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Sample records for heliospheric investigation secchi

  1. Father Secchi Goes to Washington

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCarthy, M. F.

    1994-12-01

    In 1848 a small group of Jesuit refugees arrived at Georgetown College near Washington, D.C. Among them was a young priest, Angelo Secchi, who had finished theology studies in Rome, but had not been able to complete his final examinations. This done successfully, Secchi turned to astronomy and the new facilities of the Georgetown College Observatory, directed by its founder, Fr. James Curley. During his two years in Washington, Secchi studied physics, wrote an article on Electrical Rheometry for the Smithsonian Institution, and formed a friendship with Matthew Fontaine Maury of the U.S. Navy, who headed the Chart Service and in 1844 was named superintendent of the National Observatory. This was later named the U.S. Naval Observatory. Secchi's friendships formed during the Washington visit proved most helpful for relations between European astronomers and U.S. colleagues. Secchi, after his return to Rome constructed the Observatory of the Collegio Romano atop the baroque Church of St. Ignatius in Rome and began his work in spectral classification of stars.

  2. Relationship between Secchi depth and the diffuse light attenuation coefficient in Danish estuaries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Murray, Ciarán; Markager, Stiig

    Analyis of temporal and spatial variation in the in the relationship between light attenuation and Secchi depth in Danish monitoring data There can be found timeseries of Secchi depth measurements in Danish waters which extend relatively far back in time. The Secchi depth measurement is therefore...... useful in that it allows comparison of present conditions with these older observations. An empirical inverse relationship between Secchi depth and light attenuation coefficient, Kd, has traditionally been used to estimate the light attenuation coefficient from Secchi depth measurements. However, studies...... have shown that the assumption of a constant inverse relationship between Kd and Secchi depth does not hold. The authors have analyzed measurements of Secchi depth and light attenuation from Danish monitoring data. The data used in our investigation was collected over a continuous period from 1986...

  3. Comparing Automatic CME Detections in Multiple LASCO and SECCHI Catalogs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hess, Phillip [NRC Research Associate, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC (United States); Colaninno, Robin C., E-mail: phillip.hess.ctr@nrl.navy.mil, E-mail: robin.colaninno@nrl.navy.mil [U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC (United States)

    2017-02-10

    With the creation of numerous automatic detection algorithms, a number of different catalogs of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) spanning the entirety of the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory ( SOHO ) Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) mission have been created. Some of these catalogs have been further expanded for use on data from the Solar Terrestrial Earth Observatory ( STEREO ) Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation (SECCHI) as well. We compare the results from different automatic detection catalogs (Solar Eruption Event Detection System (SEEDS), Computer Aided CME Tracking (CACTus), and Coronal Image Processing (CORIMP)) to ensure the consistency of detections in each. Over the entire span of the LASCO catalogs, the automatic catalogs are well correlated with one another, to a level greater than 0.88. Focusing on just periods of higher activity, these correlations remain above 0.7. We establish the difficulty in comparing detections over the course of LASCO observations due to the change in the instrument image cadence in 2010. Without adjusting catalogs for the cadence, CME detection rates show a large spike in cycle 24, despite a notable drop in other indices of solar activity. The output from SEEDS, using a consistent image cadence, shows that the CME rate has not significantly changed relative to sunspot number in cycle 24. These data, and mass calculations from CORIMP, lead us to conclude that any apparent increase in CME rate is a result of the change in cadence. We study detection characteristics of CMEs, discussing potential physical changes in events between cycles 23 and 24. We establish that, for detected CMEs, physical parameters can also be sensitive to the cadence.

  4. A Heuristic Approach to Remove the Background Intensity on White-light Solar Images. I. STEREO /HI-1 Heliospheric Images

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stenborg, Guillermo; Howard, Russell A. [Space Science Division, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 (United States)

    2017-04-10

    White-light coronal and heliospheric imagers observe scattering of photospheric light from both dust particles (the F-Corona) and free electrons in the corona (the K-corona). The separation of the two coronae is thus vitally important to reveal the faint K-coronal structures (e.g., streamers, co-rotating interaction regions, coronal mass ejections, etc.). However, the separation of the two coronae is very difficult, so we are content in defining a background corona that contains the F- and as little K- as possible. For both the LASCO-C2 and LASCO-C3 coronagraphs aboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory ( SOHO ) and the white-light imagers of the SECCHI suite aboard the Solar Terrestrial Relationships Observatory ( STEREO ), a time-dependent model of the background corona is generated from about a month of similar images. The creation of such models is possible because the missions carrying these instruments are orbiting the Sun at about 1 au. However, the orbit profiles for the upcoming Solar Orbiter and Solar Probe Plus missions are very different. These missions will have elliptic orbits with a rapidly changing radial distance, hence invalidating the techniques in use for the SOHO /LASCO and STEREO /SECCHI instruments. We have been investigating techniques to generate background models out of just single images that could be used for the Solar Orbiter Heliospheric Imager and the Wide-field Imager for the Solar Probe Plus packages on board the respective spacecraft. In this paper, we introduce a state-of-the-art, heuristic technique to create the background intensity models of STEREO /HI-1 data based solely on individual images, report on new results derived from its application, and discuss its relevance to instrumental and operational issues.

