An X class solar flare has the potential to remove our satellites from orbit, permanently deactivate our main forms of communication and bring humanity into a technology-free age. By using Geant4, it is possible to simulate several layers of the Earth's atmosphere and send a simulated solar flare and coronal mass ejection. This thesis will show the interaction of photons and protons of various energies with several kilometers of atmosphere.

This thesis examines the interpretations derived from the Kac Ring Model, and the adding of a modification to the original model via “kick backs,” which can be interpreted to represent time reversals in the individual Kac rings. The results of this modification are analyzed, and their implications explored. There are three main parts to this thesis. Part 1 is a literature review which explains the working principles of the original Kac ring and explores its numerous applications. Part 2 describes the software and the theoretical & computational methodology used to implement the model and gather data. Part 3 analyzes the data gathered and makes a conclusion about its implications. There is an appendix included which contains some figures from Part 3 in a larger size, as it wasn’t possible to make the figures bigger within the text due to formatting.