Solar Neutron Decay Protons observed in November 7, 2004

We have found an interesting event registered by the solar neutron telescopes installed at high mountains in Bolivia (5250m a.s.l.) and Mexico (4600m a.s.l.). The event was observed November 7th of 2004 in association with a large solar flare of magnitude X2.0. Some features in our registers and in two satellites (GOES11 and SOHO) reveal the presence of electrons and protons as possible products of neutron decay. Solar neutron decay protons (sndp) were recorded on board ISEE3 satellite in June 3rd, 1982. On October 19th, 1989, the ground level detectors installed in Goose Bay and Deep River revealed the registration of solar neutron decay protons (sndp). Therefore this is the second example that such an evidence is registered on the Earth´s surface.Key words: Solar neutron decay protons, Solar flare, Solar Energetic particles,Particle acceleration

Possible detection of solar gamma-rays by ground-level detectors in solar flares on 2011 March 7

On 2011 March 7, the Solar Neutron Telescope located at Mt. Sierra Negra, Mexico (4600 m) observed enhancements of the counting rate from 19:57 to 20:04 UT with statistical significance 6.8σ and from 20:36 to 21:03 UT with 5.8σ. One plausible physical explanation for the observation enhancements is that they were produced by solar gamma-rays. The intensities were estimated to be (0.16 ± 0.03) photons cm−2 s−1 for the first flare and (0.22 ± 0.04) photons cm−2 s−1 for the second one at the top of the atmosphere. As far as we know, this is the first report on the detection of solar gamma-rays with a ground-based detector. In association with these events, the solar neutron detector Space Environment Data Acquisition Equipment on board the International Space Station registered two solar neutrons with statistical significances of 7.3σ and 6.6σ. The Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi observatory also observed high-energy gamma-rays from this flare with a statistical significance of 6.7σ. In this paper we propose a unified model to explain the production mechanism of high-energy gamma-rays and neutrons in association with this flare.

Atmospheric corrections of the cosmic ray fluxes detected by the Solar Neutron Telescope at the Summit of the Sierra Negra Volcano in Mexico

Un Telescopio de Neutrones Solares (TNS) fue instalado en la cima del volcán Sierra Negra, Pue., México (19.0º N , 97.3º W, 4580 m sobre el nivel del mar); el cual se encuentra en operación desde el 2004. En este trabajo, utilizamos los valores de la presión barométrica, de la presión dinámica, de la temperatura ambiental y de la humedad relativa obtenidos por una estación meteorológica cercana al TNS, para calcular los coeficientes de corrección atmosféricos para el flujo registrado de rayos cósmicos. Cuando los datos de rayos cósmicos están libres de las variaciones de origen atmosférico, analizamos los perfiles de tiempo observados por el TNS durante seis decrecimientos tipo Forbush seleccionados para el período 2011-2013. Los resultados obtenidos por varios canales de depósito de energía (30,60,90 MeV) son discutidos para establecer la confiabilidad del TNS para este tipo de eventos.