Near-relativistic electron events. Monte Carlo simulations of solar injection and interplanetary transport

• Autores: Neus Agueda Costafreda
• Directores de la Tesis: Blai Sanahuja i Parera (dir. tes.) , Rami O.Vainio (dir. tes.) , David Lario Loyo (dir. tes.)
• Lectura: En la Universitat de Barcelona ( España ) en 2008
• Idioma: inglés
• Tribunal Calificador de la Tesis: Vicente Domingo Codoñer (presid.) , Javier Labay Aguirre (secret.) , Josep Lluís Ballester Mortes (voc.) , Bernd Heber (voc.) , Javier Rodríguez (voc.)
• Enlaces
  • Tesis en acceso abierto en:  TDX  Dipòsit Digital de la UB 
• Resumen

  • We have developed a Monte Carlo model to simulate the transport of solar near-relativistic (NR; 30-300 keV) electrons along the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), including adiabatic focusing, pitch-angle dependent scattering, and solar wind effects. By taking into account the angular response of the LEFS60 telescope of the EPAM experiment on board the "Advanced Composition Explorer" spacecraft, we have been able to transform simulated pitch-angle distributions into sectored intensities measured by the telescope. We have developed an algorithm that allows us, for the first time, to infer the best-fit transport conditions and the underlying solar injection profile of NR electrons from the deconvolution of the effects of interplanetary transport on observational sectored intensities. We have studied seven NR electron events observed by the LEFS60 telescope between 1998 and 2004 with the aim of estimating the roles that solar flares and CME-driven shocks play in the acceleration and injection of NR electrons, as well as the conditions of the electron transport along the IMF.In this set of seven NR electron events, we have identified two types of injection episodes in the derived injection profiles: short (< 20 min) and time-extended (> 1 h). The injection profile of three events shows both components; an initial injection episode of short duration, followed by a second much longer lasting episode; two events only show a time-extended injection episode; while the others show an injection profile composed by several short injection episodes. We have found that the timing of the prompt short injection episodes agrees with the timing of the hard X-rays and radio type III bursts. On the other hand, time-extended injection episodes seem to be related to intermittent radio emissions at the height of the CME leading edge or below, and sometimes to type II radio bursts. Thus, we conclude that short injection episodes are preferentially associated with the injection of flare-accelerated particles, while longer lasting episodes are provided by CME-driven shocks or post-eruptive reconnection phenomena at coronal heights lower than those of the CME-driven shocks.From the fit of the events, we have derived the transport conditions of the electrons. We have found that the electron propagation was almost scatter-free (the radial mean free path of the electrons was ~0.9 AU) during two of the events, whereas during five of the events the propagation occurred under strong scattering conditions (the radial mean free path of the electrons was smaller than 0.2 AU). Those events showing a long radial mean free path reached the maximum intensity shortly (< 15 min) after the onset of the event; whereas those events showing a small radial mean free path reached the maximum intensity more than one hour after the onset. The overall conclusion from this study is that there is a continuous spectrum of scenarios that allow for either flare or CME-driven shock NR electron injection, or for both, and that this can occur both under strong scattering and under almost "scatter-free" propagation conditions.SUBJECT HEADINGS: Sun: coronal mass ejections (CMEs) Sun: flares Sun: particle emission