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Multiradionuclide evidence for the solar origin of the cosmic-ray events of AD 774/5 and 993/4

Author

Listed:
  • Florian Mekhaldi

    (Lund University)

  • Raimund Muscheler

    (Lund University)

  • Florian Adolphi

    (Lund University)

  • Ala Aldahan

    (United Arab Emirates University
    Uppsala University)

  • Jürg Beer

    (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology)

  • Joseph R. McConnell

    (Desert Research Institute)

  • Göran Possnert

    (Tandem Laboratory, Uppsala University)

  • Michael Sigl

    (Desert Research Institute
    Laboratory for Radiochemistry and Environmental Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institut)

  • Anders Svensson

    (Center for Ice and Climate, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen)

  • Hans-Arno Synal

    (Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zürich)

  • Kees C. Welten

    (Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California)

  • Thomas E. Woodruff

    (PRIME Laboratory, Purdue University)

Abstract

The origin of two large peaks in the atmospheric radiocarbon (14C) concentration at AD 774/5 and 993/4 is still debated. There is consensus, however, that these features can only be explained by an increase in the atmospheric 14C production rate due to an extraterrestrial event. Here we provide evidence that these peaks were most likely produced by extreme solar events, based on several new annually resolved 10Be measurements from both Arctic and Antarctic ice cores. Using ice core 36Cl data in pair with 10Be, we further show that these solar events were characterized by a very hard energy spectrum with high fluxes of solar protons with energy above 100 MeV. These results imply that the larger of the two events (AD 774/5) was at least five times stronger than any instrumentally recorded solar event. Our findings highlight the importance of studying the possibility of severe solar energetic particle events.

Suggested Citation

  • Florian Mekhaldi & Raimund Muscheler & Florian Adolphi & Ala Aldahan & Jürg Beer & Joseph R. McConnell & Göran Possnert & Michael Sigl & Anders Svensson & Hans-Arno Synal & Kees C. Welten & Thomas E. , 2015. "Multiradionuclide evidence for the solar origin of the cosmic-ray events of AD 774/5 and 993/4," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:6:y:2015:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms9611
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9611
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    Cited by:

    1. Ilan Noy & Tomáš Uher, 2022. "Four New Horsemen of an Apocalypse? Solar Flares, Super-volcanoes, Pandemics, and Artificial Intelligence," Economics of Disasters and Climate Change, Springer, vol. 6(2), pages 393-416, July.
    2. Nicolas Brehm & Marcus Christl & Timothy D. J. Knowles & Emmanuelle Casanova & Richard P. Evershed & Florian Adolphi & Raimund Muscheler & Hans-Arno Synal & Florian Mekhaldi & Chiara I. Paleari & Hann, 2022. "Tree-rings reveal two strong solar proton events in 7176 and 5259 BCE," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.

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