The Relativistic Solar Proton Event of 11 June 1991

Abstract

The X12/38 solar flare that occurred at heliographic coordinates N31, Wl7 in NOAA region 6659 on 11 June 1991 commencing at 01 56 UT was the source of a number of energetic phenomena including intense X-ray and gamma ray emission and the acceleration of ions to relativistic energies. The small associated ground-level enhancement (GLE) of about 6 hours duration was mildly anisotropic even though a geomagnetic storm was in progress. The relative increases at sea level atmospheric pressure ranged between approximately 3% and approximately 7% at high latitude neutron monitors. The largest increases were observed by neutron monitors with an asymptotic cone of acceptance viewing into the probable IMF direction. We find a differential rigidity spectrum with a slope of -5.5 provides a satisfactory fit to the observed neutron monitor increases at the GLE maximum.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1993
Accession Number
ADA278672

Entities

People

  • Don F. Smart
  • L. C. Gentile
  • Margaret Shea

Organizations

  • Phillips Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Barometric Pressure
  • Cosmic Rays
  • Emission
  • Ground Level
  • High Latitudes
  • Latitude
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Magnetic Storms
  • Numerical Analysis
  • Particle Flux
  • Particle Spectra
  • Particles
  • Rigidity
  • Solar Cosmic Rays
  • Solar Flares
  • Spectra

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Solar Physics
  • Space/Atmospheric Physics.