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Periodic Solar Flare X-ray Emission

Abstract

GLENCROSS1 has reported the observation of an apparent 6 min periodicity during X-ray flares observed in the 0.1 to 0.3 nm wavelength band. The detector was a soft X-ray sensor on the satellite OSO-IV launch in 1967. The observed flare profiles were examined in more than thirty X-ray events coincident with visible flares, and a histogram was constructed showing the separation of peaks. The results showed such strong evidence for peak separations being multiples of 6 min that we began a search for similar peak spacing in X-ray data for a similar wavelength interval derived from scintillation detectors aboard the satellites Vela V (launched on May 23, 1969) and Vela VI (launched on April 8, 1970). The results of our search have not confirmed the 6 min periodicity.

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References

  1. Glencross, W. M., Nature, 228, 654 (1970).

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  2. Blocker, N. K., Chambers, W. H., Fehlau, P. E., Fuller, J. C., Kunz, W. E., and Milkey, R. W., Solar Phys. (in the press).

  3. Solar Geophysical Data (Comprehensive Reports) (US Department of Commerce).

  4. Sheeley, jun., N. R., and Bhatnagar, A., Solar Phys. (in the press).

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FEHLAU, P., CHAMBERS, W., FULLER, J. et al. Periodic Solar Flare X-ray Emission. Nature 232, 42–43 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/232042a0

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