Detection of a proton beam during the impulsive phase of a stellar flare

Journal Article · Thu Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1992 · Astrophysical Journal; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/186553· OSTI ID:6819523

Woodgate, B E; Robinson, R D; Carpenter, K G; Maran, S P; Shore, S N ^[1]

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1. NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (United States)

A transient event consistent with the predicted temporal and spectral signatures of an energetic proton beam was detected in the impulsive phase of a small flare on the red dwarf star AU Microscopii. It consisted of a prominent increase in the flux in the red wing of Lyman-alpha near 1223 A, simultaneously with the peak of a flare observed in the 1206 A transition region line of Si III. The probability that the red wing event was a chance fluctuation is one chance in 2.5 x 10 exp 4. This observation represents a confirmation of the prediction by Orrall and Zirker (1976) in which downstreaming protons accelerated during the impulsive phase of a flare charge exchange with ambient neutral hydrogen and emit Lyman-alpha radiation from 1 to 15 A redward of line center. 22 refs.

• OSTI ID: 6819523
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal; (United States), Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal; (United States) Vol. 397:2; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

661300* -- Other Aspects of Physical Science-- (1992-)
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
BEAMS
DATA PROCESSING
DETECTION
DWARF STARS
ELECTRON BEAMS
LEPTON BEAMS
LYMAN LINES
NUCLEON BEAMS
PARTICLE BEAMS
PROCESSING
PROTON BEAMS
RED DWARF STARS
STARS
STELLAR ACTIVITY
STELLAR FLARES