How does the intensity of a major Solar Particle Event (SPE) compare to the background flux of Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs)?
Answer
The intensity of a major SPE can swamp the background GCR flux, delivering a high dose quickly.
While GCRs represent a steady, long-term dose, an intense SPE is characterized by a sudden, much higher dose delivery in a short period, which can overwhelm the background GCR levels.
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