EFFECT OF THE INTERPLANETARY MAGENTIC FIELD ON SOLAR NEUTRON-DECAY PROTONS,
Abstract
Upper bounds, placed on steady-state and pulse (flare) outflow of neutrons above 1 MeV from the sun, are obtained by assuming that the neutron-decay protons diffuse in the interplanetary magnetic field in order to calculate the resultant proton fluxes from simple diffusion theory, and then comparing the theoretical fluxes with recent proton observations. Using the IMP-1 proton spectrum (20-75 MeV) it is shown that there is no significant contribution to the inner belt proton population in that energy range by steady neutron outflow in the first half of 1964, and perhaps as far back as 1961. For the same period and energy range, it is concluded that there could have been no higher steady outflow from the sun than 10 to the 22nd power neutrons/sec MeV. It is found that neutron-decay protons are insensitive indicators of the presence of neutrons in solar flares. On the order of 10 percent of flare particles at energies 1 to 100 MeV could be neutrons and yet their decay protons would cause only marginally observable modifications of the primary proton flux during the times of diffusion behavior at 1 AU, 0.5 AU, and 1.5 AU. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1965
- Accession Number
- AD0625824
Entities
People
- E. C. Roelof
Organizations
- Boeing