On a solar origin for the cosmogenic nuclide event of 775 A.D
- Space Vehicles Directorate, Air Force Research Laboratory, Sunspot, NM 88349 (United States)
- Code 672, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)
- Praxis, Inc., Alexandria, VA 22303 (United States)
- Atmospheric Environmental Research, 3550 Aberdeen Ave., Kirtland AFB, NM 87117 (United States)
We explore requirements for a solar particle event (SPE) and flare capable of producing the cosmogenic nuclide event of 775 A.D., and review solar circumstances at that time. A solar source for 775 would require a >1 GV spectrum ∼45 times stronger than that of the intense high-energy SPE of 1956 February 23. This implies a >30 MeV proton fluence (F {sub 30}) of ∼8 × 10{sup 10} proton cm{sup –2}, ∼10 times larger than that of the strongest 3 month interval of SPE activity in the modern era. This inferred F {sub 30} value for the 775 SPE is inconsistent with the occurrence probability distribution for >30 MeV solar proton events. The best guess value for the soft X-ray classification (total energy) of an associated flare is ∼X230 (∼9 × 10{sup 33} erg). For comparison, the flares on 2003 November 4 and 1859 September 1 had observed/inferred values of ∼X35 (∼10{sup 33} erg) and ∼X45 (∼2 × 10{sup 33} erg), respectively. The estimated size of the source active region for a ∼10{sup 34} erg flare is ∼2.5 times that of the largest region yet recorded. The 775 event occurred during a period of relatively low solar activity, with a peak smoothed amplitude about half that of the second half of the 20th century. The ∼1945-1995 interval, the most active of the last ∼2000 yr, failed to witness a SPE comparable to that required for the proposed solar event in 775. These considerations challenge a recent suggestion that the 775 event is likely of solar origin.
- OSTI ID:
- 22348170
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 781, Issue 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Nucleosynthesis during the Early History of the Solar System
Solar gamma rays from a over-the-limb' flare