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Relationship between Solar Energetic Particles and Properties of Flares and CMEs: Statistical Analysis of Solar Cycle 23 Events

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Abstract

A statistical analysis of the relationship between solar energetic particles (SEPs) and properties of solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) is presented. SEP events during Solar Cycle 23 are selected that are associated with solar flares originating in the visible hemisphere of the Sun and that are at least of magnitude M1. Taking into account all flares and CMEs that occurred during this period, the probability for the occurrence of an SEP event near Earth is determined. A strong rise of this probability is observed for increasing flare intensities, more western locations, higher CME speeds, and halo CMEs. The correlations between the proton peak flux and these solar parameters are derived for a low (> 10 MeV) and high (> 60 MeV) energy range excluding any flux enhancement due to the passage of fast interplanetary shocks. The obtained correlation coefficients are 0.55±0.07 (0.63±0.06) with flare intensity, and 0.56±0.08 (0.40±0.09) with CME speed for E>10 MeV (E>60 MeV). For both energy ranges, the correlations with flare longitude and CME width are very weak or non-existent. Furthermore, the occurrence probabilities, correlation coefficients, and mean peak fluxes are derived in multi-dimensional bins combining the aforementioned solar parameters. The correlation coefficients are also determined in different proton energy channels ranging from 5 to 200 MeV. The results show that the correlation between the proton peak flux and the CME speed decreases with energy, while the correlation with the flare intensity shows the opposite behaviour. Furthermore, the correlation with the CME speed is stronger than the correlation with the flare intensity below 15 MeV and becomes weaker above 20 MeV. When the enhancements in the flux profiles due to interplanetary shocks are not excluded, only a small but not very significant change is observed in the correlation coefficients between the proton peak flux below 7 MeV and the CME speed.

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Acknowledgements

This work has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007 – 2013) under grant agreement n. 263252 [COMESEP]. We also acknowledge the ESA SEPEM reference proton dataset. The authors are grateful for the detailed comments and suggestions received from the anonymous referee which helped to improve this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB), Ringlaan 3, 1180, Brussels, Belgium

    M. Dierckxsens & N. B. Crosby

  2. IAASARS, National Observatory of Athens, 15236, Penteli, Greece

    K. Tziotziou, I. Patsou, O. Malandraki & G. Tsiropoula

  3. Jeremiah Horrocks Institute, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, PR1 2HE, UK

    S. Dalla & M. S. Marsh

Authors
  1. M. Dierckxsens
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  2. K. Tziotziou
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  3. S. Dalla
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  4. I. Patsou
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  5. M. S. Marsh
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  6. N. B. Crosby
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  7. O. Malandraki
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  8. G. Tsiropoula
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Dierckxsens.

Appendix

Appendix

See Tables 4 – 17.

Table 4 The SSE list and associated solar parameters as described in Section 2.2 containing the following information: the SEP onset date and time, the integral peak flux for E>10 MeV and E>60 MeV, the flare magnitude and location, and the CME speed and width.
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Table 5 Probabilities of SEP occurrence and their respective errors as a function of flare magnitude derived from the CRR2010 list (roman font) and the SSE list (italic font).
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Table 6 Probabilities of SEP occurrence and their respective errors as a function of flare magnitude and flare longitude derived from the CRR2010 list (roman font) and the SSE list (italic font).
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Table 7 Probabilities of SEP occurrence and their respective errors as a function of flare magnitude for halo CMEs.
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Table 8 Probabilities of SEP occurrence and their respective errors as a function of flare magnitude and CME velocity for non-halo CMEs.
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Table 9 Probabilities of SEP occurrence and their respective errors as a function of flare magnitude and longitude for halo CMEs.
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Table 10 Probabilities of SEP occurrence and their respective errors as a function of flare magnitude, flare longitude, and CME velocity for non-halo CMEs.
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Table 11 Probabilities of SEP occurrence and their respective errors as a function of CME velocity for all CMEs, non-halo, and halo CMEs.
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Table 12 Mean and RMS of the logarithm of the proton peak flux for E>10 MeV and E>60 MeV in the five flare magnitude bins. Peak fluxes are expressed as log(cm−2 s−1 sr−1).
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Table 13 Mean and RMS of the logarithm of the proton peak flux for E>10 MeV and E>60 MeV in the five CME speed bins. Peak fluxes are expressed as log(cm−2 s−1 sr−1).
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Table 14 Mean and RMS of the logarithm of the proton peak flux in the nine flare magnitude and location bins. Peak fluxes are expressed as log(cm−2 s−1 sr−1) for E>10 MeV and E>60 MeV.
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Table 15 Mean and RMS of the logarithm of the proton peak flux in the nine flare magnitude and CME speed bins. Peak fluxes are expressed as log(cm−2 s−1 sr−1) for E>10 MeV and E>60 MeV.
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Table 16 Mean and RMS of the logarithm of the proton peak flux in the nine flare magnitude and CME width bins. Peak fluxes are expressed as log(cm−2 s−1 sr−1) for E>10 MeV and E>60 MeV.
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Table 17 Mean and RMS of the logarithm of the proton peak flux in the six CME speed and width bins. Peak fluxes are expressed as log(cm−2 s−1 sr−1) for E>10 MeV and E>60 MeV.
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Dierckxsens, M., Tziotziou, K., Dalla, S. et al. Relationship between Solar Energetic Particles and Properties of Flares and CMEs: Statistical Analysis of Solar Cycle 23 Events. Sol Phys 290, 841–874 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-014-0641-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11207-014-0641-4

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