  5. The Longitudinal Properties of a Solar Energetic Particle Event Investigated Using Modern Solar Imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-06-10

    and white light) and the longitudinal extent of the SEP event in the heliosphere. 15. SUBJECT TERMS 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION...The STEREO SECCHI data are pro- duced by a consortium of RAL (UK), NRL (USA), LMSAL (USA), GSFC (USA), MPS (Germany), CSL (Belgium), IOTA (France

  6. Secchi, Angelo (1818-78)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murdin, P.

    2000-11-01

    Born in Reggio Emilia, became a Jesuit and was exiled with the rest of the order by Mazzini's Roman Republic. After a period at Georgetown Observatory, he returned to Italy in 1849 as director of the Roman College Observatory, constructing a new observatory dome on top of the main pillars of the incomplete church of Saint Ignazio. Secchi used its telescopes for solar and stellar research, one of ...

  7. Deriving the radial distances of wide coronal mass ejections from elongation measurements in the heliosphere – application to CME-CME interaction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. I. Roussev

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available We present general considerations regarding the derivation of the radial distances of coronal mass ejections (CMEs from elongation angle measurements such as those provided by SECCHI and SMEI, focusing on measurements in the Heliospheric Imager 2 (HI-2 field of view (i.e. past 0.3 AU. This study is based on a three-dimensional (3-D magneto-hydrodynamics (MHD simulation of two CMEs observed by SECCHI on 24–27 January 2007. Having a 3-D simulation with synthetic HI images, we are able to compare the two basic methods used to derive CME positions from elongation angles, the so-called "Point-P" and "Fixed-φ" approximations. We confirm, following similar works, that both methods, while valid in the most inner heliosphere, yield increasingly large errors in HI-2 field of view for fast and wide CMEs. Using a simple model of a CME as an expanding self-similar sphere, we derive an analytical relationship between elongation angles and radial distances for wide CMEs. This relationship is simply the harmonic mean of the "Point-P" and "Fixed-φ" approximations and it is aimed at complementing 3-D fitting of CMEs by cone models or flux rope shapes. It proves better at getting the kinematics of the simulated CME right when we compare the results of our line-of-sights to the MHD simulation. Based on this approximation, we re-analyze the J-maps (time-elongation maps in 26–27 January 2007 and present the first observational evidence that the merging of CMEs is associated with a momentum exchange from the faster ejection to the slower one due to the propagation of the shock wave associated with the fast eruption through the slow eruption.

  8. The Heliosphere in Space

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frisch, P. C.; Hanson, A. J.; Fu, P. C.

    2008-12-01

    A scientifically accurate visualization of the Journey of the Sun through deep space has been created in order to share the excitement of heliospheric physics and scientific discovery with the non-expert. The MHD heliosphere model of Linde (1998) displays the interaction of the solar wind with the interstellar medium for a supersonic heliosphere traveling through a low density magnetized interstellar medium. The camera viewpoint follows the solar motion through a virtual space of the Milky Way Galaxy. This space is constructed from real data placed in the three-dimensional solar neighborhood, and populated with Hipparcos stars in front of a precisely aligned image of the Milky Way itself. The celestial audio track of this three minute movie includes the music of the heliosphere, heard by the two Voyager satellites as 3 kHz emissions from the edge of the heliosphere. This short heliosphere visualization can be downloaded from http://www.cs.indiana.edu/~soljourn/pub/AstroBioScene7Sound.mov, and the full scientific data visualization of the Solar Journey is available commercially.

  9. Plasmas in the outer heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belcher, J. W.; Richardson, J. D.; Lazarus, A. J.; Gazis, P. R.; Barnes, A.

