Solar source of energetic particles in interplanetary space during the 2006 December 13 event

An X3.4 solar flare and a fast halo coronal mass ejection (CME) occurred on 2006 December 13, accompanied by a high flux of energetic particles recorded both in near-Earth space and at ground level. Our purpose is to provide evidence of flare acceleration in a major solar energetic particle (SEP) event. We first present observations from ACE/EPAM, GOES, and the Apatity neutron monitor. It is found that the initial particle release time coincides with the flare emission and that the spectrum becomes softer and the anisotropy becomes weaker during particle injection, indicating that the acceleration source changes from a confined coronal site to a widespread interplanetary CME-driven shock. We then describe a comprehensive study of the associated flare active region. By use of imaging data from HINODE/SOT and SOHO/MDI magnetogram, we infer the flare magnetic reconnection rate in the form of the magnetic flux change rate. This correlates in time with the microwave emission, indicating a physical link between the flare magnetic reconnection and the acceleration of nonthermal particles. Combining radio spectrograph data from Huairou/NOAC, Culgoora/IPS, Learmonth/RSTN, and WAVES/WIND leads to a continuous and longlasting radio burst extending from a few GHz down to several kHz. Based on the photospheric vector magnetogram from Huairou/NOAC and the nonlinear force free field (NFFF) reconstruction method, we derive the 3D magnetic field configuration shortly after the eruption. Furthermore, we also compute coronal field lines extending to a few solar radii using a potential-field source-surface (PFSS) model. Both the so-called type III-l burst and the magnetic field configuration suggest that open-field lines extend from the flare active region into interplanetary space, allowing the accelerated and charged particles escape.

Flare magnetic reconnection and relativistic particles in the 2003 October 28 event

An X17.2 solar flare occurred on 2003 October 28, accompanied by multi-wavelength emissions and a high flux of relativistic particles observed at 1AU. We present the analytic results of the TRACE, SOHO, RHESSI, ACE, GOES, hard X-ray (INTEGRAL satellite), radio (Onderejov radio telescope), and neutron monitor data. It is found that the inferred magnetic reconnection electric field correlates well with the hard X-ray, gamma-ray, and neutron emission at the Sun. Thus the flares magnetic reconnection probably makes a crucial contribution to the prompt relativistic particles, which could be detected at 1 AU. Since the neutrons were emitted a few minutes before the injection of protons and electrons, we propose a magnetic-field evolution configuration to explain this delay. We do not exclude the effect of CME-driven shock, which probably plays an important role in the delayed gradual phase of solar energetic particles.