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R.J. Murphy (Naval Research Laboratory)
With the launch of HESSI at the peak of Cycle 23 combined high-resolution spectra and images in the hard X- and \gamma-ray domains will be available to the scientific communities for the first time. When the original HESP instruments were scaled to the SMEX envelope some capability at high energies was compromised. The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) will provide the high-energy data to complement the HESSI observations. All four instruments on CGRO are still operating and can observe solar flare emissions over 5 decades in energy from 10 keV to 1 GeV with temporal resolution down to ms and moderate spectral resolution (~8% at 0.662 keV). The Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) provides the most sensitive monitor for weak flares and triggers solar flare collections of the other three instruments, in addition to providing broad band spectroscopy from 20 keV to 10 MeV. The best spectroscopic observations will be conducted by the Oriented Scintillation Spectrometer Experiment (OSSE) over the range from 50 keV to 10 MeV either during extended solar observations or in response to BATSE solar flare triggers. It also measures higher energy \gamma rays and neutrons up to a few hundred MeV. COMPTEL (the Imaging Compton Telescope) provides the most sensitive instrument for detecting \gamma rays from 1 to 30 MeV and neutrons up to ~100 MeV. The Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) provides the most sensitive high-energy spectroscopy using its large total absorption calorimeter and its spark chamber imaging system (has only limited capability). Plans are to provide the data to the scientific community as soon as possible via the Web. An example of this capability is available at http://gamma.nrl.navy.mil/solarflare/flarelib.htm.
If the author provided an email address or URL for general inquiries,
it is as follows:
http://gamma.nrl.navy.mil/solarflare/flarelib.htm