) has been obtained based on the long-term cosmic ray monitoring during cycle 23.     

Cosmic ray modulation during the solar activity growth phase of cycle 24

Recent years allowed us to study long-term variations in the cosmic ray (CR) intensity at an unusually deep solar activity (SA) minimum between cycles 23 and 24 and during the SA growth phase in cycle 24, which was the cycle when SA was the lowest for the epoch of regular ground-based CR observations since 1951. The intensity maximum, the value of which depends on the particle energy, was observed in CR variations during the period of an unusually prolonged SA minimum: the CR density during the aformentioned period (2009) is higher than this density at previous CR maxima in cycles 19–23 for low-energy particles (observed on spacecraft and in the stratosphere) and medium-energy particles (observed with neutron monitors). After 2009 CR modulation at the SA growth phase was much weaker over three years (2010–2012) than during the corresponding SA growth periods in the previous cycles. The possible causes of this anomaly in CR variations, which are related to the CR residual modulation value at a minimum between cycles 23 and 24 and to variations in SA characteristics during this period, were examined. The contribution of different solar magnetic field characteristics and indices, taking into account sporadic solar activity, has been estimated.     

Distribution of extreme solar energetic proton fluxes

The knowledge of the high intensity tails of probability distributions that determine the rate of occurrence of extreme events of solar energetic particles is a critical element in the evaluation of hazards for human and robotic space missions. Here instead of the standard approach based on fitting a selected distribution function to the observed data we investigate a different approach, which is based on a study of the scaling properties of the maximum particle flux in time intervals of increasing length. To find the tail of the probability distributions we apply the “Max-Spectrum” method (Stoev, S.A., Michailidis, G., 2006. On the estimation of the heavy-tail exponent in time series using the Max-Spectrum. Technical Report 447, Department of Statistics, University of Michigan) to 1973–1997 IMP-8 proton data and the 1987–2008 GOES data, which cover a wide range of proton energies. We find that both data sets indicate a power-law tail with the power exponents close to 0.6 at least in the energy range 9–60 MeV. The underlying probability distribution is consistent with the Fréchet type (power-law behavior) extreme value distribution. Since the production of high fluxes of energetic particles is caused by fast Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) this heavy-tailed distribution also means that the Sun generates more fast CMEs than would be expected from a Poissonian-type process.     

Solar cosmic rays: 70 years of ground-based observations

The main data have been summarized, and the results, achieved using data from the worldwide network during the entire period of ground-based observations of solar cosmic rays (SCRs) from February 28, 1942, when they were discovered, have been generalized. The methods and equipment for registering SCRs have been described. The physical, methodical, and applied aspects, related to the SCR generation, as well as the SCR interaction with the solar atmosphere, transport in the IMF, motion in the Earth’s magnetosphere, and the affect on the Earth’s atmosphere, have been discussed. It has been indicated that the fundamental results were achieved in this field of space physics during 70 years of studies. Special attention has been paid to up-to-date models and concepts of ground-level enhancement (GLE). The most promising tendencies in the development and application of this effective method of solar-terrestrial physics have been outlined.     

Two-stage acceleration of solar cosmic rays

On the basis of data from the Radio Solar Telescope Network (RSTN), as well as the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) and the WIND spacecraft, for the period from 1989 to 2006 covering 107 flare events, we investigated the relationship between the intensity of solar cosmic rays and parameters of continuum radio bursts (25?C15400 MHz), as well as type II radio bursts in the meter and decahectometer wavelength ranges. Proton fluxes with energies E _p > 1?100 MeV were calculated with regard to a reduced heliolongitude. The maximum correlation between solar cosmic rays and solar parameters of microwave bursts was 0.80. Its value was no more than 0.40 for the drift rate of type II bursts and 0.70 for the compression rate of coronal shock waves. Based on linear regression equations, we estimated the contribution of coronal shock waves to the acceleration of protons. We found that major acceleration processes occur in the area of burst energy release and complimentary processes occur at the fronts of coronal shock waves. The contribution of the latter to the acceleration process increases significantly with proton energy.     

Extrema of long-term modulation of the cosmic ray intensity in the last five solar cycles

Modulation of galactic cosmic rays in cycles 19–23 of solar activity has been determined based on observations of their long-term variations on the ground and in the near-Earth space. The extreme values of long-term variations in cosmic rays, obtained from the data of continuous cosmic radiation monitoring on the ground and in the near-Earth space in the last five solar cycles, have been analyzed. The results are compared with the extrema in the characteristics of solar magnetic fields and the sunspot numbers in these cycles. The similarities and differences in cosmic ray modulation between different cycles are discussed.     

