28 February 2017 marked the 75th anniversary of the first confident detection of solar cosmic rays (SCRs), the term referring to accelerated solar particles with energies from about 10⁶ to ∼ 10¹⁰—10¹¹ eV. The present paper reviews the key observational and theoretical results on SCRs that have been accumulated over this period. The history of the discovery of SCRs is briefly described together with SCR recording techniques and instruments, and some physical, methodical and practical aspects of SCR generation are discussed in more detail. Special attention is given to charged particle acceleration mechanisms at and near the Sun. Current ideas on the interaction of solar cosmic rays with the solar atmosphere, their transport in interplanetary magnetic fields, Earth's magnetospheric movements and their impact on the Earth's atmosphere are reviewed. It is shown that this field of space physics produced many results of fundamental interest for astrophysics, solar-terrestrial physics, geophysics and practical cosmonautics (astronautics).

Keywords: Sun, solar flares, particle acceleration, solar cosmic rays PACS: 61.05.fg, 61.46.−w, 75.50.Mm (all) DOI: 10.3367/UFNe.2017.03.038091 URL: https://ufn.ru/en/articles/2018/4/a/ 000439002500001 2-s2.0-85050638114 2018PhyU...61..323M Citation: Miroshnichenko L I "Solar cosmic rays: 75 years of research" Phys. Usp. 61 323–352 (2018) BibTexBibNote ® (generic)BibNote ® (RIS)MedlineRefWorks Received: 29th, December 2016, revised: 28th, February 2017, accepted: 9th, March 2017 Оригинал: Мирошниченко Л И «Солнечные космические лучи: 75 лет исследований» УФН 188 345–376 (2018); DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.2017.03.038091