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The present investigation attempts to quantify the temporal variation of Solar Flare Index (SFI) with other activity indices during solar cycles 21 – 24 by using different techniques such as linear regression, correlation, cross-correlation with phase lag-lead, etc. Different Solar Activity Indices (SAI) considered in this present study are Sunspot Number (SSN), 10.7 cm Solar Radio Flux (F10.7), Coronal Index (CI) and MgII Core-to-Wing Ratio (MgII). The maximum cycle amplitude of SFI and considered SAI has a decreasing trend from solar cycle 22, and cycle 24 is the weakest solar cycle among all other cycles. The SFI with SSN, F10.7, CI and MgII shows hysteresis during all cycles except for solar cycle 22 where both paths for ascending and descending phases are intercepting each other, thereby representing a phase reversal. A positive hysteresis circulation exists between SFI and considered SAI during solar cycles 22 and 23, whereas a negative circulation exists in cycles 21 and 24. SFI has a high positive correlation with coefficient values of 0.92, 0.94, 0.84 and 0.81 for SSN, F10.7, CI and MgII respectively. According to cross-correlation analysis, SFI has a phase lag with considered SAI during an odd-number solar cycle (solar cycles 21 and 23) but no phase lag/lead during an even-numbered solar cycle (solar cycles 22 and 24). However, the entire smoothed monthly average SFI data indicate an in-phase relationship with SSN, F10.7 and MgII, and a one-month phase lag with CI. The presence of those above characteristics strongly confirms the outcomes of different research work with various solar indices and the highest correlation exists between SFI and SSN as well as F10.7 which establishes that SFI may be considered as one of the prime activity indices to interpret the characteristics of the Sun’s active region as well as for more accurate short-range or long-range forecasting of solar events.

The Solar Flare Index is regarded as one of the most important solar indices in the field of solarterrestrial research. It has the maximum effect on Earth of all other solar activity indices and is being considered for describing the short-lived dynamo action inside the Sun. This paper attempts to study the short as well as long-term temporal fluctuations in the chromosphere region of the Sun using the Solar Flare Index. The daily Solar Flare Index for Northern, Southern Hemisphere and Total Disk are considered for a period from January 1976 to December 2014 (total 14 245 days) for chaotic as well as periodic analysis. The 0–1 test has been employed to investigate the chaotic behavior associated with the Solar Flare Index. This test revealed that the time series data is non-linear and multi-periodic in nature with deterministic chaotic features. For periodic analysis, the Raleigh Power Spectrum algorithm has been used for identifying the predominant periods within the data along with their confidence score. The well-known fundamental period of 27 days and 11 years along with their harmonics are well affirmed in our investigation with a period of 28 days and 10.77 years. The presence of 14 days and 7 days periods in this investigation states the short-lived action inside the Sun. Our investigation also demonstrates the presence of other mid-range periods including the famous Rieger type period which are very much confirming the results obtained by other authors using various solar activity indicators.

In order to increase scientific literacy and the knowledge of science and technology of Europe's citizens, the European Commission suggests a more student-centred implementation of natural sciences in education systems. Inquiry-based learning (IBL) is not only an accepted method to promote students' interest and motivation, it also helps students learn the scientific method and fosters their research skills. However, IBL is rarely used in European classrooms. The main reason is that due to the strict curricula teachers do not have the time for preparation and they do not feel well equipped and trained in the use of IBL methods in class. The Photonics Explorer programme addresses these problems on the European level. Within the programme, a pan-European collaboration of professors, teachers and photonics experts have developed the Photonics Explorer kit for the teaching of optics and light-related topics in physics across various European secondary school curricula. It is designed for intra-curricular use and contains specially designed, hands-on experimental components, worksheets based on guided IBL and multimedia material. Additionally, the kit provides a teacher guide with a suggested lesson outline and sufficient background information for each topic.