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2021-10-05, 15:00: Dr. Stephanie Yardley (UCL)

Dr. Stephanie Yardley

University College London, UK

The Elusive Sources of Solar Energetic Particles

Abstract: Solar energetic particles (SEPs) are accelerated by magnetic reconnection-driven processes during solar flares and by CME-driven shocks. Large gradual SEP events, associated with high energy protons (up to tens of GeV) can cause hazardous space weather conditions at Earth and hence pose a severe radiation risk for crewed spaceflight and a significant threat to near-Earth technological assets. However, we currently do not fully understand where SEPs originate from and what specific features in a solar active region could be the sources of SEPs. In this work, we have used observations from multiple space-based missions along with magnetic field modelling to identify specific features in solar active regions, particularly what parameters, configuration and evolution of the magnetic field are important in SEP-productive source regions and eruptive events. SEP forecasting would hugely benefit from a more advanced understanding of the role of the parent source regions and their characteristics.