Charge States of Solar Energetic Particles Using the Geomagnetic Cutoff Technique: SAMPEX Measurements in the 6 November 1997 Solar Particle Event

Abstract

We report on the ionization states of ∼0.5–50 MeV/nucleon ions in the 6 November 1997 solar particle event using instrumentation on the SAMPEX satellite and the geomagnetic cutoff technique. Using the geomagnetic cutoffs of ∼10 MeV 4He and ∼20 MeV protons, we infer the ionization states of ∼0.5–50 MeV/nucleon C-Fe by measuring their latitude distributions. The geomagnetic cutoff method extends the measurement of ionization states beyond 10 MeV/nucleon, where charge state information is inaccessible with present electrostatic deflection techniques. In contrast to an increase of the Fe charge state observed above ∼20 MeV/nucleon in events in late 1992, we find in the 6 November 1997 event that Si & Fe charge states increased dramatically across 0.5–50 MeV/nucleon. While the origin of this newly discovered energy dependence is unknown, such significant event to event variations of solar particle charge states should be considered in models of acceleration and transport processes.