FERMI ACCELERATION OF SOLAR COSMIC RAYS

Fermi acceleration of solar relativistic protons has sometimes been discounted because ‘second order’ Fermi acceleration is inefficient and is considered to generate an energy-dependent spectrum, whereas the spectrums observed at the earth seem to show a greater simplicity when expressed in terms of rigidity [Webber, 1964]. A more efficient ‘first-order’ Fermi mechanism has been suggested recently [Wentzel, 1964a]. This note is to point out several features favoring Fermi acceleration. In particular, a great variety of energy- or rigidity-dependent spectrums can be generated by the Fermi mechanism, the spectral shape depending on the manner of escape from the region of acceleration.