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Relativistic solar protons
Author(s) -
Duggal S. P.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
reviews of geophysics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 8.087
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1944-9208
pISSN - 8755-1209
DOI - 10.1029/rg013i003p01084
Subject(s) - solar flare , physics , solar energetic particles , astrophysics , sunspot , flare , coronal mass ejection , solar physics , cosmic ray , solar minimum , astronomy , solar maximum , particle acceleration , acceleration , solar cycle , solar wind , nuclear physics , plasma , magnetic field , classical mechanics , quantum mechanics
This review attempts to summarize work by U.S. scientists, published during the period from 1971 to 1974, on various aspects of high‐energy solar protons associated with solar flares. In contrast with low‐energy particles, acceleration to higher energies is a rare phenomenon that occurs in discrete explosive events associated with solar disturbances [ Van Hollebeke et al. , 1974; Pomerantz and Duggal , 1974 b ]. Since the start of systematic and continuous observations in 1936, 25 ground level enhancements (GLE) representing the arrival of relativistic protons have been recorded [ Pomerantz and Duggal , 1974 b ]. Although the attribution of each of the observed intensity enhancements to a specific solar flare has been relatively straightforward, contrary to earlier ideas no plausible correlation with the general level of solar activity has been established except for the obvious consequence of the fact that flares are rare at sunspot minimum.