Expansion pattern of helium-enriched shells associated with solar flares

Journal Article · Sat Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1973 · Nature (London) Phys. Sci., v. 246, no. 153, pp. 72-73

OSTI ID:4316966

Sakurai, K; Chao, J K

ABS>It is known that shock waves and post-shock plasmas are sometimes released from solar flares, and He-enriched shells have recently been observed in these post-shock plasmas. These shells seem to have been ejected by the flares from regions deep in the solar atmosphere, and since they always follow shock waves at the Earth's orbit their ejection is probably closely related to the expansion of magnetic bottles over the flare region. Consideration is here given to the dependence of the thickness of the He-enriched shells on the longitudinal position of parent flares, and the large scale configuration of the expanding shell in interplanetary space. It is found that the shell thickness becomes greater as the flare position moves westward from the east limb of the solar disk, and it appears that, after ejection from the Sun, the shells tend to expand eastwards of the meridian plane across the flare region. This tendency is consistent with results for the propagation of shock waves in interplanetary space. A model is proposed for the expansion pattern of both shock waves and He- enriched shells. It seems that both expand anisotropically in interplanetary space. (UK)

• Research Organization: Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
• NSA Number: NSA-29-022018
• OSTI ID: 4316966
• Journal Information: Nature (London) Phys. Sci., v. 246, no. 153, pp. 72-73, Journal Name: Nature (London) Phys. Sci., v. 246, no. 153, pp. 72-73; ISSN NPSCA
• Country of Publication: United Kingdom
• Language: English

Related Subjects

*HELIUM-- SOLAR FLARES
*SOLAR FLARES-- SHOCK WAVES
EXPANSION
INTERPLANETARY SPACE
N56400* --Physics (Astrophysics & Cosmology)--Solar Phenomena
WAVE PROPAGATION