Observations of the 2024 May 14 X8.7 Solar Flare with the Goldstone-Apple Valley Radio Telescope (GAVRT)

TL;DR

This paper reports on GAVRT's radio observations of the 2024 May 14 X8.7 solar flare, providing detailed microwave maps and spectra that reveal non-thermal electron emissions during the largest flare of Solar Cycle 25.

Contribution

It presents the first detailed microwave imaging and spectral analysis of the May 14 solar flare using GAVRT, highlighting its role in monitoring energetic electron emissions.

Findings

Detected non-thermal microwave burst emission from the flare

Provided detailed raster-scan maps at multiple frequencies

Correlated microwave data with other energetic emissions

Abstract

The Goldstone-Apple Valley Radio Telescope (GAVRT) project conducts a regular monitoring program of the Sun. The GAVRT Solar Patrol project uses a 34 m diameter antenna to produce raster-scan maps of the Sun simultaneously at 4 frequencies ranging from approximately 3 GHz to 14 GHz. On 2024 May 14, as part of regular GAVRT Solar Patrol observations, raster maps were produced when an X8.7 solar flare occurred in active region AR13664. Here we present the GAVRT maps of the May 14 flare along with microwave flux density spectra showing the non-thermal microwave burst emission from mildly relativistic electrons produced in this largest flare of Solar Cycle 25 to date. AR13664 reappeared as AR13697 and continued to be very active, producing X flares while GAVRT monitored its activity. GAVRT microwave data provide a powerful complement to the energetic electrons tracked by X-ray, millimeter-wave and {\gamma}-ray emissions.