Summary
It is pointed out that the majority of the solar flares which were observed to produce increases in the terrestrial cosmic ray intensity were also observed in white light. This is interpreted as evidence that it is only the most energetic flares which produce any appreciable quantity of cosmic radiation, and that the rarity of the cosmic ray flare effect is, at least in part, due to the rarity of very energetic solar flares. Evidence is presented that suggest that cosmic radiation produced in a flare on the east limb of the sun is unable to reach the earth.
Riassunto
Si fa rilevare che i tre brillamenti solari che provocarono forti aumenti dell’intensità dei raggi cosmici terrestri furono osservati in luce bianca, mentre i due brillamenti che provocarono il più piccolo aumento non furono osservati. Ciò si interpreta come prova del fatto che solo i brillamenti di massima energia producono un’apprezzabile quantità di radiazione cosmica e che la rarità dell’effetto di brillamento sui raggi cosmici è dovuta, almeno in parte, alla rarità di brillamenti solari veramente intensi. Si danno prove che suggeriscono che la radiazione cosmica prodotta in brillamenti aventi luogo al lembo orientale del sole non possa raggiungere la terra.
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References
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The flare responsible for the March 1942 event was not observed visually. The evidence suggesting the position shown in the diagram has been given in references (1) and (2).
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This work was carried out during tenure of a General Motors Holden research fellowship.
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McCracken, K.G. A correlation between the emission of white light and cosmic radiation by a solar flare. Nuovo Cim 13, 1081–1085 (1959). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02725119
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02725119