Nuclear gamma rays from solar flares

Abstract

The theory of gamma ray line emission from solar flares is reviewed and revised. It is shown that the recently observed (Chupp et al., 1972) line emissions at 0.5, 2.2, 4.4 and 6.1 MeV are due to positron annihilation, deuterium deexcitation following neutron capture on hydrogen, and the deexcitation of excited states in carbon and oxygen. From the observed relative line intensities it is possible to determine the spectrum of accelerated protons in the flare region. This spectrum is found to be very similar to that the charged particles from the flare observed near earth. The total numbers of protons at the sun is deduced from the observed absolute line intensities for various interaction models. It is found that if the protons at the sun have a spectrum which is an exponential in rigidity, the total energy in protons is a few times 10 to the 28th power ergs if the gamma rays are produced by protons moving down into the sun; and about 10 to the 30th power ergs if the gamma rays are produced at the site of the acceleration.