Causes of an AD 774-775 14C increase
Abstract
Atmospheric 14C production is a potential window into the energy of solar proton and other cosmic ray events. It was previously concluded that results from AD 774-775 are orders of magnitude greater than known solar events. We find that the coronal mass ejection energy based on 14C production is much smaller than claimed, but still substantially larger than the maximum historical Carrington Event of 1859. Such an event would cause great damage to modern technology, and in view of recent confirmation of superflares on solar-type stars, this issue merits attention.
- Publication:
-
Nature
- Pub Date:
- November 2012
- DOI:
- 10.1038/nature11695
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1212.0490
- Bibcode:
- 2012Natur.491E...1M
- Keywords:
-
- Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics;
- Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics;
- Physics - Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics;
- Physics - Space Physics
- E-Print:
- Published online Nature Nov 29, 2012