Gamma rays from solar flares are not stronger than gamma rays produced by supernovae. While solar flares do emit gamma rays, these are relatively low in energy and intensity compared to the gamma rays generated by supernova explosions, which are among the most powerful events in the universe.
Solar flares are sudden, intense bursts of radiation caused by magnetic energy release in the Sun’s atmosphere. They produce radiation across the electromagnetic spectrum, including gamma rays, but these gamma rays are generally the result of interactions involving high-energy protons and ions accelerated during the flare. Although solar flare gamma rays can be very energetic and are significant in the context of solar and space weather, their energy output is limited by the scale of the Sun’s magnetic activity and the relatively small volume of plasma involved.
In contrast, supernovae are catastrophic explosions marking the death of massive stars. These explosions release enormous amounts of energy in a very short time, including vast quantities of gamma rays. The gamma rays from supernovae can be billions of times more energetic and intense than those from solar flares. This is because supernovae involve the collapse of a star’s core and the subsequent explosive ejection of its outer layers, processes that produce extremely high-energy photons and particles. Some supernovae also give rise to gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), which are the most powerful explosions observed in the universe, emitting more energy in seconds than the Sun will in its entire lifetime.
To put it simply, solar flare gamma rays are like sparks from a campfire, while supernova gamma rays are akin to the blast from a massive bomb. The scale, energy, and mechanisms behind supernova gamma rays dwarf those from solar flares by many orders of magnitude.
Solar flare gamma rays are important for understanding solar physics and space weather effects on Earth, such as radiation hazards to satellites and astronauts. They are produced by nuclear interactions in the Sun’s atmosphere and can be detected by space-based observatories. However, their energies typically range up to a few tens of MeV (million electron volts).
Supernova gamma rays, on the other hand, can reach energies far beyond that, often in the range of hundreds of keV (thousand electron volts) to many GeV (billion electron volts) and even higher in the case of gamma-ray bursts. These gamma rays originate from processes such as radioactive decay of heavy elements synthesized in the explosion, shock acceleration of particles, and relativistic jets in GRBs.
Moreover, gamma-ray bursts associated with some supernovae represent a unique class of gamma-ray emission that is transient but extraordinarily luminous. These bursts can outshine entire galaxies for brief moments and are detected across vast cosmic distances, indicating their immense power.
In summary, while both solar flares and supernovae produce gamma rays, the gamma rays from supernovae are vastly stronger in terms of energy and intensity. Solar flare gamma rays are significant locally within our solar system, but supernova gamma rays dominate on a cosmic scale, reflecting the fundamental differences in the physical processes and energies involved in these two phenomena.
