Characteristics of events with metric-to-decahectometric type II radio bursts associated with CMEs and flares in relation to SEP events

A gradual solar energetic particle (SEP) event is thought to happen when particles are accelerated at a shock due to a fast coronal mass ejection (CME). To quantify what kind of solar eruptions can result in such SEP events, we have conducted detailed investigations on the characteristics of CMEs, solar flares and m-to-DH wavelength type II radio bursts (herein after m-to-DH type II bursts) for SEP-associated and non-SEP-associated events, observed during the period of 1997-2012. Interestingly, 65% of m-to-DH type II bursts associated with CMEs and flares produced SEP events. The SEP-associated CMEs have higher sky-plane mean speed, projection corrected speed, and sky-plane peak speed than those of non-SEP-associated CMEs respectively by 30%, 39%, and 25%, even though the two sets of CMEs achieved their sky-plane peak speeds at nearly similar heights within LASCO field of view. We found Pearson's correlation coefficients between the speeds of CMEs speeds and logarithmic peak intensity of SEP events are cc = 0.62 and cc = 0.58, respectively. We also found that the SEP-associated CMEs are on average of three times more decelerated (-21.52 m/s2) than the non-SEP-associated CMEs (-5.63 m/s2). The SEP-associated m type II bursts have higher frequency drift rate and associated shock speed than those of the non-SEP-associated events by 70% and 25% respectively. The average formation heights of m and DH type II radio bursts for SEP-associated events are lower than for non-SEP-associated events. 93% of SEP-associated events originate from the western hemisphere and 65% of SEP-associated events are associated with interacting CMEs. The obtained results indicate that, at least for the set of CMEs associated with m-to-DH type II bursts, SEP-associated CMEs are more energetic than those not associated with SEPs, thus suggesting that they are effective particle accelerators.Comment: 19 pages, 10 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication by ApS

NIRS potential use for the determination of natural resources quality from dehesa (acorn and grass) in Montanera system for Iberian pigs.

NIRS technology has been used as an alternative to conventional methods to determinate the content of nutrients of acorns and grass from dehesa ecosystem. Dry matter (DM), crude fat (CF), crude protein (CP), starch, total phenolic compounds (TP), α-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, fatty acids, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), total antioxidant activity (TAA) and total energy (TE) were determined by conventional methods for later development of NIRS predictive equations. The NIR spectrum of each sample was collected and for all studied parameters, a predictive model was obtained and external validated. Good prediction equations were obtained for moisture, crude fat, crude protein, total energy and γ-tocopherol in acorns samples, with high coefficients of correlation (1-VR) and low standard error of prediction (SEP) (1-VR=0.81, SEP=2.62; 1-VR=0.92, SEP=0.54; 1-VR=0.86, SEP=0.47; 1-VR=0.84, SEP=0.2; 1-VR=0.88, SEP=5.4, respectively) and crude protein, NDF, α-tocopherol and linolenic acid content in grass samples (1-VR=0.9, SEP=1.99; 1-VR=0.87, SEP=4.13; 1-VR=0.76, SEP=10.9; 1-VR=0.82, SEP=0.6, respectively). Therefore, these prediction models could be used to determinate the nutritional composition of Montanera natural resources

Solar energetic particle access to distant longitudes through turbulent field-line meandering

Context. Current solar energetic particle (SEP) propagation models describe the effects of interplanetary plasma turbulence on SEPs as diffusion, using a Fokker-Planck (FP) equation. However, FP models cannot explain the observed fast access of SEPs across the average magnetic field to regions that are widely separated in longitude within the heliosphere without using unrealistically strong cross-field diffusion. Aims. We study whether the recently suggested early non-diffusive phase of SEP propagation can explain the wide SEP events with realistic particle transport parameters. Methods. We used a novel model that accounts for the SEP propagation along field lines that meander as a result of plasma turbulence. Such a non-diffusive propagation mode has been shown to dominate the SEP cross-field propagation early in the SEP event history. We compare the new model to the traditional approach, and to SEP observations. Results. Using the new model, we reproduce the observed longitudinal extent of SEP peak fluxes that are characterised by a Gaussian profile with σ = 30 − 50◦ , while current diffusion theory can only explain extents of 11◦ with realistic diffusion coefficients. Our model also reproduces the timing of SEP arrival at distant longitudes, which cannot be explained using the diffusion model. Conclusions. The early onset of SEPs over a wide range of longitudes can be understood as a result of the effects of magnetic fieldline random walk in the interplanetary medium and requires an SEP transport model that properly describes the non-diffusive early phase of SEP cross-field propagation