    1995-01-01

    We review the observed properties of the solar wind in the outer heliosphere, including observations from Voyager and the Pioneers, as well as from inner heliospheric probes as appropriate. These observations are crucial to modeling of the heliosphere and its interactions with the interstellar medium, since the wind ram pressure and its temporal variations are important in understanding the distance to the termination shock and heliopause and how those boundaries might vary in time. We focus on results since Solar Wind 7. Among the issues we will discuss are: (1) the time scales for and statistical properties of variations in the ram pressure in the outer heliosphere, and how those variations might affect the morphology of the heliospheric/interstellar medium interface; (2) the question of possible solar wind slowing in the outer heliosphere due to the pick-up of interstellar ions; (3) the issue of whether there is bulk heating of the solar wind associated either with interstellar ion pick-up or with continued heating due to stream-stream interactions; (4) evidence for latitudinal variations in solar wind properties; and (5) the 1.3 year periodicities apparent in the outer heliosphere, and the close correspondence with similar variations seen with inner heliospheric probes.

  10. Combining Stereo SECCHI COR2 and HI1 Images for Automatic CME Front Edge Tracking

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirnosov, Vladimir; Chang, Lin-Ching; Pulkkinen, Antti

    2016-01-01

    COR2 coronagraph images are the most commonly used data for coronal mass ejection (CME) analysis among the various types of data provided by the STEREO (Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory) SECCHI (Sun-Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation) suite of instruments. The field of view (FOV) in COR2 images covers 215 solar radii (Rs) that allow for tracking the front edge of a CME in its initial stage to forecast the lead-time of a CME and its chances of reaching the Earth. However, estimating the lead-time of a CME using COR2 images gives a larger lead-time, which may be associated with greater uncertainty. To reduce this uncertainty, CME front edge tracking should be continued beyond the FOV of COR2 images. Therefore, heliospheric imager (HI1) data that covers 1590 Rs FOV must be included. In this paper, we propose a novel automatic method that takes both COR2 and HI1 images into account and combine the results to track the front edges of a CME continuously. The method consists of two modules: pre-processing and tracking. The pre-processing module produces a set of segmented images, which contain the signature of a CME, for both COR2 and HI1 separately. In addition, the HI1 images are resized and padded, so that the center of the Sun is the central coordinate of the resized HI1 images. The resulting COR2 andHI1 image set is then fed into the tracking module to estimate the position angle (PA) and track the front edge of a CME. The detected front edge is then used to produce a height-time profile that is used to estimate the speed of a CME. The method was validated using 15 CME events observed in the period from January 1, 2008 to August 31, 2009. The results demonstrate that the proposed method is effective for CME front edge tracking in both COR2 and HI1 images. Using this method, the CME front edge can now be tracked automatically and continuously in a much larger range, i.e., from 2 to 90 Rs, for the first time. These improvement scan greatly

  11. Status of Knowledge after Ulysses and SOHO: Session 2: Investigate the Links between the Solar Surface, Corona, and Inner Heliosphere.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suess, Steven

    2006-01-01

    As spacecraft observations of the heliosphere have moved from exploration into studies of physical processes, we are learning about the linkages that exist between different parts of the system. The past fifteen years have led to new ideas for how the heliospheric magnetic field connects back to the Sun and to how that connection plays a role in the origin of the solar wind. A growing understanding these connections, in turn, has led to the ability to use composition, ionization state, the microscopic state of the in situ plasma, and energetic particles as tools to further analyze the linkages and the underlying physical processes. Many missions have contributed to these investigations of the heliosphere as an integrated system. Two of the most important are Ulysses and SOHO, because of the types of measurements they make, their specific orbits, and how they have worked to complement each other. I will review and summarize the status of knowledge about these linkages, with emphasis on results from the Ulysses and SOHO missions. Some of the topics will be the global heliosphere at sunspot maximum and minimum, the physics and morphology of coronal holes, the origin(s) of slow wind, SOHO-Ulysses quadrature observations, mysteries in the propagation of energetic particles, and the physics of eruptive events and their associated current sheets. These specific topics are selected because they point towards the investigations that will be carried out with Solar Orbiter (SO) and the opportunity will be used to illustrate how SO will uniquely contribute to our knowledge of the underlying physical processes.

  12. The Energetic Neutral Atoms of the "Croissant" Heliosphere with Jets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kornbleuth, M. Z.; Opher, M.; Michael, A.

