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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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At least 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1988

Solar flare protons and alpha particles during the last three solar cycles

This paper presents solar-flare-associated proton and alpha-particle fluxes determined for major events from October 1972 through March 1987 (the period that represents the last part of solar cycle 20 and the whole of solar cycle 21), using data obtained by detectors on board the IMP-7 and IMP-8 satellites, along with earlier obtained data for cycle 20. It was found that the average omnidirectional flux of protons with kinetic energy above 10 MeV for cycle 21 (64/sq cm per sec) is lower than the corresponding number for cycle 20 (92/sq cm per sec) and for the cycle 19 (378/sq cm per sec). No definitive correlation was found to exist between cycle-averaged solar flare proton fluxes and peak sunspot numbers.

Goswami, J. N.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Ionic charge distributions of energetic particles from solar flares

The effects which solar flare X-rays have on the charge states of solar cosmic rays is determined quantitatively. Rather than to characterize the charge distribution by temperature alone, it is proposed that the X-ray flux at the acceleration site also is used. The effects of flare X-rays are modeled mathematically.

Mullan, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1984

A high-resolution study of the isotopes of solar flare nuclei

Individual isotopes of the elements He, C, N, O, Ne, and Mg with energies from 5 to 50 MeV per nucleon have been resolved in energetic flare particles during the September 23, 1978 solar flare event. In addition, an earlier determination of Ne-22/Ne-20 in this flare was improved on by extending the energy interval for isotope analysis. A significant difference between the isotopic composition of solar flare and solar wind neon is found, which is compared to similar evidence from studies of solar energetic particles implanted in lunar and meteoritic samples. Although limited by statistics, the measurements of He, C, N, O, and Mg isotopes are consistent with typical isotopic abundances found in other samples of solar system material. The ensemble of these results is used to test for the possibility of mass-dependent fractionation during solar flare acceleration and propagation.

Mewaldt, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Solar flares controlled by helicity conservation

The energy release in a class of solar flares is studied on the assumption that during burst events in highly conducting plasma the magnetic helicity of plasma is approximately conserved. The available energy release under a solar flare controlled by the helicity conservation is shown to be defined by the magnetic structure of the associated prominence. The approach throws light on some solar flare enigmas: the role of the associated prominence. The approach throws light on some solar flare enigmas: the role of the associated prominences; the discontinuation of the reconnection of magnetic lines long before the complete reconnection of participated fields occurs; the existence of quiet prominences which, in spite of their usual optical appearance, do not initiate any flare events; the small energy release under a solar flare in comparison with the stockpile of magnetic energy in surrounding fields. The predicted scale of the energy release is in a fair agreement with observations.

Gliner, Erast B.↗
NASA NTRS1983

A search for H-2, H-3, and He-3 in large solar flares

The results of a new study of solar flare H and He isotopes imply that earlier observations have significantly overestimated the abundances of H-2, H-3, and He-3 in large solar flares. No evidence is found that solar flare nuclei have suffered any significant amount of fragmentation before escaping from the sun.

Mewaldt, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Data-Driven Radiative Hydrodynamic Modeling of the 2014 March 29 X1.0 Solar Flare

Spectroscopic observations of solar flares provide critical diagnostics of the physical conditions in the flaring atmosphere. Some key features in observed spectra have not yet been accounted for in existing flare models. Here we report a data-driven simulation of the well-observed X1.0 flare on 2014 March 29 that can reconcile some well-known spectral discrepancies. We analyzed spectra of the flaring region from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) in Mg II hk, the Interferometric BIdimensional Spectropolarimeter at the Dunn Solar Telescope (DSTIBIS) in H(alpha) 6563A and Ca II 8542A, and the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscope Imager (RHESSI) in hard X-rays. We constructed a multithreaded flare loop model and used the electron flux inferred from RHESSI data as the input to the radiative hydrodynamic code RADYN to simulate the atmospheric response. We then synthesized various chromospheric emission lines and compared them with the IRIS and IBIS observations. In general, the synthetic intensities agree with the observed ones, especially near the northern footpoint of the flare. The simulated Mg II line profile has narrower wings than the observed one. This discrepancy can be reduced by using a higher microturbulent velocity (27 km/s) in a narrow chromospheric layer. In addition, we found that an increase of electron density in the upper chromosphere within a narrow height range of approx. 800 km below the transition region can turn the simulated Mg II line core into emission and thus reproduce the single peaked profile, which is a common feature in all IRIS flares.

