solar event

[Lester Slaback <Lester.Slaback@NIST.GOV>]

I received several notes privately that are worth passing on...
Good sites:
 http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov
 http://sec.noaa.gov/rt_plots/xray_1m.cgi

Also, from W. Maxson,
The "solar flare" you wrote about is actually a Coronal Mass Ejection, a
large plasma cloud, which just happens to be earth directed.  The largest
portion of radiation seen on the Concorde and other high alt, high latitude
flights is from Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR), or hi-Z particles from deep
space.  If a solar particle event (SPE) occurs, it can cause a temporary
increase in doses at ground levels, but these events are quite rare.

Regarding the solar wind disappearance event: Since that 'wind' screens the
earth from cosmic high energy particles presumably that component of our
background increased substantially during the period (10-12 May 99).  Has
anyone seen a reference to a quantification of that?

Regarding CMEs and SPEs, are the 0-1000 m doses (i.e., people doses)
predictable based on known characteristics of those events, or do we have
to wait-and-see?
Disclaimer:  the above are the personal musings of the author, and do not
represent any past, present, or future position of NIST, the U.S. government,
or anyone else who might think that they are in a position of authority. 
Lester Slaback, Jr.  [Lester.Slaback@NIST.GOV] 
NBSR Health Physics 
Center for Neutron Research 
NIST
100 Bureau Dr.  STOP 3543 
Gaithersburg, MD  20899-3543 
301 975-5810 voice
301 921-9847 fax
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