    2017-12-01

    Opher et al. (2015) suggests the heliosphere may have two jets in the tail-ward direction driven to the north and south. This new model, the "Croissant Heliosphere", is in contrast to the classically accepted view of a comet-like tail. We investigate the effect of the heliosphere with jets model on energetic neutral atom (ENA) maps. Regardless of the existence of a split tail, other models show heliosheath plasma confined by the toroidal magnetic field in a "slinky" structure, similar to astrophysical jets bent by the interstellar medium. Therefore, the confinement of the plasma should appear in the ENA maps. ENA maps from the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) have recently shown two high latitude lobes with excess ENA flux at higher energies in the tail of the heliosphere. These lobes could be a signature of the two jet structure of the heliosphere, while some have argued they are cause by the fast/slow solar wind profile. Here we present the ENA maps of the "Croissant Heliosphere" using initially a uniform solar wind. We incorporate pick-up ions (PUIs) into our model based on the kinetic modeling of Malama et al. (2006). We include the extinction of PUIs in the heliosheath and describe a locally created PUI population resulting from this extinction process. Additionally, we include the angular dependence of the PUIs based on the work of Vasyliunas & Siscoe (1976). With our model, we find that, in the presence of a uniform solar wind, the "heliosphere with jets" model is able to qualitatively reproduce the lobe structure of the tail seen in IBEX measurements. Turbulence also manifests itself within the lobes of the simulated ENA maps on the order of years. Finally we will present ENA maps using a time-dependent model of the heliosphere with the inclusion of solar cycle.

  13. Secchi depth analysis using bio-optical parameters measured in the Arabian Sea

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Suresh, T.; Naik, P.; Bandishte, M.; Desa, E.; Mascarenhas, A.A.M.Q.; Matondkar, S.G.P.

    spatial and temporal variability of Secchi depth and their dependence on the optical properties beam attenuation and diffuse attenuation the biological parameter of Chlorophyll. The in-situ measured inherent and apparent optical properties have been used...

  14. The Heliosphere through the Solar Activity Cycle

    CERN Document Server

    Balogh, André; Suess, Steven T

    2008-01-01

    Understanding how the Sun changes though its 11-year sunspot cycle and how these changes affect the vast space around the Sun – the heliosphere – has been one of the principal objectives of space research since the advent of the space age. This book presents the evolution of the heliosphere through an entire solar activity cycle. The last solar cycle (cycle 23) has been the best observed from both the Earth and from a fleet of spacecraft. Of these, the joint ESA-NASA Ulysses probe has provided continuous observations of the state of the heliosphere since 1990 from a unique vantage point, that of a nearly polar orbit around the Sun. Ulysses’ results affect our understanding of the heliosphere from the interior of the Sun to the interstellar medium - beyond the outer boundary of the heliosphere. Written by scientists closely associated with the Ulysses mission, the book describes and explains the many different aspects of changes in the heliosphere in response to solar activity. In particular, the authors...

  15. ENERGETIC NEUTRAL ATOMS: AN ADDITIONAL SOURCE FOR HELIOSPHERIC PICKUP IONS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bochsler, Peter; Moebius, Eberhard

    2010-01-01

    Recently, Schwadron and McComas discussed the possibility of inner source pickup particles originating from the ionization of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs), based on new data from the IBEX mission. This proposition has some interesting features, namely, it might be able to explain why inner source pickup ions (PUIs) have a composition resembling solar abundances and show no indication of overabundance of refractory elements, although this should be expected, if the conventional explanation of solar wind-dust interaction for the origin of this heliospheric component were correct. In this Letter, we explore further consequences for ENA-related PUIs and investigate their velocity distributions. We conclude that this model will not reproduce the observed velocity distributions of inner source PUIs and point out a substantial deviation in their composition. However, it seems likely that the ionization of ENAs as observed with IBEX could contribute a significant amount of heliospheric suprathermal tail ions. Some possible consequences of our investigation for heliospheric particle populations are briefly discussed.

  16. On Solar Granulations, Limb Darkening, and Sunspots: Brief Insights in Remembrance of Father Angelo Secchi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robitaille P.-M.

