Protons from the decay of solar flare neutrons
Abstract
Fluxes of energetic protons in interplanetary space are observed which are interpreted as the decay products of neutrons generated in a solar flare on 1982 June 3 at 11:42 UT. Because of the particular geometry of this event the spectrum of neutrons escaping from the sun can be constructed with great accuracy in the kinetic energy range 10-100 MeV. The resulting spectrum places stringent constraints on the free parameters used in previously published calculations of neutron production in solar flares. An estimate is made of the diffusion mean free path of charged particles in the interplanetary medium in a new way.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- November 1983
- DOI:
- 10.1086/161500
- Bibcode:
- 1983ApJ...274..875E
- Keywords:
-
- Interplanetary Medium;
- Radioactive Decay;
- Solar Corpuscular Radiation;
- Solar Flares;
- Solar Neutrons;
- Astronomical Models;
- Neutron Spectra;
- Solar Physics