Quiet-time properties of low-energy (less than 10 MeV per nucleon) interplanetary ions during solar maximum and solar minimum

Journal Article · Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1990 · Astrophysical Journal; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/185853· OSTI ID:6062342

Richardson, I G; Reames, D V; Wenzel, K P; Rodriguez-Pacheco, J ^[1]

---

1. NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (USA) ESTEC, Noordwijk (Netherlands)

The abundances and spectra of 1-10 MeV per nucleon protons, He-3, He-4, C, O, and Fe have been examined during solar quiet periods from 1978 to 1987 in an effort to investigate the recent suggestion by Wenzel et al. (1990) that the ions may be of solar origin. It is found that the intensities of the ions, other than O, fall by an order of magnitude between solar maximum and solar minimum, and that the greater than 1 MeV per nucleon ions exhibit weak streaming away from the sun. More significantly, the quiet-time ions during solar maximum have He-3-rich and Fe-rich abundances which are established characteristics of small impulsive solar flares. Thus, it is suggested that small unresolved impulsive flares make a substantial contribution to the quiet-time fluxes. He-4 from these flares may also contribute strongly to the ion spectra that were reported for the 35-1600 keV energy range by Wenzel et al. 18 refs.

• OSTI ID: 6062342
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal; (USA), Vol. 363; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
INTERPLANETARY SPACE
IONIC COMPOSITION
IONS
ORIGIN
ACCELERATION
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
ELEMENT ABUNDANCE
MOLECULAR IONS
NUCLEONS
SOLAR FLARES
SOLAR WIND
ABUNDANCE
BARYONS
CHARGED PARTICLES
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
HADRONS
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SPACE
640104* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Solar Phenomena