Abstract
This review summarizes both the direct spacecraft observations of non-relativistic solar electrons, and observations of the X-ray and radio emission generated by these particles at the Sun and in the interplanetary medium. These observations bear on three physical processes basic to energetic particle phenomena: (1) the acceleration of particles in tenuous plasmas; (2) the propagation of energetic charged particles in a disordered magnetic field, and (3) the interaction of energetic charged particles with tenuous plasmas to produce electromagnetic radiation. Because these electrons are frequently accelerated and emitted by the Sun, mostly in small and relatively simple flares, it is possible to define a detailed physical picture of these processes.
In many small solar flares non-relativistic electrons accelerated during flash phase constitute the bulk of the total flare energy. Thus the basic flare mechanism in these flares essentially converts the available flare energy into fast electrons. Non-relativistic electrons exhibit a wide variety of propagation modes in the interplanetary medium, ranging from diffusive to essentially scatter-free. This variability in the propagation may be explained in terms of the distribution of interplanetary magnetic field fluctuations. Type III solar radio burst emission is generated by these electrons as they travel out to 1 AU and beyond. Recent in situ observations of these electrons at 1 AU, accompanied by simultaneous observations of the low frequency radio emission generated by them at 1 AU provide quantitative information on the plasma processes involved in the generation of type III bursts.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allum, F. R., Palmeira, R. A. R., Rao, U. R., McCracken, K. G., Harries, J. H., and Palmer, I.: 1971, Solar Phys. 17, 241.
Alvarez, H., Haddock, F., and Lin, R. P.: 1972 Solar Phys. 26, 468.
Alven, H. and Carlqvist, P.: 1967, Solar Phys. 1, 220.
Anderson, K. A.: 1965, Proc. Ninth International Conf. on Cosmic Rays, London, p. 520.
Anderson, K. A.: 1969, Solar Phys. 6, 111.
Anderson, K. A., Kane, S. R., and Lin, R. P.: 1970, Proc International Seminar on the Problem of Cosmic Ray Generation on the Sun, Leningrad, U.S.S.R. (UC Space Sciences Laboratory Series 12, Issue 7).
Anderson, K. A. and Winckler, J. R.: 1962, J. Geophys. Res. 67, 4103.
Anderson, K. A. and Lin, R. P.: 1966, Phys. Rev. Letters 16, 1121.
Arnoldy, R. L., Kane, S. R., and Winckler, J. R.: 1968, Astrophys. J. 151, 711.
Axford, W. I.: 1965, Planetary Space Sci. 13, 1301.
Brown, J. C.: 1971, Solar Phys. 18, 450.
Brown, J. C.: 1972, Solar Phys. 25, 158.
Buneman, O.: 1959, Phys. Rev. 115, 503.
Cline, T. L. and McDonald, F. B.: 1968, Solar Phys. 5, 507.
Cohen, M. H.: 1958, Phys. Rev. 123, 711.
Datlowe, D.: 1971, Solar Phys. 17, 436.
Datlowe, D. and Lin, R. P.: 1973, Solar Phys. 32, 459.
de Jager, C.: 1969, in C. de Jager and Z. Švestka (eds.), ‘Solar Flares and Space Research’, COSPAR Symp., 1–15.
Earl, J. A.: 1973a Astrophys. J. 180, 227.
Earl, J. A.: 1973b, submitted to Astrophys. J..
Englade, R. C.: 1971, J. Geophys. Res. 76, 768.
Ellison, M. A.: 1949, Monthly Notices Roy. Astron. Soc. 109, 3.
Fainberg, J. and Stone, R. G.: 1971, Astrophysic. J. 164, L123.
Fainberg, J., Evans, L. G., and Stone, R. G.: 1972, Science 178, 743.
Fairfield, D. H.: 1969, J. Geophys. Res. 74, 3541.
Fan, C. Y., Gloeckler, G., and Simpson, J. A.: 1964, Phys. Rev. Letters 13, 149.
Fisk, L. A. and Axford, W. I.: 1969, Solar Phys. 7, 486.
Fisk, L. A. and Schatten, K. H.: 1972, Solar Phys. 23, 204.
Forbush, S. E.: 1946, Phys. Rev. 70, 771.
Frank, L. A. and Gurnett, D. A.: 1972, Solar Phys. 27, 446.
