Florian Mekhaldi
Postdoctoral fellow
Multiproxy Reconstructions of Integral Energy Spectra for Extreme Solar Particle Events of 7176 BCE, 660 BCE, 775 CE, and 994 CE
Author
Summary, in English
Extreme solar particle events (ESPEs) are rare and the most potent known processes of solar eruptive activity. During ESPEs, a vast amount of cosmogenic isotopes (CIs) 10Be, 36Cl, and 14C can be produced in the Earth's atmosphere and deposited in natural stratified archives. Accordingly, CI measurements in these archives allow us to evaluate particle fluxes during ESPEs. In this work, we present a new method of ESPE fluence (integral flux) reconstruction based on state-of-the-art modeling advances, allowing to fit together different CI data within one model. We represent the ESPE fluence as an ensemble of scaled fluence reconstructions for ground-level enhancement (GLE) events registered by the neutron monitor network since 1956 coupled with satellite and ionospheric measurements data. Reconstructed ESPE fluences appear softer in its spectral shape than earlier estimates, leading to significantly higher estimates of the low-energy (E < 100 MeV) fluence. This makes ESPEs even more dangerous for modern technological systems than previously believed. Reconstructed ESPE fluences are fitted with a modified Band function, which eases the use of obtained results in different applications.
Department/s
- Quaternary Sciences
- MERGE: ModElling the Regional and Global Earth system
Publishing year
2023-03
Language
English
Publication/Series
Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Volume
128
Issue
3
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
Topic
- Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences
Keywords
- cosmogenic isotopes
- extreme solar particle events
- solar activity
- solar energetic particles
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 2169-9380