Abstract
The solar neutron detector Space Environment Data Acquisition Equipment – Attached Payload (SEDA-FIB) onboard the International Space Station (ISS) detected several events from the solar direction associated with three large solar flares observed on 05 (X1.1), 07 (X5.4), and 09 (M6.3) March 2012. In this study, we focus on the interesting event of 05 March, present the temporal profiles of the neutrons, and discuss the physics that may be related to a possible acceleration scenario for ions above the solar surface. We compare our data with images of the flares obtained by the ultraviolet telescope Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO).
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Acknowledgments
The authors thank the institutes that support the observations. The authors acknowledge the members of Tsukuba operation center of Kibo for taking the SEDA-NEM-FIB data every day. The authors also thank the Nobeyama Radioheliograph (NoRH) group of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), the Fermi-GBM group, and the GOES X-ray group of NOAA, who provided us with very valuable data. The x-ray imaging data are courtesy of NASA/SDO and the AIA science team. The SOHO/LASCO data used here are produced by a consortium of the Naval Research Laboratory (USA), Max-Planck-Institut für Aeronomie (Germany), Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille (France), and the University of Birmingham (UK). SOHO is a mission of international cooperation between ESA and NASA. Finally, we thank T. Goka and T. Obara for their support of our research and the SEDA-AP mission.
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Appendix
Appendix
From left to right, we list the event date, the soft X-ray intensity measured by the GOES spacecraft, the ISS position relative to the Sun, the existence of solar neutrons in the event, and comments. Fermi corresponds to the event when high-energy \(\gamma\)-rays were observed by the Fermi/LAT satellite, and “weak” represents the solar neutron signals from the SEDA-NEM detector with about 2\(\sigma\) level intensity. We have searched for solar neutrons in the flares with stronger than class M2 during 2010 and 2011, but in 2012 – 2014, we have searched for solar neutrons only in the large flares that were stronger than class M3. However, for 2015 we searched for candidates for solar neutrons in flares stronger than class M2.
Date | Time | GOES X-Ray | ISS Sun (O/X) | Neutron detect (O/X) | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | |||||
06 Feb. | 14:09 | M2.9 | O | X | |
07 Feb. | 02:34 | M6.4 | O | X | Near pole |
08 Feb. | 07:43 | M4.0 | O | X | |
08 Feb. | 13:47 | M2.0 | O | X | Near SAA |
12 Feb. | 11:26 | M8.3 | O | X | |
12 June | 00:57 | M2.0 | O | O | |
2011 | |||||
13 Feb. | 17:38 | M6.6 | X | X | |
15 Feb. | 01:44 | X2.2 | X | X | |
18 Feb. | 10:11 | M6.6 | O | X | After SAA, no protons |
24 Feb. | 07:35 | M3.5 | X | X | |
07 Mar. | 20:12 | M3.7 | O | O | 02:10 out from eclipse Fermi |
08 Mar. | 10:44 | M5.3 | X | X | 10:42:50 in eclipse |
08 Mar. | 18:28 | M4.4 | X | X | |
09 Mar. | 23:23 | X1.5 | X | X | |