Long-term outcomes of a randomized clinical trial of supervised exercise, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty or combined treatment for patients with intermittent claudication due to femoropopliteal disease

Background: To compare the long-term outcomes of angioplasty (PTA), supervised exercise (SEP) and combined treatment (PTA+SEP) in patients with intermittent claudication (IC) due to femoropopliteal disease. Methods: Patients recruited to PTA, SEP and PTA+SEP arms of RCT were invited for long-term follow-up from 2010 to 2011.Indicators of limb ischaemia were recorded (ankle-brachial pressure indices, treadmill walking distances (ICD, MWD, PRWD). Duplex ultrasound was also performed. Patients completed SF36 and Vascuqol quality of life(QOL) questionnaires. Results: Of the 178 patients recruited in the trial, 139 were alive at the time of follow-up (PTA=46, SEP=47, PTA+SEP=46). Assessments were completed for 111 patients. Median time to follow-up was 5.2years (IQR 3.8-7.4years). Median age of patients at follow up was 75years. 62.2%(N=69) of patients were symptomatic.16.2%(N= 18) had experienced major cardiovascular event since their last follow-up visit. Intra-group analysis: Improvement was observed in ankle brachial pressure index (ABPI) in all groups. QOL outcomes were inconsistent across individual groups. Inter-group analysis: PTA and PTA+SEP groups demonstrated a significantly higher ABPI as compared to SEP group. No significant difference was observed in walking distances, QOL outcomes, restenosis rates, and new ipsilateral and contralateral lesions on duplex scan. Patients required re-interventions in all group (PTA=14, SEP=10, PTA+SEP=6). Number of re-interventions was higher in PTA group(N=29) as compared to SEP(N=17) and PTA+SEP(N=9) but failed to reach statistical significance. Conclusion: PTA, SEP and combined treatment are equally effective long-term treatment options for patients with femoropopliteal claudication. Addition of SEP to PTA can reduce the symptomatic restenosis and re-intervention rates

Solar Coronal Abundances of Rare Elements Based on Solar Energetic Particles

Although solar energetic particle (SEP) abundances vary from event to event, it has been shown that by accounting for these variations it is possible to use SEP data to obtain reliable estimates of elemental abundances for the solar corona. We analyze ~20 to 65 MeV/nucleon measurements from the Solar Isotope Spectrometer on ACE in large SEP events observed from November 1997 to January 2001 to obtain new values of the average SEP composition of rare species, P, Cl, K, Ti, Mn, Cr, Co, Cu, and Zn, which have had limited statistical accuracy in SEPs in the past. The measured SEP abundances are compared with other sources of solar-system composition data

Factors Affecting The Intensity of Solar Energetic Particle Events

This paper updates the influence of environmental and source factors of shocks driven by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that are likely to influence the solar energetic particle (SEP) events. The intensity variation due to CME interaction reported in [1] is confirmed by expanding the investigation to all the large SEP events of solar cycle 23. The large SEP events are separated into two groups, one associated with CMEs running into other CMEs, and the other with CMEs running into the ambient solar wind. SEP events with CME interaction generally have a higher intensity. New possibilities such as the influence of coronal holes on the SEP intensity are also discussed. For example, the presence of a large coronal hole between a well-connected eruption and the solar disk center may render the shock poorly connected because of the interaction between the CME and the coronal hole. This point is illustrated using the 2004 December 3 SEP event delayed by about 12 hours from the onset of the associated CME. There is no other event at the Sun that can be associated with the SEP onset. This event is consistent with the possibility that the coronal hole interaction influences the connectivity of the CMEs that produce SEPs, and hence the intensity of the SEP event.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, 2 table