Abstract
A statistical analysis of the contemporary (1954-1975) solar flare particle events has been made for the parametersF (integrated, proton fluence in cm-2 in an event with kinetic energy above 10 MeV) andR 0 (the characteristic rigidity). These data are compared with the long-term averaged values determined from stable- and radio-nuclide measurements of lunar samples. The analysis shows that the ancient solar flare proton spectrum was harder (higher R0 values) compared to that observed in contemporary flares. A similar analysis can not be made for the mean long-term averaged flux (¯J, cm-2 S-1), since the contemporary averages suffer from an uncertainty due to the statistics of a single event. However, the average flux estimates for time durations 〈T〉 exceeding 103 yr, are free from such uncertainties. The long-term averaged ¯J values obtained over different time scales (104 - 106 yr) suggest a possible periodic variation in solar flare activity, with enhanced flux level during the last 105 yr. The available data rule out the occurrence of giant flares, with proton fluence exceeding 1015 cm-2 during the last million years.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aitchison, J., Brown, J. A. C. 1957,The Log-normal Distribution with Special Reference to its Use in Economics, Cambridge University Press.
Akasofu, S. I. 1981,Preprint.
Amin, B. S., Lai, D., Lorin, J. C., Pellas, P., Rajan, R. S., Tamhane, A. S., Venkatavaradan, V.S. 1969, inMeteorite Research, Ed. P. M. Millman, D. Reidel, Dordrecht, p. 316.
Bhattacharya, S. K., Bhandari, N. 1976,Proc. Seventh Lunar Sci. Conf: Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, Suppl.,7, 1901.
Biswas, S. 1972,Indian J. Radio Sp. Phys.,1, 19.
Biswas, S., Fichtel, C. E. 1965,Space Sci. Rev.,4, 709.
Boeckl, R. S. 1972,Earth Planet. Sci. Lett.,16, 269.
Bonov, A. D. 1972, inProc. First European astronomical Meeting, Ed. J. Xanthakis, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, p. 83.
Bostrom, C. O., Williams, D. J., Arens, J. F., Kohl, J. W. 1967–1973,Solar Geophys. Data, Nos 282–341
Brown, J. C, Smith, D. F. 1980,Rep. Prog. Phys.,43, 125.
Castagnoli, G., Lai, D. 1980,Radiocarbon,22, 133.
Cohen, T. J., Lintz, P. R. 1974,Nature,250, 398
Crawford, H. J., Price, P. B., Cartwright, B. G., Sullivan, J. D. 1975,Astrophys. J.,195, 213.
Crozaz, G., Haack, U., Hair, M., Hoyt, H., Kardos, J., Maurette, M., Miyajima, M., Seitz, M., Sun, S., Walker, R., Wittels, M., Woolum, D. 1970,Science,167, 563.
Divine, N. 1973,JPL Quarterly Technical Review,3, 37.
Eddy, J. A. 1976,Science,192, 1189.
Eddy, J. A. 1977,Clim. Change,1, 173.
Glencross, W. M. 1979,Mon. Not. R. astr. Soc.,186, 305.
King, J. H. 1972,NSSDC, 72-14, NASA, Greenbelt.
King, J. H. 1974,J. Spacecr. Rockets,11, 401.
Kohl, C. P., Murrell, M. T., Russ, G. P. III., Arnold, J. R. 1978,Proc. Ninth Lunar Planet. Sci. Conf: Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, Suppl.,10, 2299.
Kolomenskii, A. V., Petrov, V. M., Zil, M. V., Eremkina, T. M. 1978,Kosmicheske Issledovaniya,16, 698.
Krimigis, S. M. 1965,J. Geophys. Res.,70, 2943.
Lal, D. 1972,Space Sci. Rev.,14, 3.
Lal, D., MacDougall, D., Wilkening, L., Arrhenius, G. 1970,Proc. Apollo Eleven Lunar Sci. Conf: Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, Suppl.,1, 2295.
Lal, D., Rajan, R. S. 1969,Nature,223, 269.
Lingenfelter, R. E., Hudson, H. S. 1980, inProc. Conf. Ancient Sun, Pergamon Press, New York, p. 45.
McDonald, F. B. 1963,Solar Proton Manual, NASA TR R-169, NASA, Greenbelt.
McDonald, F. B., Fichtel, C. E., Fisk, L. A. 1974, inHigh Energy Particles and Quanta in Astrophysics, Eds F. B. McDonald and C. E. Fichtel, MIT Press, Cambridge, p. 212.
Modisette, J. L., Vinson, T. M., Hardy, A. C. 1965,NASA Report, TN D-2746, NASA, Greenbelt.
Mullan, D. J. 1975,Astrophys. J.,200, 641.
Mullan, D. J., Kent, D. W. 1979 inProc. Sixteenth Int. Cosmic Ray Conf,5, University of Tokyo, Japan, p. 323.
Pellas, P., Poupeau, G., Lorin, J. C, Reeves, H., Audouze, J. 1969,Nature,223, 272.
Reedy, R. C. 1977,Proc. Eighth Lunar Sci. Conf: Geochim. Cosmochim: Acta, Suppl.,8, 825.
Reedy, R. C. 1980, inProc. Conf Ancient Sun, Pergamon Press, New York, p. 365.
Schwabe, H. 1843,Astr. Nachr.,20, 495.
Schussler, M. 1980,Nature,288, 150.
Shedlovsky, J. P., Honda, M., Reedy, R. C., Evans, J. C. Jr., Lai, D., Lindstrom, R. M., Delany, A. C., Arnold, J. R., Loosli, H., Fruchter, J. S., Finkel, R. C. 1970,Proc. Apollo Eleven Lunar Sci. Conf: Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, Suppl,1, 1503.
Venkatesan, T. R., Nautiyal, C. M., Padia, J. T., Rao, M. N. 1980,Proc. Eleventh Lunar Planet Conf: Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, Suppl.,12, 1271
Wahlen, M., Honda, M., Imarnura, M., Fruchter, J. S., Finkel, R. C., Kohl, C. P., Arnold, J. R., Reedy, R. C. 1972,Proc. Third Lunar Sci. Conf: Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, Suppl.,8, 1719.
Webber, W. R., Benbrook, J. R., Thomas, J. R., Hunting, A., Duncan, R. 1963,The Boeing Company Report, D2-90469.
Weddel, J. B., Haffner, J. W. 1966,North American Aviation Report, SID 66-421.
Wibberenz, G. 1979, inProc. Sixteenth Int. Cosmic Ray Conf.,14, University of Tokyo, Japan, 234.
Wittmann, A. 1978,Astr. Astrophys.,66, 93.
Yaniv, A., Marti, K., Reedy, R. C. 1980, inProc. Eleventh Lunar Planet. Sci. Conf: Geochim Cosmochim. Acta, Suppl. 12, p. 1291.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Goswami, J.N., Jha, R. & Lal, D. Long term variations in solar flare activity. J. Astrophys. Astr. 2, 201–212 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02715679
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02715679