07 Jun. | 06:25 | M2.5 | O→X | O | Fermi |
30 Jul. | 02:09 | M9.3 | O | X | |
03 Aug. | 13:48 | M6.0 | O | X | 14:06:59 just after SAA |
04 Aug. | 03:57 | M9.3 | O | ? weak(2.2σ) | 03:58:48 Fermi |
08 Aug. | 18:10 | M3.5 | O | X | Before SAA very weak |
09 Aug. | 03:54 | M2.5 | O | O | 04:03:31 before SAA weak |
09 Aug. | 08:05 | X6.9 | O | O | |
04 Sep. | 11:21 | M3.2 | O | X | After 01:36 SAA |
06 Sep. | 01:50 | M5.3 | O | X | After 1:55 OK, SAA |
06 Sep. | 22:20 | X2.1 | O | ? weak(2.4σ) | Fermi |
07 Sep. | 22:38 | X1.8 | O | X? | Fermi (3.3σ) |
08 Sep. | 15:46 | M6.7 | O | X | Near SAA |
09 Sep. | 06:11 | M2.7 | O→X | X | |
22 Sep. | 11:01 | X1.4 | O→X | ? weak(2.4σ) | Soon after eclipse |
24 Sep. | 09:40 | X1.9 | X→O | X | |
24 Sep. | 13:20 | M7.1 | O | X | |
24 Sep. | 19:18 | M3.0 | O | No Fermi !? | |
24 Sep. | 20:36 | M5.8 | O | X | |
25 Sep. | 02:33 | M4.4 | X→O | ? | Only tail |
25 Sep. | 04:50 | M7.4 | O | O | |
25 Sep. | 15:33 | M3.7 | O | X | Small bkg. region SAA |
26 Sep. | 05:08 | M4.0 | O | X | Small bkg. region after 05:35 |
26 Sep. | 14:45 | M2.6 | O | X | |
02 Oct. | 00:50 | M3.9 | O | X | |
02 Nov. | 22:01 | M4.3 | O | X | Small bkg. region |
03 Nov. | 20:27 | X1.9 | O | ? weak(2.5σ) | No Fermi |
05 Nov. | 03:35 | M3.7 | O | X | |
25 Dec. | 18:16 | M4.0 | X | X | After 18:45 OK |
2012 | |||||
19 Jan. | 16:05 | M3.2 | X→O | X (before 16:32 eclipse) | |
23 Jan. | 03:59 | M8.7 | O→X | O | Fermi |
27 Jan. | 18:37 | X1.7 | O | X (after 18:31 OK) | Fermi (4.0σ) |
02 Mar. | 17:46 | M3.3 | O | ? weak(2.3σ) | |
04 Mar. | 10:45 | M2.0 | X | X | Before 10:49 OK |
05 Mar. | 04:05 | X1.1 | X→O | O | Fermi (3.7σ) |
07 Mar. | 00:24 | X5.4 | O→X | O | 0:28:57 eclipse Fermi |
09 Mar. | 03:45 | M6.3 | O | O | Fermi (3.6σ) |
10 Mar. | 17:50 | M8.4 | X | X | |
13 Mar. | 17:25 | M7.8 | O | O | No Fermi !? |
09 May. | 12:32 | M4.7 | O | X | |
09 May. | 21:01 | M4.1 | O | O | Near SAA |
10 May. | 04:18 | M5.7 | O | X | |
17 May. | 01:47 | M5.1 | O | X | 1st GLE event Fermi (3.2σ) |
03 Jun. | 17:55 | M3.3 | O | O | Extremely impulsive Fermi |
14 Jun. | 14:35 | M1.9 | No data | ||
02 Jul. | 10:52 | M5.6 | X | X | Fermi (3.1σ) |
02 Jul. | 20:07 | M5.6 | X | X | |
04 Jul. | 09:55 | M5.3 | O | X | |
04 Jul. | 22:05 | M4.6 | X | X | |
05 Jul. | 11:44 | M6.1 | O | X | |
05 Jul. | 03:36 | M4.7 | X | X | |
06 Jul. | 23:08 | X1.1 | X→O | X? | Fermi |
08 Jul. | 16:32 | M6.9 | X | X | |
12 Jul. | 16:49 | X1.4 | O | X | |
17 Jul. | 17:15 | M1.7 | O | ? weak signal | |
19 Jul. | 05:58 | M7.7 | O | X | |
27 Jul. | 17:26 | M2.7 | X→O | X | |
28 Jul. | 20:56 | M6.1 | X | X | Over SAA |
18 Aug. | 01:02 | M5.5 | O | O | |
31 Aug. | 20:43 | C8.4 | X | X | |
27 Sep. | 23:57 | C3.7 | X→O | X | |
20 Oct. | 18:14 | M9.0 | O | X | |
22 Oct. | 18:51 | M5.0 | O | X | |
23 Oct. | 03:17 | X1.8 | O | X | |
08 Nov. | 02:23 | M1.7 | O | X | |
13 Nov. | 02:04 | M6.0 | O | X | |
13 Nov. | 20:54 | M2.8 | O | Over SAA | |
21 Nov. | 15:30 | M3.5 | O | ? weak(2.3σ) | |
2013 | |||||
11 Apr. | 07:16 | M6.5 | O | X | Fermi |
12 Apr. | 20:38 | M3.3 | O | O | |
10 May. | 00:57 | M3.9 | O | O | |
13 May. | 02:17 | X1.7 | O→X | X | Fermi |
13 May. | 16:05 | X2.8 | X | X | Fermi |
