Solar proton fluxes since 1956
The fluxes of protons emitted during solar flares since 1956 were evaluated. The depth-versus-activity profiles of /sup 56/Co in several lunar rocks are consistent with the solar-proton fluxes detected by experiments on several satellites. Only about 20% of the solar-proton-induced activities of /sup 22/Na and /sup 55/Fe in lunar rocks from early Apollo missions were produced by protons emitted from the sun during solar cycle 20 (1965--1975). The depth-versus-activity data for these radionuclides in several lunar rocks were used to determine the fluxes of protons during solar cycle 19 (1954--1964). The average proton fluxes for cycle 19 are about five times those for both the last million years and for cycle 20. These solar-proton flux variations correlate with changes in sunspot activity.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 7218514
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-77-909; CONF-770322-4
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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