The Solar Flare Myth in solar-terrestrial physics
Early observations of associations between solar flares and large non- recurrent geomagnetic storms, large {open_quote}solar{close_quote} energetic particle events, and transient shock wave disturbances in the solar wind led to a paradigm of cause and effect that gave flares a central position in the chain of events leading from solar activity to major transient disturbances in the near-earth space environment. However, research in the last two decades shows that this emphasis on flares is misplaced. In this paper the author outlines briefly the rationale for a different paradigm of cause and effect in solar- terrestrial physics that removes solar flares from their central position as the {open_quote}cause{close_quote} of major disturbances in the near-earth space environment. Instead, this central role of {open_quote}cause{close_quote} is played by events now known as coronal mass ejections, or CMEs.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 10168935
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-93-2371; CONF-9302115-4; ON: DE93016487; TRN: 93:001967
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: AGU monograph/solar system plasma physics meeting on resolution of processes in space and time,Yosemite, CA (United States),Feb 1993; Other Information: PBD: 1993
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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