The Search for >35 MeV Neutrons from the June 3, 2012 Impulsive Flare

TL;DR

This study investigates a highly impulsive solar flare from June 3, 2012, analyzing multi-wavelength data to understand particle acceleration, especially neutron production, and confirms impulsive flares as major proton accelerators.

Contribution

The paper provides new observational evidence linking impulsive solar flares to proton acceleration and neutron emission, using data from multiple space-based instruments.

Findings

Detection of >35 MeV neutrons associated with the flare

Confirmation of impulsive flares as significant proton accelerators

Correlation between magnetic structures and particle emissions

Abstract

We analyzed a highly impulsive solar flare observed on June 3, 2012. In association with this flare, emissions of hard X-rays, high-energy gamma rays, and neutrons were detected by the detectors onboard the FERMI, RHESSI satellites and the International Space Station. We compared those results with the pictures taken by the UV telescope onboard the Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite and found the crossing structure of two magnetic ropes at two positions on the solar surface almost at the same time. High-energy gamma rays were detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope satellite, implying that the impulsive flare was one of a major source of proton acceleration processes on the solar surface. At the beginning of research, impulsive solar flares were considered to be the main source of particle acceleration processes; our current observations have confirmed this hypothesis.