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Father Angelo Secchi used the existence of solar granulation as a central line of rea- soning when he advanced that the Sun was a gaseous body with a photosphere contain- ing incandescent particulate matter (Secchi A. Sulla Struttura della Fotosfera Solare. Bullettino Meteorologico dell’Osservatorio del Collegio Romano , 30 November 1864, v.3(11, 1–3. Secchi saw the granules as condensed matter emitting the photospheric spectrum, while the darkened intergranular lanes conveyed the presence of a gaseous solar interior. Secchi also considered the nature of sunspots and limb darkening. In the context of modern solar models, opacity arguments currently account for the emis- sive properties of the photosphere. Optical depth is thought to explain limb darkening. Both temperature variations and magnetic fields are invoked to justify the weakened emissivities of sunspots, even though the presence of static magnetic fields in materi- als is not usually associated with modified emissivity. Conversely, within the context of a liquid metallic hydrogen solar model, the appearance of granules, limb darkening, and sunspots can be elegantly understood through the varying directional emissivity of condensed matter. A single explanation is applicable to all three phenomena. Granular contrast can be directly associated with the generation of limb darkening. Depending on size, granules can be analyzed by considering Kolmogoroff’s formulations and B ́ enard convection, respectively, both of which were observed using incompressible liquids, not gases. Granules follow the 2-dimensional space filling laws of Aboav-Weiner and Lewis. Their adherence to these structural laws provides supportive evidence that the granular surface of the Sun represents elements which can only be constructed from condensed matter. A gaseous Sun cannot be confined to a 2-dimensional framework. Mesogranules, supergranules, and giant cells constitute additional entities which further

  17. Modulation of galactic and anomalous cosmic rays in the inner heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heber, B.

    Our knowledge on how galactic and anomalous cosmic rays are modulated in the inner heliosphere has been dramatically enlarged due to measurements provided by several missions launched in the past ten years. The current paradigma of singly charged anomalous cosmic rays has been confirmed by recent measurements from the SAMPEX and ACE satelite. Ulysses explored the inner heliosphere at polar regions during the last solar minimum period and is heading again to high heliographic latitudes during the time of the conference in July, 2000. The Sun approaches maximum activity when the spacecraft is at high heliographic latitudes giving us for the first time the possibility to explore modulation of cosmic rays in the inner three-dimensional heliosphere during such conditions. Ulysses electron measurements in addition to the 1 AU ICE electron and IMP helium measurements allows us to investigate charge sign dependent modulation over a full 22-year solar magnetic cycle. Implications of these observations for our understanding of different modulation processes in the inner three-dimensional heliosphere are presented.

  18. Retrieval of Secchi disk depth in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea using 8-day MODIS data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yu, D F; Xing, Q G; Lou, M J; Shi, P

    2014-01-01

    Secchi disk depth (SDD), is widely used as an indicator of water clarity. The traditional sampling method is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive but also limited in terms of temporal and spatial coverage. Remote sensing technology may deal with these limitations. In this paper, the applicability of 8-day MODIS-Aqua remote sensing reflectance data with 4 km spatial resolution for estimating water clarity in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea was investigated. Field data such as Secchi depths were collected from two cruises conducted in the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea from 5 May to 7 June 2009. A three-band algorithm to retrieve SDD was developed based on remote sensing reflectance at bands of 488, 555, and 678 nm, which performed better than single-band model and band ratio algorithm, with a determination coefficient of 0.72 and a mean relative error of 19%. This suggests that 8-day MODIS-Aqua products of remote sensing reflectance could be used to assess water transparency in the study area

  19. Energetic Particles: From Sun to Heliosphere - and vice versa

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wimmer-Schweingruber, R. F.; Rodriguez-Pacheco, J.; Boden, S.; Boettcher, S. I.; Cernuda, I.; Dresing, N.; Drews, C.; Droege, W.; Espinosa Lara, F.; Gomez-Herrero, R.; Heber, B.; Ho, G. C.; Klassen, A.; Kulkarni, S. R.; Mann, G. J.; Martin-Garcia, C.; Mason, G. M.; Panitzsch, L.; Prieto, M.; Sanchez, S.; Terasa, C.; Eldrum, S.

    2017-12-01

    Energetic particles in the heliosphere can be measured at their elevated energetic status after three processes: injection, acceleration, and transport. Suprathermal seed particles have speeds well above the fast magnetosonic speed in the solar wind frame of reference and can vary from location to location and within the solar activity cycle. Acceleration sites include reconnecting current sheets in solar flares or magnetspheric boundaries, shocks in the solar corona, heliosphere and a planetary obstacles, as well as planetary magnetospheres. Once accelerated, particles are transported from the acceleration site into and through the heliosphere. Thus, by investigating properties of energetic particles such as their composition, energy spectra, pitch-angle distribution, etc. one can attempt to distinguish their origin or injection and acceleration site. This in turn allows us to better understand transport effects whose underlying microphysics is also a key ingredient in the acceleration of particles. In this presentation we will present some clear examples which link energetic particles from their observing site to their source locations. These include Jupiter electrons, singly-charged He ions from CIRs, and 3He from solar flares. We will compare these examples with the measurement capabilities of the Energetic Particle Detector (EPD) on Solar Orbiter and consider implications for the key science goal of Solar Orbiter and Solar Proble Plus - How the Sun creates and controls the heliosphere.

  20. Comparison of MODIS and Landsat TM5 images for mapping tempo-spatial dynamics of Secchi disk depths in Poyang Lake national nature reserve, China

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wu, G.; Leeuw, de J.; Skidmore, A.K.; Prins, H.H.T.; Liu, Y.

    2008-01-01

    Landsat has successfully been applied to map Secchi disk depth of inland water bodies. Operational use for monitoring a dynamic variable like Secchi disk depth is however limited by the 16-day overpass cycle of the Landsat system and cloud cover. Low spatial resolution Moderate Resolution Imaging

  1. Ulysses Data Analysis: Magnetic Topology of Heliospheric Structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crooker, Nancy

    2001-01-01

    In this final technical report on research funded by a NASA grant, a project overview is given by way of summaries on nine published papers. Research has included: 1) Using suprathermal electron data to study heliospheric magnetic structures; 2) Analysis of magnetic clouds, coronal mass ejections (CME), and the heliospheric current sheet (HCS); 3) Analysis of the corotating interaction region (CIR) which develop from interactions between solar wind streams of different velocities; 4) Use of Ulysses data in the interpretation of heliospheric events and phenomena.

  2. Energetic particles in the heliosphere

    CERN Document Server

    Simnett, George M

    2017-01-01

    This monograph traces the development of our understanding of how and where energetic particles are accelerated in the heliosphere and how they may reach the Earth. Detailed data sets are presented which address these topics. The bulk of the observations are from spacecraft in or near the ecliptic plane. It is timely to present this subject now that Voyager-1 has entered the true interstellar medium. Since it seems unlikely that there will be a follow-on to the Voyager programme any time soon, the data we already have regarding the outer heliosphere are not going to be enhanced for at least 40 years.

  3. The Heliospheric Cataloguing, Analysis and Techniques Service (HELCATS) project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnes, D.; Harrison, R. A.; Davies, J. A.; Perry, C. H.; Moestl, C.; Rouillard, A.; Bothmer, V.; Rodriguez, L.; Eastwood, J. P.; Kilpua, E.; Gallagher, P.; Odstrcil, D.

    2017-12-01

    Understanding solar wind evolution is fundamental to advancing our knowledge of energy and mass transport in the solar system, whilst also being crucial to space weather and its prediction. The advent of truly wide-angle heliospheric imaging has revolutionised the study of solar wind evolution, by enabling direct and continuous observation of both transient and background components of the solar wind as they propagate from the Sun to 1 AU and beyond. The recently completed, EU-funded FP7 Heliospheric Cataloguing, Analysis and Techniques Service (HELCATS) project (1st May 2014 - 30th April 2017) combined European expertise in heliospheric imaging, built up over the last decade in particular through leadership of the Heliospheric Imager (HI) instruments aboard NASA's STEREO mission, with expertise in solar and coronal imaging as well as the interpretation of in-situ and radio diagnostic measurements of solar wind phenomena. HELCATS involved: (1) the cataloguing of transient (coronal mass ejections) and background (stream/corotating interaction regions) solar wind structures observed by the STEREO/HI instruments, including estimates of their kinematic properties based on a variety of modelling techniques; (2) the verification of these kinematic properties through comparison with solar source observations and in-situ measurements at multiple points throughout the heliosphere; (3) the assessment of the potential for initialising numerical models based on the derived kinematic properties of transient and background solar wind components; and (4) the assessment of the complementarity of radio observations (Type II radio bursts and interplanetary scintillation) in the detection and analysis of heliospheric structure in combination with heliospheric imaging observations. In this presentation, we provide an overview of the HELCATS project emphasising, in particular, the principal achievements and legacy of this unprecedented project.

  4. TRAJECTORIES AND DISTRIBUTION OF INTERSTELLAR DUST GRAINS IN THE HELIOSPHERE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Slavin, Jonathan D. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, MS 83, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Frisch, Priscilla C. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Chicago, 5460 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637 (United States); Mueller, Hans-Reinhard [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 (United States); Heerikhuisen, Jacob; Pogorelov, Nikolai V. [Department of Physics and Center for Space Physics and Aeronomic Research, University of Alabama, Huntsville, AL 35899 (United States); Reach, William T. [Universities Space Research Association, MS 211-3, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States); Zank, Gary [Department of Physics and Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research, University of Alabama, Huntsville, AL 35805 (United States)

    2012-11-20

    The solar wind carves a bubble in the surrounding interstellar medium (ISM) known as the heliosphere. Charged interstellar dust grains (ISDG) encountering the heliosphere may be diverted around the heliopause or penetrate it depending on their charge-to-mass ratio. We present new calculations of trajectories of ISDG in the heliosphere, and the dust density distributions that result. We include up-to-date grain charging calculations using a realistic UV radiation field and full three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic fluid + kinetic models for the heliosphere. Models with two different (constant) polarities for the solar wind magnetic field (SWMF) are used, with the grain trajectory calculations done separately for each polarity. Small grains a {sub gr} {approx}< 0.01 {mu}m are completely excluded from the inner heliosphere. Large grains, a {sub gr} {approx}> 1.0 {mu}m, pass into the inner solar system and are concentrated near the Sun by its gravity. Trajectories of intermediate size grains depend strongly on the SWMF polarity. When the field has magnetic north pointing to ecliptic north, the field de-focuses the grains resulting in low densities in the inner heliosphere, while for the opposite polarity the dust is focused near the Sun. The ISDG density outside the heliosphere inferred from applying the model results to in situ dust measurements is inconsistent with local ISM depletion data for both SWMF polarities but is bracketed by them. This result points to the need to include the time variation in the SWMF polarity during grain propagation. Our results provide valuable insights for interpretation of the in situ dust observations from Ulysses.

  5. Intercomparison of the LASCO-C2, SECCHI-COR1, SECCHI-COR2, and Mk4 Coronagraphs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frazin, Richard A.; Vasquez, Alberto M.; Thompson, William T.; Hewett, Russell J.; Lamy, Philippe; Llebaria, Antoine; Vourlidas, Angelos; Burkepile, Joan

    2012-01-01

    In order to assess the reliability and consistency of white-light coronagraph measurements, we report on quantitative comparisons between polarized brightness [pB] and total brightness [B] images taken by the following white-light coronagraphs: LASCO-C2 on SOHO, SECCHI-COR1 and -COR2 on STEREO, and the ground-based MLSO-Mk4. The data for this comparison were taken on 16 April 2007, when both STEREO spacecraft were within 3.1 deg. of Earth’s heliographic longitude, affording essentially the same view of the Sun for all of the instruments. Due to the difficulties of estimating stray-light backgrounds in COR1 and COR2, only Mk4 and C2 produce reliable coronal-hole values (but not at overlapping heights), and these cannot be validated without rocket flights or ground-based eclipse measurements. Generally, the agreement between all of the instruments’ pB values is within the uncertainties in bright streamer structures, implying that measurements of bright CMEs also should be trustworthy. Dominant sources of uncertainty and stray light are discussed, as is the design of future coronagraphs from the perspective of the experiences with these instruments.

  6. Modeling Secondary Neutral Helium in the Heliosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Müller, Hans-Reinhard; Möbius, Eberhard; Wood, Brian E.

    2016-01-01

    An accurate, analytic heliospheric neutral test-particle code for helium atoms from the interstellar medium (ISM) is coupled to global heliospheric models dominated by hydrogen and protons from the solar wind and the ISM. This coupling enables the forward-calculation of secondary helium neutrals from first principles. Secondaries are produced predominantly in the outer heliosheath, upwind of the heliopause, by charge exchange of helium ions with neutral atoms. The forward model integrates the secondary production terms along neutral trajectories and calculates the combined neutral helium phase space density in the innermost heliosphere where it can be related to in-situ observations. The phase space density of the secondary component is lower than that of primary neutral helium, but its presence can change the analysis of primaries and the ISM, and can yield valuable insight into the characteristics of the plasma in the outer heliosheath. (paper)

  7. Three-dimensional Features of the Outer Heliosphere Due to Coupling between the Interstellar and Heliospheric Magnetic Field. V. The Bow Wave, Heliospheric Boundary Layer, Instabilities, and Magnetic Reconnection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pogorelov, N. V.; Heerikhuisen, J. [Department of Space Science, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, AL 35805 (United States); Roytershteyn, V. [Space Science Institute, Boulder, CO 80301 (United States); Burlaga, L. F. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Gurnett, D. A.; Kurth, W. S., E-mail: nikolai.pogorelov@uah.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242 (United States)

