Self-consistent Modeling of Gamma-ray Spectra from Solar Flares with the Monte Carlo Simulation Package FLUKA

Author(s)

Tusnski, Daneele S. ^[1] ; Szpigel, Sergio ^[1] ; Gimenez de Castro, Carlos Guillermo ^{[1, 2]} ; MacKinnon, Alexander L. ^[3] ; Simoes, Paulo Jose A. ^{[3, 1]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Presbiteriana Mackenzie, Escola Engn, CRAAM, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Consejo Nacl Invest Cient & Tecn, Inst Astron & Fis Espacio, Buenos Aires, DF - Argentina

^[3] Univ Glasgow, Sch Phys & Astron, Glasgow, Lanark - Scotland

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: SOLAR PHYSICS; v. 294, n. 8 AUG 12 2019.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

We use the Monte Carlo particle physics code FLUKA (Fluktuierende Kaskade) to calculate gamma-ray spectra expected from solar flare energetic ion distributions. The FLUKA code includes robust physics-based models for electromagnetic, hadronic and nuclear interactions, sufficiently detailed for it to be a useful tool for calculating nuclear de-excitation, positron-annihilation and neutron-capture line fluxes and shapes, as well as approximate to GeV continuum radiation from pion decay products. We show nuclear de-excitation gamma-ray line model spectra from a range of assumed primary accelerated ion distributions and find them to be in good agreement with those found using the code of Murphy et al. (2009). We also show full gamma-ray model spectra which exhibit all the typical structures of gamma-ray spectra observed in solar flares. From these model spectra we build templates which are incorporated into the software package Objective Spectral Executive (OSPEX) and used to fit the combined Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM)/Large Area Telescope (LAT)spectrum of the 2010 June 12 solar flare, providing a statistically acceptable result. To the best of our knowledge, the fit carried out with the FLUKA templates for the full gamma-ray spectrum can be regarded as the first attempt to use a single code to implement a self-consistent treatment of the several spectral components in the photon energy range from approximate to 100s keV to approximate to 100s MeV. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 09/18386-7 - Integrated modelling of radio and X-ray emission during solar flares
• Grantee: Carlos Guillermo Giménez de Castro
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 17/13282-5 - Modelling of nuclear processes in solar flares using Monte Carlo simulation packages
• Grantee: Sérgio Szpigel
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants