Motions of Solar Cosmic Rays and the Properties of the General Magnetic Field of the Sun

Abstract

By the solar magnetic observations, it seems that the sun has a magnetic field of dipole character such that the intensity is about one gauss in the polar latitude regions and its polarity is inverse that of the earth. If this field results from a magnetic dipole that the sun may have, the value of this dipole moment is estimated as about 5×10³² gauss. cm³. On the assumption that the magnetic field from this dipole spreads out the outer space surrounding the sun, the orbits of the solar cosmic ray particles have been calculated based on some additive assumptions. It is concluded from these results that the solar dipole magnetic field mentioned above does not exist between the sun and the earth as it is since the existence of this field can not explain phenomena of the cosmic ray unusual increases associated with the large solar flares observed five times during the past. Therefore, although the magnetic field extending from the polar regions into the outer space is regarded as closing each other in this space, the features of this field may be remarkably different from the dipole character. Then, a probable configuration in the interplanetary space of the solar general magnetic field is introduced and discussed.