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Register a new userSolar and Galactic Cosmic Rays observed by SOHO
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Both the Cosmic Ray Flux (CRF) and Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs) have left an imprint on SOHO technical systems. While the solar array efficiency degraded irreversibly down to ~77% of its original level over roughly 1 1/2 solar cycles, Single Event Upsets (SEUs) in the solid state recorder (SSR) have been reversed by the memory protection mechanism. We compare the daily CRF observed by the Oulu station with the daily SOHO SEU rate and with the Degradation curve of the solar arrays. The Oulu CRF and the SOHO SSR SEU rate are both modulated by the solar cycle and are highly correlated, except for sharp spikes in the SEU rate, caused by isolated SEP events, which also show up as discontinuities in the otherwise slowly decreasing solar ray efficiency. This allows to discriminate between effects with solar and non-solar origin and to compare the relative strength of both. We find that during solar cycle 23 (1996 Apr 1 -- 2008 Aug 31) only 6% of the total number of SSR SEUs were caused by SEPs; the remaining 94% were due to galactic cosmic rays. During the maximum period of cycle 23 (2000 Jan 1 -- 2003 Dec 31), the SEP contribution increased to 22%, and during 2001, the year with the highest SEP rate, to 30%. About 40% of the total solar array degradation during the 17 years from Jan 1996 through Feb 2013 can be attributed to proton events, i.e. the effect of a series of short-lived, violent SEP events is comparable to the cycle-integrated damage by cosmic rays.
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The core mission of the IceCube Neutrino observatory is to study the origin and propagation of cosmic rays. IceCube, with its surface component IceTop, observes multiple signatures to accomplish this mission. Most important are the astrophysical neutrinos that are produced in interactions of cosmic rays, close to their sources and in interstellar space. IceCube is the first instrument that measures the properties of this astrophysical neutrino flux, and constrains its origin. In addition, the spectrum, composition and anisotropy of the local cosmic-ray flux are obtained from measurements of atmospheric muons and showers. Here we provide an overview of recent findings from the analysis of IceCube data, and their implications on our understanding of cosmic rays.
We perform a time-dependent ionization analysis to constrain plasma heating requirements during a fast partial halo coronal mass ejection (CME) observed on 2000 June 28 by the Ultraviolet Coronagraph Spectrometer (UVCS) aboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). We use two methods to derive densities from the UVCS measurements, including a density sensitive O V line ratio at 1213.85 and 1218.35 Angstroms, and radiative pumping of the O VI 1032,1038 doublet by chromospheric emission lines. The most strongly constrained feature shows cumulative plasma heating comparable to or greater than the kinetic energy, while features observed earlier during the event show cumulative plasma heating of order or less than the kinetic energy. SOHO Michelson Doppler Imager (MDI) observations are used to estimate the active region magnetic energy. We consider candidate plasma heating mechanisms and provide constraints when possible. Because this CME was associated with a relatively weak flare, the contribution by flare energy (e.g., through thermal conduction or energetic particles) is probably small; however, the flare may have been partially behind the limb. Wave heating by photospheric motions requires heating rates significantly larger than those previously inferred for coronal holes, but the eruption itself could drive waves which heat the plasma. Heating by small-scale reconnection in the flux rope or by the CME current sheet is not significantly constrained. UVCS line widths suggest that turbulence must be replenished continually and dissipated on time scales shorter than the propagation time in order to be an intermediate step in CME heating.
From the analysis of the flux of high energy particles, $E>3cdot 10^{18}eV$, it is shown that the distribution of the power density of extragalactic rays over energy is of the power law, ${bar q}(E)propto E^{-2.7}$, with the same index of $2.7$ that has the distribution of Galactic cosmic rays before so called knee, $E<3cdot 10^{15}eV$. However, the average power of extragalactic sources, which is of ${cal E}simeq 10^{43}erg ,s^{-1}$, at least two orders exceeds the power emitted by the Galaxy in cosmic rays, assuming that the density of galaxies is estimated as $N_gsimeq 1 Mpc^{-3}$. Considering that such power can be provided by relativistic jets from active galactic nuclei with the power ${cal E}simeq 10^{45} - 10^{46} erg , s^{-1}$, we estimate the density of extragalactic sources of cosmic rays as $N_gsimeq 10^{-2}-10^{-3}, Mpc^{-3}$. Assuming the same nature of Galactic and extragalactic rays, we conclude that the Galactic rays were produced by a relativistic jet emitted from the Galactic center during the period of its activity in the past. The remnants of a bipolar jet are now observed in the form of bubbles of relativistic gas above and below the Galactic plane. The break, observed in the spectrum of Galactic rays (knee), is explained by fast escape of energetic particle, $E>3cdot 10^{15}eV$, from the Galaxy because of the dependence of the coefficient of diffusion of cosmic rays on energy, $Dpropto E^{0.7}$. The obtained index of the density distribution of particles over energy, $N(E)propto E^{-2.7-0.7/2}=E^{-3.05}$, for $E>3cdot 10^{15}eV$ agrees well with the observed one, $N(E)propto E^{-3.1}$. Estimated time of termination of the jet in the Galaxy is $4.2cdot 10^{4}$ years ago.
During its sungrazing perihelion passage, comet ISON appeared in the field of view of the SUMER spectrometer and allowed unique observations at far-ultraviolet wavelengths with high spatial and temporal resolution. We report results of these observations completed on November 28, 2013, when the comet was only 2.82 R_Sun away from the Sun. Our data show the arrow-shaped dust tail in Ly-$alpha$ emission trailing behind the predicted position of the nucleus, but offset from the trajectory. We interpret the emission as sunlight that is scattered at micron-sized dust particles. We modeled the dust emission and dynamics to reproduce the appearance of the tail. We were unable to detect any signature of cometary gas or plasma around the expected position of the nucleus and conclude that the outgassing processes must have stopped before the observation started. Moreover, the model we used to reproduce the observed dust tail needs a sharp fall-off of the dust production hours before perihelion transit. We compare the radiances of the disk and the dust tail for an estimate of the dust column density and tail mass.
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