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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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NASA NTRS2016

Probability Estimates of Solar Proton Doses During Periods of Low Sunspot Number for Short Duration Missions

In an earlier paper presented at ICES in 2015, we investigated solar particle event (SPE) radiation exposures (absorbed dose) to small, thinly-shielded spacecraft during a period when the monthly smoothed sunspot number (SSN) was less than 30. Although such months are generally considered "solar-quiet", SPEs observed during these months even include Ground Level Events, the most energetic type of SPE. In this paper, we add to previous study those SPEs that occurred in 1973-2015 when the SSN was greater than 30 but less than 50. Based on the observable energy range of the solar protons, we classify the event as GLEs, sub-GLEs, and sub-sub-GLEs, all of which are potential contributors to the radiation hazard. We use the spectra of these events to construct a probabilistic model of the absorbed dose due to solar protons when SSN < 50 at various confidence levels for various depths of shielding and for various mission durations. We provide plots and tables of solar proton-induced absorbed dose as functions of confidence level, shielding thickness, and mission-duration that will be useful to system designers.

Atwell, William↗
NASA NTRS2004

Model for Solar Proton Risk Assessment

A statistical model for cumulative solar proton event fluences and for worst-case flux during space missions is presented. New features include the solar minimum time period and proton energy spectra that extend to higher energies.

Xapsos, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS2000

The Effect of Solar Proton Events on Ozone and Other Constituents

Solar proton events (SPEs) can cause changes in constituents in the Earth's middle atmosphere. The highly energetic protons cause ionizations, excitations, dissociations, and dissociative ionizations of the background constituents. Complicated ion chemistry leads to HO(x) production and dissociation of N2 leads to NO(y) production. Both the HO(x) and NO(y) increases can result in changes to ozone in the stratosphere and mesosphere. The HO(x) increases lead to short-lived ozone decreases in the mesosphere and upper stratosphere due to the short lifetimes of the HO(x) constituents. The NO(y) increases lead to long-lived stratospheric ozone changes because of the long lifetime of NO(y) constituents in this region. The NO(y) induced ozone changes are generally decreases, however, the NO(y) constituents can interfere with chlorine and bromine radicals in the lowest part of the stratosphere and cause ozone increases. Temperature changes have been predicted to occur as a result of the larger SPEs. Eleven SPEs have caused measurable atmospheric variations since 1969. Neutral wind variations were measured shortly after the July 1982 and April 1984 SPEs. The recent July 2000 SPE caused NO(x) increases that lasted for two months past the event. The two periods of largest SPEs (August 1972 and October 1989) caused ozone decreases that lasted for several weeks past the events.

Jackman, Charles H.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Model for Solar Proton Risk Assessment

A statistical model for cumulative solar proton event fluences during space missions is presented that covers both the solar minimum and solar maximum phases of the solar cycle. It is based on data from the IMP and GOES series of satellites that is integrated together to allow the best features of each data set to be taken advantage of. This allows fluence-energy spectra to be extended out to energies of 327 MeV.

Xapos, M. A.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Center-to-limb variation of the peak flux spectra of type IV radio bursts associated with solar proton flares.

Type IV radio bursts with wide band from microwave to metric-wave frequency are generally associated with solar proton flares. Recently, Castelli et al. (1967, 1968) have shown that the type IV radio bursts associated with solar proton flares show the U-shaped peak flux spectra with the minimum flux at decimetric frequencies. In this paper, the center-to-limb variation of such peak flux spectra is investigated in order to examine the effect of decrease of the peak flux at metric frequencies with increase of the angular distance from the central meridian of the sun. It is shown that the U-shaped spectra are obtained independent of the position of proton flares, although the spectral form changes significantly in the case of the flares near the limb. It is further suggested that the U-shaped spectra consist of the two essentially independent components for microwave and metric-wave frequencies, respectively.

Sakurai, K.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Periodicities in the occurrence rate of solar proton events

Power spectral analyses of the time series of solar proton events during the past three solar cycles reveal a periodicity around 154 days. This feature is prominent in all of the cycles combined, cycles 19 and 21 individually, but is only weak in cycle 20. These results are consistent with the presence of similar periodicities between 152 and 155 days in the occurrence rate of major solar flares, the sunspot blocking function (Ps), the 10.7 cm radio flux (F10.7), and the sunspot number (Rz). This suggests that the circa 154-days periodicity may be a fundamental characteristic of the sun. Periods around 50-52 days are also found in the combined data set and in the three individual cycles, in general agreement with the detection of this periodicity in major flares in cycle 19, and in Ps, F10.7, and Rz in cycle 21. The cause of the 155 day period remains unknown. The spectra contain lines (or show power at frequencies) consistent with a model in which the periodicity is caused by differential rotation of active zones and a model in which it is related to beat frequencies between solar oscillations, as proposed by Wolff (1974, 1983).

Gabriel, S.↗