Variations of the relative abundances of He, /C, N, O/ and Fe-group nuclei in solar cosmic rays and their relationship to solar particle acceleration
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Publications and source records attributed to Reames, D. V..
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Measurements of the flux of helium nuclei in the 24 January 1971 event and of helium and (C,N,O) nuclei in the 1 September 1971 event are combined with previous measurements to obtain the relative abundances of helium, (C,N,O), and Fe-group nuclei in these events. These data are then summarized together with previously reported results to show that, even when the same detector system using a dE/dx plus range technique is used, differences in the He/(C,N,O) value in the same energy/nucleon interval are observed in solar cosmic ray events. Further, when the He/(C,N,O) value is lower the He/(Fe-group nuclei) value is also systematically lower in these large events. When solar particle acceleration theory is analyzed, it is seen that the results suggest that, for large events, Coulomb energy loss probably does not play a major role in determining solar particle composition at higher energies (10 MeV). The variations in multicharged nuclei composition are more likely due to partial ionization during the acceleration phase.
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The abundance of Fe-group nuclei in the energetic solar particles was measured twice in the 24 January 1971 event and once in the 2 September 1971 event. Including earlier results from the 2 September 1966 event, the Fe-group abundance was found to be in the range from 3% to 6% of the oxygen nuclei in the energy interval from 21 to 50 MeV/nucleon, in those events where the Fe-group abundance could be measured. Fe-nuclei have a different charge-to-mass ratio from that of the C, N, O nuclei, so small variations in the Fe abundance in solar particles are expected. In the three exposures where the statistics were adequate to construct an energy spectrum, the Fe-group nuclei were seen to have an energy/nucleon spectrum similar to that of the C, N, O nuclei; however, the energy/nucleon range was limited. The abundance for the Fe-group nuclei is consistent with the present solar spectroscopic abundance estimates.
The composition of solar particle events, that is the relative abundance of different elements, was studied, using nuclear emulsion detectors flown on board sounding rockets. These observations were extended to elements as heavy as iron. A model is discussed in which the particles in a flare are stripped of electrons in the high temperature of a flare region, and subsequently are accelerated presumably by magnetic fields.
Measurement of the charge composition for several of the multicharged nuclei and the energy spectra for hydrogen, helium, and medium (6 less than or equal to Z less than or equal to 9) nuclei in the Apr. 12, 1969, solar-particle event. The energy/nucleon spectral shape of the medium nuclei was again the same as that of the helium nuclei, and the ratio of these two species was consistent with the present best average of 58 plus or minus 5. By combining the results obtained here with previous work, improved estimates of the Ne/O and Mg/O values of 0.16 plus or minus 0.03 and 0.056 plus or minus 0.014, respectively, were obtained. Silicon and sulfur abundances relative to O were determined to be 0.208 plus or minus 0.008 plus or minus 0.006, respectively, and 85% confidence upper limits for Ar and Ca relative to O of 0.017 and 0.010 were obtained. Previously, these last four nuclei had only been listed as a group.
The composition of energetic solar particles is reviewed for all solar events in which measurements on helium and heavier nuclei have been made simultaneously in the same detector during a given particle event. For nuclei of equal charge-to-mass ratio, the relative abundances have been the same within uncertainties in every measurement, and consistent with spectroscopic photospheric estimates. Iron has a slightly different charge-to-mass ratio but is still of considerable interest. An observation of the Fe/O in the January 24, 1971 solar event has provided a second determination of this value.
The first exposure on a spacecraft of a nuclear emulsion apparatus designed to collect 1000 high quality tracks of heavy nuclei under a negligible thickness of matter (0.07 g/sq cm) is described. The cosmic ray detector consisted of a stack of nuclear emulsions that were designed to register at least 400 heavy nuclei tracks for each 10 hours of useful exposure. The spacecraft had to be oriented in a heads-up attitude during the 10-hour period to eliminate atmospheric albedo particles. The results are as follows: (1) a definite odd-even effect, with low abundances for elements of atomic number 7, 9, and 11; (2) a ratio O/C approximately 0.9; (3) Ne/C, Mg/C, and Si/C ratios between 0.2 and 0.3; (4) an abundance gap in the region 15 less than or equal to Z less than or equal to 19; and (5) a ratio (20 less than or equal to Z less than or equal to 28)/C 0.2, with a large concentration at Z = 26. These results are indicative that successful exposures of nuclear emulsions were obtained on the Gemini 11 mission.
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