Influence of the solar wind plasma density on the auroral precipitation characteristics

Based on the DMSP F6 and F7 satellite observations, the characteristics of precipitating particles in different auroral precipitation regions of the dayside sector have been studied depending on the solar wind plasma density. Under quiet geomagnetic conditions (|AL| < 100 nT and B _z > 0), a considerable increase in the fluxes of precipitating ions is observed in the zones of structured auroral oval precipitation (AOP) and soft diffuse precipitation (SDP). A decrease in the mean energy of precipitating ions is observed simultaneously with the flux growth in these regions. The global pattern of variations in the fluxes of precipitating ions, which shows the regions of effective penetration of solar wind particles into the magnetosphere at a change in the solar wind density from 2 to 20 cm^?3, has been constructed. The maximal flux variation (ΔJ _i = 1.8 · 10⁷ cm^?2 s^?1, i.e., 3.5% of an increase in the solar wind particle flux) is observed in the SDP region on the dayside of the Earth. The dependence of precipitating ion fluxes in the low-latitude boundary layer (LLBL), dayside polar cusp, and mantle on the solar wind density at positive and negative values of the IMF B _z component has been studied. In the cusp region, an increase in the precipitating ion flux is approximately 17% of an increase in the solar wind density. The IMF southward turning does not result in an appreciable increase in the ion precipitation fluxes either in the cusp or in the mantle. This fact can indicate that the reconnection of the geomagnetic field with southward IMF is not the most effective mechanism for penetration of solar wind particles into these regions.     

Characteristics of relativistic solar cosmic rays during the event of December 13, 2006

The characteristics of relativistic solar protons have been obtained using the methods of optimization based on the data of ground detectors of cosmic rays during the event of December 13, 2006, which occurred under the conditions of solar activity minimum. The dynamics of relativistic solar protons during the event has been studied. It has been indicated that two populations (components) of particles exist: prompt and delayed (slow). The prompt component with a hard energy spectrum and strong anisotropy manifested itself as a pulse-shaped enhancement at Apatity and Oulu stations, which received particles with small pitch-angles. The delayed component had a wider pitch-angle distribution, as a result of which an enhancement was moderate at Barentsburg station and at most neutron monitors of the worldwide network. The energy spectra obtained from the ground-based observations are in good agreement with the direct measurements of solar protons on balloons and spacecraft.     

Ground level enhancements of solar cosmic rays during the last three solar cycles

The catalog of ground level enhancements of solar cosmic rays during cycles 21—23 of solar activity has been presented. The main properties, time distribution, and relation of these events to solar sources and proton enhancements observed on satellites have been studied.     

Interpretation of the energy spectrum and time dynamics of electron fluxes with energies of 0.8–6.0 MeV in geostationary orbit during the recovery phase of the magnetic storm of April 6, 2000

The electron energy spectrum in the energy range of 0.8–6.0 MeV and the time dynamics of electron fluxes during the prolonged (～10 days) recovery phase of the magnetic storm of April 6, 2000, have been analyzed using the Express-A2 geostationary satellite data. These data have been interpreted based on the analytical solution to the nonstationary equation for the particle distribution function taking into account statistical acceleration and catastrophic particle escape from the acceleration region.     

Peculiarities of the magnetic flux emerging in the equatorial solar zone

The magnetic flux longitudinal distribution in the equatorial solar zone has been studied. The magnetic synoptic maps of the Wilcox Solar Observatory (WSO) during Carrington rotations (CRs) 2052–2068 in 2007 and early 2008 have been analyzed. The longitudinal distributions of the area of the zones where the photospheric magnetic field locally enhanced have been constructed for each CR. The obtained distributions indicate that the zones are located discretely and that a clearly defined one narrow longitudinal interval with the maximum flux is present. The longitudinal position of this maximum shifted discretely by ≈130° at an interval of 5.5 ± 0.5 CRs. A longitudinal shift of the zones with an increased magnetic flux multiple of 60° was observed between the hemispheres. In addition, a time shift of ≈2.5 CRs existed between the instants when the position of maximum fluxes in different hemispheres shifted. The established peculiarities of the magnetic flux longitudinal distribution and time dynamics are interpreted as an action of supergiant convection cells. These actions result in that magnetic fields are removed from the generation region through the channels that are formed between such cells at a longitudinal interval of 120°. The average synodic rotation velocity of the considered equatorial channels, through which the magnetic flux emerges, is 13.43° day^–1.     

The causal sequence investigation of the ring current ion-flux increasing and the magnetotail ion injection during a major storm

Comprehensive records are available in ENA data of ring current activity recorded by the NUADU instrument aboard TC-2 on 15 May, 2005 during a major magnetic storm(which incorporated a series of substorms). Ion fluxes at 4-min temporal resolution derived from ENA data in the energy ranges 50–81 and 81–158 ke V are compared with in situ particle fluxes measured by the LANL-SOPA instruments aboard LANL-01, LANL-02, LANL-97, and LANL-84(a series of geostationary satellites that encircle the equatorial plane at ~6.6 R_E). Also, magnetic fields measured simultaneously by the magetometers aboard GOES-10 and GOES-12(which are also geostationary satellites) are compared with the particle data. It is demonstrated that ion fluxes in the ring current were enhanced during geomagnetic field tailward stretching in the growth phases of substorms rather than after Earthward directed dipolarization events. This observation, which challenges the existing concept that ring current particles are injected Earthward from the magnetotail following dipolarization events, requires further investigation using a large number of magnetic storm events.     

Effect of active processes on alpha particle density in the solar wind

The properties of alpha particle fluxes, the density of which increase under the action of flares and development of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and solar wind structural inhomogeneities, have been studied. The maximal alpha particle density in plasma fine structure volumes reaches 12 cm^?3. The amount of ?? particles is sometimes higher than that of protons. This is explained by the effect of the mechanism by which individual solar wind zones are nonuniformly enriched in helium nuclei when strong flares develop.