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Inferred charge states of high energy solar particles from the solar isotope spectrometer on ACE
Author(s) -
Cohen C. M. S.,
Cummings A. C.,
Leske R. A.,
Mewaldt R. A.,
Stone E. C.,
Dougherty B. L.,
Wiedenbeck M. E.,
Christian E. R.,
von Rosenvinge T. T.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/1998gl900218
Subject(s) - physics , isotope , spectral line , ionization , ionization energy , solar energetic particles , charge (physics) , atomic physics , spectrometer , fractionation , nucleon , nuclear physics , astrophysics , chemistry , coronal mass ejection , ion , solar wind , astronomy , plasma , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics
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 6 K, significantly higher than deduced at lower energies.