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Register a new userSolar energetic particle access to distant longitudes through turbulent field-line meandering
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Context. Current solar energetic particle (SEP) propagation models describe the effects of interplanetary plasma turbulence on SEPs as diffusion, using a Fokker-Planck (FP) equation. However, FP models cannot explain the observed fast access of SEPs across the average magnetic field to regions that are widely separated in longitude within the heliosphere without using unrealistically strong cross-field diffusion. Aims. We study whether the recently suggested early non-diffusive phase of SEP propagation can explain the wide SEP events with realistic particle transport parameters. Methods. We used a novel model that accounts for the SEP propagation along field lines that meander as a result of plasma turbulence. Such a non-diffusive propagation mode has been shown to dominate the SEP cross-field propagation early in the SEP event history. We compare the new model to the traditional approach, and to SEP observations. Results. Using the new model, we reproduce the observed longitudinal extent of SEP peak fluxes that are characterised by a Gaussian profile with $sigma=30-50^circ$, while current diffusion theory can only explain extents of 11$^circ$ with realistic diffusion coefficients. Our model also reproduces the timing of SEP arrival at distant longitudes, which cannot be explained using the diffusion model. Conclusions. The early onset of SEPs over a wide range of longitudes can be understood as a result of the effects of magnetic field-line random walk in the interplanetary medium and requires an SEP transport model that properly describes the non-diffusive early phase of SEP cross-field propagation.
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Solar Orbiter strives to unveil how the Sun controls and shapes the heliosphere and fills it with energetic particle radiation. To this end, its Energetic Particle Detector (EPD) has now been in operation, providing excellent data, for just over a year. EPD measures suprathermal and energetic particles in the energy range from a few keV up to (near-) relativistic energies (few MeV for electrons and about 500 MeV/nuc for ions). We present an overview of the initial results from the first year of operations and we provide a first assessment of issues and limitations. During this first year of operations of the Solar Orbiter mission, EPD has recorded several particle events at distances between 0.5 and 1 au from the Sun. We present dynamic and time-averaged energy spectra for ions that were measured with a combination of all four EPD sensors, namely: the SupraThermal Electron and Proton sensor (STEP), the Electron Proton Telescope (EPT), the Suprathermal Ion Spectrograph (SIS), and the High-Energy Telescope (HET) as well as the associated energy spectra for electrons measured with STEP and EPT. We illustrate the capabilities of the EPD suite using the 10-11 December 2020 solar particle event. This event showed an enrichment of heavy ions as well as $^3$He, for which we also present dynamic spectra measured with SIS. The high anisotropy of electrons at the onset of the event and its temporal evolution is also shown using data from these sensors. We discuss the ongoing in-flight calibration and a few open instrumental issues using data from the 21 July and the 10-11 December 2020 events and give guidelines and examples for the usage of the EPD data. We explain how spacecraft operations may affect EPD data and we present a list of such time periods in the appendix. A list of the most significant particle enhancements as observed by EPT during this first year is also provided.
Large solar flares and eruptions may influence remote regions through perturbations in the outer-atmospheric magnetic field, leading to causally related events outside of the primary or triggering eruptions that are referred to as sympathetic events. We quantify the occurrence of sympathetic events using the full-disk observations by the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory associated with all flares of GOES class M5 or larger from 01 May 2010 through 31 December 2014. Using a superposed-epoch analysis, we find an increase in the rate of flares, filament eruptions, and substantial sprays and surges more than 20 degrees away from the primary flares within the first four hours at a significance of 1.8 standard deviations. We also find that the rate of distant events drops by two standard deviations, or a factor of 1.2, when comparing intervals between 4 hours and 24 hours before and after the start times of the primary large flares. We discuss the evidence for the concluding hypothesis that the gradual evolution leading to the large flare and the impulsive release of the energy in that flare both contribute to the destabilization of magnetic configurations in distant active regions and quiet-Sun areas. These effects appear to leave distant regions, in an ensemble sense, in a more stable state, so that fewer energetic events happen for at least a day following large energetic events.
Solar energetic particles (SEPs) are one of the extreme space weather phenomena. A huge SEP event increases the radiation dose received by aircrews, who should be warned of such events as early as possible. We developed a warning system for aviation exposure to SEPs. This article describes one component of the system, which calculates the temporal evolution of the SEP intensity and the spectrum immediately outside the terrestrial magnetosphere. To achieve this, we performed numerical simulations of SEP transport in interplanetary space, in which interplanetary SEP transport is described by the focused transport equation. We developed a new simulation code to solve the equation using a set of stochastic differential equations. In the code, the focused transport equation is expressed in a magnetic field line coordinate system, which is a non-orthogonal curvilinear coordinate system. An inverse Gaussian distribution is employed as the injection profile of SEPs at an inner boundary located near the Sun. We applied the simulation to observed SEP events as a validation test. The results show that our simulation can closely reproduce observational data for the temporal evolution of particle intensity. By employing the code, we developed the WArning System for AVIation Exposure to Solar energetic particles (WASAVIES).
Context. The remote observations of solar flare ion acceleration are rather limited. There are theoretical predictions for signatures of ion acceleration in EUV line profiles. Previous tests involve observations of flares with no evidence for energetic ions. Aims. We aim to examine a source flare of impulsive (or 3He-rich) solar energetic particle events with EUV line spectroscopy. Methods. We inspect all (90+) reported 3He-rich flares of previous solar cycle 23 and find only four (recurrent) jets in the field of view of SOHO CDS. The jet with the most suitable spatial and temporal coverage is analyzed in detail. Results. Two enhanced (non-thermal) line broadenings are observed in the cooler chromospheric / transition-region lines and they are localized near the site where the closed magnetic loops reconnect with the open magnetic field lines. Both enhanced broadenings are found in the sites with redshifts in the lines, surrounded by the region with blueshifts. One enhanced line broadening is associated with a small flare without energetic particle signatures while another occurs just after the particle acceleration signatures of the main flare terminated. Conclusions. The observed excess broadening appears to be not directly related to the energetic ion production and motions. Further investigations where the critical impulsive phase of the flare is covered are required, ideally with high-resolution spectrometers intentionally pointed to the 3He-rich solar energetic particle source.
The scenario of twin coronal mass ejections (CMEs), i.e., a fast and wide primary CME (priCME) preceded by previous CMEs (preCMEs), has been found to be favorable to a more efficient particle acceleration in large solar energetic particle (SEP) events. Here, we study 19 events during 2007--2014 associated with twin-CME eruptions but without large SEP observations at L1 point. We combine remote-sensing and in situ observations from multiple spacecraft to investigate the role of magnetic connectivity in SEP detection and the CME information in 3-dimensional (3D) space. We study one-on-one correlations of the priCME 3D speed, flare intensity, suprathermal backgrounds, and height of CME-CME interaction with the SEP intensity. Among these, the priCME speed is found to correlate with the SEP peak intensity at the highest level. We use the projection correlation method to analyze the correlations between combinations of these multiple independent factors and the SEP peak intensity. We find that the only combination of two or more parameters that has higher correlation with the SEP peak intensity than the CME speed is the CME speed combined with the propagation direction. This further supports the dominant role of the priCME in controlling the SEP enhancements, and emphasizes the consideration of the latitudinal effect. Overall, the magnetic connectivity in longitude as well as latitude and the relatively lower priCME speed may explain the existence of the twin-CME SEP-poor events. The role of the barrier effect of preCME(s) is discussed for an event on 2013 October 28.
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