14 May. | 01:11 | X3.2 | O→X | X | Fermi |
15 May. | 01:48 | X1.2 | O | X | |
17 May. | 08:57 | M3.2 | O | X | |
22 May. | 13:20 | M5.0 | O→X | O | |
07 Jun. | 22:49 | M5.9 | No data | ||
22 Oct | 21:20 | M4.2 | O | ? weak(2.3σ) | |
24 Oct | 00:08 | M3.1 | X | X | |
24 Oct | 00:30 | M9.3 | O | ? weak | |
24 Oct | 10:33 | M3.5 | O | X | |
25 Oct | 03:02 | M2.9 | O | ? weak(2.8σ) | |
25 Oct | 08:01 | X1.7 | O | X !? | Fermi |
25 Oct | 15:03 | X2.1 | X→O | X | |
26 Oct | 19:27 | M3.1 | O | X | |
27 Oct | 12:48 | M3.5 | O | X | |
28 Oct | 02:03 | X1.0 | O | X | |
28 Oct | 04:41 | M5.1 | O→X | X | |
28 Oct | 15:15 | M4.4 | O | ? weak(2.2σ) | Fermi |
29 Oct | 21:54 | X2.3 | O | X | |
31 Oct. | 13:51 | M1.9 | O | X | |
01 Nov. | 19:53 | M6.3 | O | ? weak(2.7σ) | |
03 Nov. | 05:22 | M5.0 | O | X | |
05 Nov. | 22:12 | X3.3 | O | X | |
07 Nov. | 00:02 | M1.8 | O | ? weak(2.3σ) | |
08 Nov. | 04:26 | X1.1 | X→O | X | |
10 Nov. | 05:14 | X1.1 | O | X | |
19 Nov. | 10:26 | X1.0 | O | X | |
19 Dec. | 23:10 | M3.5 | No data | Power off | |
22 Dec. | 15:00 | M3.3 | No data | Power off | |
28 Dec. | 17:50 | C9.3 | No data | Power off | |
29 Dec. | 07:50 | M3.1 | No data | Power off | |
D31 ec. | 21:45 | M6.4 | No data | Power off | |
01 Jan. | 18:40 | M9.9 | No data | Power off | |
04 Jan. | 19:00 | M4.0 | No data | Power off | |
06 Jan. | 09:30 | C2.6 | No data | Power off | |
07 Jan. | 10:00 | M7.2 | No data | Power off | |
07 Jan. | 18:00 | X1.2 | No data | Power off | |
2014 | |||||
27 Jan. | 22:10 | M4.9 | O | X | |
28 Jan. | 07:31 | M3.6 | O | X | |
28 Jan. | 15:26 | M3.5 | O | ? weak(≈ 1σ) | |
28 Jan. | 19:40 | M4.9 | X→O | X 19:51 ≈ | |
30 Jan. | 16:11 | M6.6 | X | X | |
01 Feb. | 07:23 | M3.0 | X→O | X 07:30 ≈ | |
02 Feb. | 09:31 | M4.4 | X | X 09:50 ≈ | |
02 Feb. | 18:11 | M3.1 | O | X | |
02 Feb. | 01:23 | M3.8 | O | X ≈ 01:33 | Pair flare |
04 Feb. | 04:00 | M5.2 | O | X | |
12 Feb. | 04:25 | M3.7 | O | X | Pair flare |
20 Feb. | 07:56 | M3.0 | X | X | |
25 Feb. | 01:00 | X4.9 | X | X | Fermi |
11 Mar. | 03:50 | M3.5 | O→X | X | |
12 Mar. | 22:34 | M9.3 | O | X | |
29 Mar. | 17:48 | X1.0 | O→X | X | |
02 Apr. | 14:05 | M6.5 | O | X | |
18 Apr. | 13:03 | M7.3 | O→X | X | |
25 Apr. | 00:27 | X1.3 | X→O | X | |
08 May. | 10:07 | M5.2 | X→O | X | |
10 Jun. | 11:42 | X2.2 | No data | Power off | |
10 Jun. | 12:52 | X1.5 | No data | Power off | |
11 Jun. | 08:09 | M3.0 | No data | Power off | |
11 Jun. | 09:06 | X1.0 | No data | Power off | |
11 Jun. | 21:03 | M3.9 | No data | Power off | |
11 Jun. | 09:37 | M1.8 | No data | Power off | |
11 Jun. | 10:21 | M2.7 | No data | Power off | |
12 Jun. | 21:13 | M1.0 | No data | Power off | |
12 Jun. | 22:16 | M3.1 | No data | Power off | |
13 Jun. | 07:56 | M2.6 | No data | Power off | |
08 Jul. | 16:20 | M6.5 | O | O | |
20 Aug. | 13:36 | M3.4 | O | X | |
24 Aug. | 12:17 | M5.9 | X | X | |
25 Aug. | 15:11 | M2.0 | O | X | |
25 Aug. | 20:21 | M3.9 | O | ? weak(2.6σ) | |
03 Sep. | 13:54 | M2.5 | O→X→O | X | |
08 Sep. | 00:29 | M4.5 | O→X→O | X | |
10 Sep. | 17:45 | X1.6 | O→X | X | |
14 Sep. | 02:16 | M1.5 | X | SAA | |
28 Sep. | 02:58 | M5.1 | O | O | |