Friedman, M. and Hamberger, S. M.: 1968, Astrophys. J. 152, 667.
Friedman, M. and Hamberger, S. M.: 1969, Solar Phys. 8, 104.
Frost, K. J. and Dennis, B. R.: 1971, Astrophys. J. 165, 655.
Ginzburg, V. L. and Zheleznyakov, V. V., 1958, Soviet Astron. AJ 2, 653.
Giovanelli: 1958, Australian J. Phys. 11, 350.
Haddock, F. T. and Alvarez, H.: 1973, Solar Phys. 29, 183.
Hamberger, S. M. and Friedman, M.: Phys. Rev. Letters 21, 674.
Hamberger, S. M., Jancarik, J., Sharp, L. E., Aldcroft, D. A., and Wetherall, A.: 1971, Proc. International Conference Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear Fusion, Vol. II, 37.
Holt, S. S. and Ramaty, R.: 1969, Solar Phys. 8, 119.
Hudson, H. S.: 1972, Solar Phys. 24, 414.
Hudson, H. S., Peterson, L. E., and Schwartz, D. A.: 1969, Astrophys. J. 157, 389.
Hundhausen, A. J.: 1972, in C. P. Sonett, P. J. Coleman Jr., and J. M. Wilcox (eds.), Solar Wind, NASA SP-308, p. 393.
Jackson, J. D.: 1962, Classical Electrodynamics, J. Wiley and Sons, New York.
Jokipii, J. R.: 1971, Rev. Geophys. Space Sci. 9, 27.
Jokipii, J. R. and Parker, E. N.: 1968, Phys. Rev. Letters 21, 44.
Kahler, S. W. and Kreplin, R. W.: 1971, Astrophys. J. 168, 531.
Kahler, S. W., Meekins, J. F., Kreplin, R. W., and Bowyer, C. S.: 1970, Astrophys. J. 162, 293.
Kane, S. R.: 1971, Astrophys. J. 170, 587.
Kane, S. R.: 1972, Solar Phys. 27, 174.
Kane, S. R.: 1973, Bulletin A.A.S. 5, 274.
Kane, S. R. and Anderson, K. A.: 1970, Astrophys. J. 162, 1003.
Kane, S. R. and Donnelly, R. F.: 1971, Astrophys. J. 164, 151.
Kane, S. R. and Lin, R. P.: 1972, Solar Phys. 23, 457.
Krieger, A., Paolini, F., Vaiana, G. S., and Webb, D.: 1972, Solar Phys. 22, 150.
Krimigis, S. M.: 1965, J. Geophys. Res. 70, 2943.
Lin, R. P.: 1967, ‘Observations of Solar Flare Electrons in Interplanetary Space’, Ph. D. Thesis Physics Department, University of California, Berkeley.
Lin, R. P.: 1970, J. Geophys. Res. 75, 2583.
Lin, R. P.: 1970, Solar Phys. 12, 209.
Lin, R. P.: 1971a, Solar Phys. 15, 453.
Lin, R. P.: 1971b, Conference Papers, 12th International Conference on Cosmic Rays, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia 5, 1805.
Lin, R. P.: 1971c, Proc. International Seminar on the Acceleration of Particles in the Near-Earth and Interplanetary Space, Galaxy and Metagalaxy, Leningrad, U.S.S.R. (UC Space Sciences Laboratory Series 12, Issue 63).
Lin, R. P.: 1973, in R. Ramaty and R. G. Stone (eds.), High Energy Phenomena on the Sun Symposium Proceedings, Preprint X-693–73–193, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt.
Lin, R. P. and Anderson, K. A.: 1967, Solar Phys. 1, 446.
Lin, R. P. and Hudson, H. S.: 1971, Solar Phys. 17, 412.
Lin, R. P., Kahler, S. W., and Roelof, E. C.: 1968, Solar Phys. 4, 338.
Lin, R. P., Anderson, K. A., and Cline, T. L.: 1972, Phys. Rev. Letters 29, 1035.
Lin, R. P., Evans, L. G., and Fainberg, J.: 1973a, Astrophys. Letters 14, 191.
Lin, R. P., Wang, J. R., and Fisk, L. A.: 1973b, in preparation.
Malitson, H. H., Fainberg, J., and Stone, R. G.: 1973, submitted to Astrophys. Letters.
