The results of an experimental investigation of energy spectra of flare particles

On the basis of observations carried out on the Prognoz and Venera spacecraft in 1977-1979, the energy spectra of solar flare electrons and protons were obtained. The observations were performed in the energy range 0.03-3.0 MeV for electrons and 0.1-5.0 MeV for protons. The method used to derive the energy spectra from the unprocessed data is described, and some discontinuities in the proton spectra for energies less than 1-2 MeV are explained by means of a statistical analysis. The statistical results are used to calculate the height of the acceleration region in the solar atmosphere. Estimates of the number of energetic particles injected into interplanetary space during a solar flare event are also given.