학술논문
Detection of 6 November 1997 Ground Level Event by Milagrito
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article
Author
Atkins, R; Benbow, W; Berley, D; Chen, M-L; Coyne, DG; Delay, RS; Dingus, BL; Dorfan, DE; Ellsworth, RW; Evans, D; Falcone, A; Fleysher, L; Fleysher, R; Gisler, G; Goodman, JA; Haines, TJ; Hoffman, CM; Hugenberger, S; Kelley, LA; Leonor, I; Macri, J; McConnell, M; McCullough, JF; McEnery, JE; Miller, RS; Mincer, AI; Morales, MF; Nemethy, P; Ryan, JM; Schneider, M; Shen, B; Shoup, A; Sinnis, G; Smith, AJ; Sullivan, GW; Thompson, TN; Tumer, OT; Wang, K; Wascko, MO; Westerhoff, S; Williams, DA; Yang, T; Yodh, GB
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Abstract
Solar Energetic Particles from the 6 November 1997 solar flare/CME(coronalmass ejection) with energies exceeding 10 GeV have been detected by Milagrito,a prototype of the Milagro Gamma Ray Observatory. While particle accelerationbeyond 1 GeV at the Sun is well established, few data exist for protons or ionsbeyond 10 GeV. The Milagro observatory, a ground based water Cherenkov detectordesigned for observing very high energy gamma ray sources, can also be used tostudy the Sun. Milagrito, which operated for approximately one year in 1997/98,was sensitive to solar proton and neutron fluxes above ~5- 10 GeV. Milagritooperated in a scaler mode, which was primarily sensitive to muons, low energyphotons, and electrons, and the detector operated in a mode sensitive toshowers and high zenith angle muons. In its scaler mode, Milagrito registered arate increase coincident with the 6 November 1997 ground level event observedby Climax and other neutron monitors. A preliminary analysis suggests thepresence of >10 GeV particles.