McCraken, K. G. and Rao, U. R.: 1970, Space Sci. Rev. 4, 155.
McDonald, F. B., VanHollenbecke, M., and Wang, J. R.: 1972, reported at A.A.S. Meeting, University of Maryland, April, 1972.
McGuire, R. E., Anderson, K. A., Chase, L. M., Lin, R. P., and McCoy, J. E.: 1972, Trans. AGU 53, 1086.
McKenzie, D. L., Datlowe, D. W., and Peterson, L. E.: 1973, Solar Phys. 28, 175.
Nathan, K. V. S. K. and Van Allen, J. A.: 1968, J. Geophys. Res. 73, 163.
Palmeira, R. A. R., Allum, F. R., and Rao, U. R.: 1971, Solar Phys. 21, 204.
Parker, E. N.: 1963, Interplanetary Dynamical Processes, Interscience Publishers, Chapter 8.
Peterson, L. D., Datlowe, D. W., and McKenzie, D. L.: 1973, in R. Ramaty and R. G. Stone (eds.), High Energy Phenomena on the Sun Symposium Proceedings, Preprint X-693–73–193, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt.
Petschek, H. E.: 1964, in W. N. Hess (ed.), The Physics of Solar Flares, NASA SP-50, p. 425.
Roelof, E. C. and Krimigis, S. M., 1973, J. Geophys. Res. 78, 5375.
Russell, C. T., Childers, D. D., and Coleman, P. J. Jr.: 1971, J. Geophys. Res. 76, 845.
Sari, J. W.: 1973, in R. Ramaty and R. G. Stone (eds.), High Energy Phenomena on the Sun Symposium Proceedings, Preprint X-693–73–193, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt.
Shmeleva, O. P. and Syrovatskii, S. I.: 1973, Solar Phys. 33, 341.
Simnett, G. M.: 1971, Solar Phys. 20, 448.
Simnett, G. M.L 1974, this issue, p. 257.
Smerd, S. F.: 1970, Proc. Astron. Soc. Australia 1, 305.
Smith, D. F.: 1970, Solar Phys. 15, 202.
Smith, D. F.: 1973, in R. Ramaty and R. G. Stone (eds.), High Energy Phenomena on the Sun Symposium Proceedings, Preprint X-693–73–193, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt.
Smith, D. F.: 1974, this issue, p. 91.
Smith, H. J. and Smith, E. P.: 1963, Solar Flares, MacMillan Co., New York.
Sullivan, J. D.: 1973, J. Geophys. Res., to be published.
Sweet, P. A.: 1969, Ann. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 7, 149.
Syrovatskii, S. I.: 1969, in C. de Jager and Z. Švestka, (eds.), ‘Solar Flares and Space Research’, COSPAR Symp., 346.
Takakura, T.: 1972, Solar Phys. 26, 151.
Thomas, R. J. and Neupert, W. M.: 1970, Bull. A.A.S. 2.
Trubnikov, B. A.: 1965, Rev. Plasma Phys. 1, 105.
VanAllen, J. A. and Krimigis, S. M.: 1965, J. Geophys. Res. 70, 5737.
Vorpahl, J. and Zirin, H.: 1968, Solar Phys. 11, 285.
Wang, J. R.: 1972, ‘The Coronal Transport of Flare-Associated Scatter-Free Electrons’, Goddard Space Flight Center Document X-661-72-76.
Wang, J. R., Fisk, L. A., and Lin, R. P.: 1971, Conference Papers, 12th International Conference Cosmic Rays, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia 2 438.
Wibberenz, G.: 1971, Invited and rapporteur papers, 12th International Conference Cosmic Rays, Hobart Tasmania, Australia, p. 204.
Wild, J. P.: 1950, Australian J. Sci. Res. A2, 541.
Wild, J. P., Murray, J. D., and Rowe, W. C.: 1954, Australian J. Phys. 7, 439.
Wild, J. P., Smerd, S. F., and Weiss, A. A.: 1963, Ann. Rev. Astron. Astrophys. 1, 291.
Zaitsev, V. V., Mityakov, N. A., and Rapoport, V. O.: 1972, Solar Phys. 24, 444.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lin, R.P. Non-relativistic solar electrons. Space Sci Rev 16, 189–256 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00240886
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00240886