[Elecraft] CME off reflector...not technical expert

[John Ragle]

Lee...

     There is a vague similarity between a CME and what the weapons 
people call an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) weapon. The major difference 
is that we are somewhat protected from solar events by our atmosphere, 
although in the case of the one you refer to in the late 1800s, enough 
got through to create havoc.

     The worst aspect of an EMP or a very strong CME is that the 
particles involved directly damage the semiconductors in 
electronics...about the only thing you can do as protection from a 
really strong event is to put heavy shielding around the gear. Think 
lead sheet or tinfoil hats, etc. An EMP weapon will produce sudden, very 
intense electric fields (lots of photons) which will induce current flow 
in conductors, roasting them. A CME is usually composed of particles 
(e.g. protons) not photons, so in this case, think ion-implantation 
technology used for doping semiconductors, except the "dopant" is from 
the sun, not from a machine. In addition to the protons that come from 
the sun's envelope, there will be secondary junk from our 
atmosphere...the same things that produce the reds and greens (oxygen 
and nitrogen) in an aurora.

     If a CME comes along with an electromagnetic disturbance, the 
latter will arrive at the speed of light, i.e. rather promptly, while 
the particles (the MASS in CME) will come along later. In recent events, 
it has been 24-48 hours for that stuff to get here.

John Ragle -- W1ZI
=====

On 4/27/2011 11:44 AM, Lee Buller wrote:
> I know there are a lot of very smart people on this reflector and centuries of
> expertise and knowledge.  So, that is why I have come here to this "august" body
> of technical experts....
>
> CME or Coronal Mass Ejection.  I know that these can happen very easily and now
> that the sun has become more active, I wonder what one can do to protect their
> electronics from harm during one of these events.  I know the VHF guys would
> like to see these things ... but I have read that these things can cause havoc
> to electronics.
>
> So...how does one protect their K3/K2 etc from such and event?