Da Costa, Fatima Rubio↗
DOE OSTI2026

Energetic Nonthermal Electrons within the Above-the-looptop Regions in Solar Flares: Acceleration, Feedback, and Quasiperiodic Pulsations

Solar flares are among the most dramatic events in the solar system, releasing substantial magnetic energy and accelerating a large number of electrons to high energies. Notably, in certain events, the above-the-looptop region may contain a significant population of nonthermal electrons, both in number and energy. For the first time, we adopt a novel numerical method that combines magnetohydrodynamics with energetic particles incorporating feedback from nonthermal electrons to investigate electron acceleration and transport in solar flares. We find that a large fraction of energetic electrons are accelerated via the current sheet and termination shock regions. Most energetic electrons are concentrated in the above-the-looptop region, carrying a sizable amount of the released energy. We observe that greater feedback of nonthermal electrons leads to steeper energy spectra. The energy density of the nonthermal electrons oscillates due to the periodic impact of magnetic islands into the above-the-looptop region, which may help explain the observed quasiperiodic pulsations. Our simulations provide new insights into the origin of nonthermal electrons and associated emissions in the above-the-looptop region.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1990

The relationship between energetic particles and flare properties for impulsive solar flares

The impulsive mode of particle acceleration is studied by searching for 0.2-2 MeV electron increases associated with intense type III/V bursts. It is found that the presence of a type III/V burst in association with a relatively intense flare event indicates the acceleration and escape of greater than 100 KeV electrons. A list of type III/V electron events is compiled, showing that the majority included greater than 10 MeV proton increases, although they were not followed by a type II burst. The results suggest that there are two different modes of proton acceleration with the second mode becoming significant only for larger, gradual flares.

Cane, H. V.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Flare heating and ionization of the low solar chromosphere. II - Observations of five solar flares

Two neutral Mg spectral lines formed in the temperature-minimum region and the low chromosphere, at 4571 and 5173 A, are used to quantify the changes in the atmospheric structure as a function of time during five solar flares. Eight proposed flare heating and ionization mechanisms and predictions of the effects of each on the temperature minimum region are discussed. Two Mg spectral observations made at the National Solar Observatory (Sacramento Peak), along with observations of hard and soft X-rays from the SMM and GOES satellites, are compared to the predictions of the eight proposed mechanisms. The initial effects in all five flares are consistent with backwarming by enhanced Balmer- and Paschen-continuum radiation originating in the upper chromosphere. Extended heating observed in two of the flares is most likely due to UV irradiation. In all cases heating by the dissipation of nonreversed electric currents, collisions with an electron or proton beam, irradiation by soft X-rays, and dissipation of Alfven waves are eliminated.

Metcalf, Thomas R.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Observations of transitions of hydrogen-like Fe XXVI in solar flare spectra

Observations of solar flare spectra over the wavelength range 1.769-1.796 A with the Bent Crystal Spectrometer on the NASA Solar Maximum Mission satellite are presented. The 2P3/2, 2P1/2 and associated satellite transitions of Fe XXVI are identified, their intensities and widths estimated and the results compared with theoretical predictions. For two spectra, which include the isolated n = 2 satellite features, the observations can be reproduced by plasma temperatures of 24,000,000 and 28,400,000 K. Linewidth measurements show evidence for nonthermal velocities of up to 150 km/s. Emission measures derived from the Fe XXVI observations are compared with those from lower temperature Ca XIX and Fe XXV measurements and an emission measure decreasing with temperature is found.

Parmar, A. N.↗
NASA NTRS1988

High-energy continuum emission from solar flares

The properties of solar flare continuum emission at energies of greater than 300 keV have been determined from observations obtained during the 21st solar maximum by gamma-ray detectors aboard the SMM and Hinotori satellites. The temporal structure of the high-energy continuum is modeled by two-step acceleration and particle trapping. The results suggest that the very high-energy emission noted must be a mixture of pion-decay radiation and primary electron bremsstrahlung.

Vestrand, W. Thomas↗
NASA NTRS1972

Solar wind helium enhancements following major solar flares

The observations of solar wind helium enhancements following major solar flares are reviewed, and the hypothesis that helium enhancements often mark flare piston plasma is confirmed. Helium enhancements were observed during each of the three periods (March 1966, July 1966, August/September 1966) of major solar activity that occurred from October 1965 to October 1966. No enhancements were seen during the long quiet periods that occurred that year. At 1 AU, the helium-enhanced plasma pistons had slowed so that the velocity was 80 percent of the mean transit velocity, in general agreement with theoretical models of the propagation of flare disturbances. A qualitative model, in which the piston plasma is accelerated from the flare site deep in the corona, is discussed briefly. If the model is valid in general outline, the piston plasmas provide samples of material from the lower levels of the corona.

Hirshberg, J.↗
NASA NTRS1979

The mechanism of temperature and pressure changes in the Earth's atmosphere during solar flares

The effect of solar flares on the weather on Earth is examined. It is concluded that the processes which arise in the atmosphere are so intricate that a single calculation of solar activity is insufficient for long-range forecasting. However, combined consideration of processes dependent upon the dynamic instability of the atmosphere and the effect of solar activity will contribute to the improvement of long-range forecasts.

Reshetov, V. D.↗