Ionospheric Response Caused by Solar Flares

We use the new SAVNET network to study 118 SPA events produced by solar flares that occurred between April 2007 and February 2011, corresponding to the minimum 23rd solar cycle and beginning of 24th solar cycle. For this period we detected events with intensities greater than GOES B6 class with a probability of 100%. Comparing the SPA’s normalized amplitudes, Φ, with the X-ray solar flux peak excess, the fluence (time-integrated photon fluxes) in the 0.5 – 2.0 Å band, Fx, and the ionospheric production peak we see that lower ionosphere has an exponential response with the solar flares. This behavior can be related with time delay for slower faints X-ray events and loss process during the evolution of the SPA.