Relationship of ground level enhancements with solar erupted factors

  • Firoz, K.A. (Solar and Space Weather Research Group, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute) ;
  • Cho, Kyung-Suk (Solar and Space Weather Research Group, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute) ;
  • Dorotovic, Ivan (Slovak Central Observatory) ;
  • Pinter, Teodor (Slovak Central Observatory) ;
  • Kaushik, Subhash C. (School of Studies in Physics, Jiwaji University)
  • Published : 2010.04.06

Abstract

Cosmic rays registered by Neutron Monitors on the surface of the Earth are believed to be coming from outer space, and sometimes also from the exotic objects of the Sun. Ground level enhancement (GLE) is the sudden, sharp and short-lived increase in cosmic rays originated from the Sun. Since GLE is the signature in solar cosmic ray intensity, different solar factors erupted from the Sun can be responsible for causing it. In this context, an attempt has been made to determine quantitative relationships of GLEs > 5% with simultaneous solar, interplanetary and geophysical factors from 1997 through 2006 thereby searching the perpetrators which seem to be causing them. The study has revealed that solar flares are stronger ($0.71{\times}10-4$ w/m2) during GLE peaks than the solar flares ($1.10{\times}10-5$ w/m2) during GLE non-peaks and backgrounds. On the average, the solar wind plasma velocity and interplanetary magnetic field are found stronger during the GLE peaks than the GLE non-peaks and backgrounds indicating that the solar flares, in conjunction with interplanetary shocks, sometimes may cause GLE peaks. Direct proportionality of GLE peaks to simultaneous solar energetic particle (SEP) fluxes imply that the GLE peaks may often be caused by SEP fluxes. Although the high intensity of SEP fluxes are also seen extended few minutes even after GLE peaks, the mean (373.62 MeV) of the GLE associated SEP fluxes is much stronger than the mean (10.35 MeV) of the non-GLE associated SEP fluxes. Evidences are also supported by corresponding SEP fluences that the the mean fluence (${\sim}5.32{\times}107/cm2$) across GLE event was more intense than the mean fluence (${\sim}2.53{\times}106/cm2$) of SEP fluxes across non-GLE event.

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