02 Oct. | 19:01 | M7.3 | O→X | SAA | |
14 Oct. | 18:37 | M1.1 | O | X | |
14 Oct. | 21:21 | M2.2 | O→X→O | ? very weak | |
16 Oct. | 13:03 | M4.3 | X | X | |
19 Oct. | 05:03 | X1.1 | O | X | |
20 Oct. | 09:08 | M3.9 | O | X | |
20 Oct. | 16:32 | M4.5 | X→O | X | |
22 Oct. | 01:40 | M8.7 | O→X | X | SAA |
22 Oct. | 14:30 | X1.6 | O→X | X | |
24 Oct. | 21:35 | X3.1 | O | O | |
25 Oct . | 17:05 | X1.0 | X→O | X | |
26 Oct. | 10:50 | X2.0 | O | X | |
26 Oct. | 18:10 | M4.2 | O | O | |
26 Oct. | 20:21 | M2.4 | O | O | |
27 Oct. | 00:20 | M7.1 | O | X | |
27 Oct. | 10:05 | M6.7 | O | O | |
27 Oct. | 14:45 | X2.0 | O | X | |
28 Oct. | 02:42 | M3.4 | O | X | |
28 Oct. | 03:32 | M6.6 | O→X | X | |
30 Oct. | 01:35 | M3.5 | O | O | |
03 Nov. | 11:50 | M2.2 | O | X | |
03 Nov. | 22:40 | M6.5 | O | X | |
04 Nov. | 08:38 | M2.6 | O | O | Flare two peaks |
05 Nov. | 09:48 | M7.9 | O | X | |
05 Nov. | 19:44 | M2.9 | O | O | |
06 Nov. | 01:38 | M3.2 | X→O | X | After 01:52 OK |
06 Nov. | 03:45 | M5.4 | O | X | |
06 Nov. | 22:15 | M2.5 | O | ? very weak | |
07 Nov. | 02:50 | M2.7 | No data | Power off | |
07 Nov. | 17:26 | X1.6 | No data | Power off | |
15 Nov. | 12:03 | M3.2 | O | X | |
15 Nov. | 20:46 | M3.7 | X | X | |
16 Nov. | 17:48 | M5.7 | O | X | 17:57 – 18:08 over SAA |
04 Dec. | 18:25 | M6.1 | X→O | X | |
17 Dec. | 04:51 | M8.7 | X→O | X | SAA |
18 Dec. | 21:58 | M6.9 | O→X | X | |
20 Dec. | 00:28 | X1.8 | O(→X) | X | |
2015 | |||||
13 Jan. | 04:24 | M5.6 | O→X | X | |
13 Jan. | 04:58 | M4.9 | X | X | SAA |
14 Jan. | 12:58 | M2.2 | O→X | X | After 13:04 X |
29 Jan. | 11:42 | M2.1 | X | X | |
30 Jan. | 00:44 | M2.0 | O | X | |
30 Jan. | 12:16 | M2.4 | X | X | |
09 Feb. | 23:35 | M2.4 | O | X | |
02 Mar. | 15:28 | M3.7 | O(→X) | X | |
02 Mar. | 19:31 | M4.1 | O | X | |
03 Mar. | 01:35 | M8.2 | O | X | |
06 Mar. | 04:57 | M3.0 | X | X | |
07 Mar. | 22:22 | M9.2 | X | X | SAA |
09 Mar. | 14:33 | M4.5 | X | X | |
09 Mar. | 23:53 | M5.8 | X | X | SAA |
10 Mar. | 03:24 | M5.1 | O | X | |
10 Mar. | 00:02 | M2.9 | O | X | |
11 Mar. | 07:57 | M2.6 | O(→X) | X | |
11 Mar. | 16:22 | X2.1 | (X→)O | ? weak (≈ 2σ) | |
12 Mar. | 04:46 | M3.2 | (X→)O | X | |
12 Mar. | 14:08 | M4.2 | O | X | |
12 Mar. | 21:51 | M2.7 | O | X | |
21 Apr. | 10:40 | M2.2 | X | X | |
21 Apr. | 11:57 | M2.2 | O(→X) | X | |
21 Apr. | 15:45 | M4.0 | O | X | |
21 Apr. | 17:00 | M2.1 | (X→)O | X | |
05 May. | 17:24 | M2.6 | X | X | |
05 May. | 22:11 | X2.7 | O | X | |
18 Jun. | 19:36 | M3.0 | No data | Power off | |
21 Jun. | 02:36 | M2.6 | No data | Power off | |
21 Jun. | 17:24 | M3.8 | No data | Power off | |
22 Jun. | 18:23 | M6.5 | No data | Power off | |
25 Jun. | 18:16 | M7.9 | No data | Power off | |
22 Aug. | 21:24 | M3.5 | No data | Power off | |
21 Dec. | 01:02 | M2.8 | O | O | |
23 Dec. | 03:36 | M6.7 | O | O | |
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Koga, K., Muraki, Y., Masuda, S. et al. Measurement of Solar Neutrons on 05 March 2012, Using a Fiber-Type Neutron Monitor Onboard the Attached Payload to the ISS. Sol Phys 292, 115 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-017-1135-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-017-1135-y