    2017-08-10

    The heliosphere is formed due to interaction between the solar wind (SW) and local interstellar medium (LISM). The shape and position of the heliospheric boundary, the heliopause, in space depend on the parameters of interacting plasma flows. The interplay between the asymmetrizing effect of the interstellar magnetic field and charge exchange between ions and neutral atoms plays an important role in the SW–LISM interaction. By performing three-dimensional, MHD plasma/kinetic neutral atom simulations, we determine the width of the outer heliosheath—the LISM plasma region affected by the presence of the heliosphere—and analyze quantitatively the distributions in front of the heliopause. It is shown that charge exchange modifies the LISM plasma to such extent that the contribution of a shock transition to the total variation of plasma parameters becomes small even if the LISM velocity exceeds the fast magnetosonic speed in the unperturbed medium. By performing adaptive mesh refinement simulations, we show that a distinct boundary layer of decreased plasma density and enhanced magnetic field should be observed on the interstellar side of the heliopause. We show that this behavior is in agreement with the plasma oscillations of increasing frequency observed by the plasma wave instrument onboard Voyager 1. We also demonstrate that Voyager observations in the inner heliosheath between the heliospheric termination shock and the heliopause are consistent with dissipation of the heliospheric magnetic field. The choice of LISM parameters in this analysis is based on the simulations that fit observations of energetic neutral atoms performed by Interstellar Boundary Explorer .

  8. The Sun and Heliosphere Explorer – The Interhelioprobe Mission

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kuznetsov, V. D.; Zimovets, I.V.; Anufreychik, K.; Bezrukikh, V.; Chulkov, I. V.; Konovalov, A. A.; Kotova, G.A.; Kovrazhkin, R. A.; Moiseenko, D.; Petrukovich, A. A.; Remizov, A.; Shestakov, A.; Skalsky, A.; Vaisberg, O. L.; Verigin, M. I.; Zhuravlev, R. N.; Andreevskyi, S. E.; Dokukin, V. S.; Fomichev, V. V.; Lebedev, N. I.; Obridko, V. N.; Polyanskyi, V. P.; Styazhkin, V. A.; Rudenchik, E. A.; Sinelnikov, V. M.; Zhugzhda, Yu. D.; Ryzhenko, A. P.; Ivanov, A. V.; Simonov, A. V.; Dobrovolskyi, V. S.; Konstantinov, M. S.; Kuzin, S. V.; Bogachev, S. A.; Kholodilov, A. A.; Kirichenko, A. S.; Lavrentiev, E. N.; Reva, A. A.; Shestov, S. V.; Ulyanov, A. S.; Panasyuk, M. I.; Iyudin, A. F.; Svertilov, S. I.; Bogomolov, V. V.; Galkin, V. I.; Marjin, B. V.; Morozov, O. V.; Osedlo, V. I.; Rubinshtein, I. A.; Scherbovsky, B. Ya.; Tulupov, V. I.; Kotov, Yu. D.; Yurov, V. N.; Glyanenko, A. S.; Kochemasov, A. V.; Lupar, E. E.; Rubtsov, I. V.; Trofimov, Yu. A.; Tyshkevich, V. G.; Ulin, S. E.; Novikov, A. S.; Dmitrenko, V. V.; Grachev, V. M.; Stekhanov, V. N.; Vlasik, K. F.; Uteshev, Z. M.; Chernysheva, I. V.; Shustov, A. E.; Petrenko, D. V.; Aptekar, R. L.; Dergachev, V. A.; Golenetskii, S. V.; Gribovskyi, K. S.; Frederiks, D. D.; Kruglov, E. M.; Lazutkov, V. P.; Levedev, V. V.; Oleinik, F. P.; Palshin, V. D.; Repin, A. I.; Savchenko, M. I.; Skorodumov, D. V.; Svinkin, D. S.; Tsvetkova, A. S.; Ulanov, M. V.; Kozhevatov, I. E.; Sylwester, J.; Siarkowski, M.; Bąkała, J.; Szaforz, Ż.; Kowaliński, M.; Dudnik, O. V.; Lavraud, B.; Hruška, František; Kolmašová, Ivana; Santolík, Ondřej; Šimůnek, Jiří; Truhlík, Vladimír; Auster, H.-U.; Hilchenbach, M.; Venedictov, Yu.; Berghofer, G.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 56, č. 7 (2016), s. 781-841 ISSN 0016-7932 Institutional support: RVO:68378289 Keywords : Sun * heliosphere * Interhelioprobe space mission * solar physics * heliospheric physics * solar-terrestrial relations Subject RIV: BN - Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astrophysics Impact factor: 0.482, year: 2016 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1134/S0016793216070124

  9. TRAJECTORIES AND DISTRIBUTION OF INTERSTELLAR DUST GRAINS IN THE HELIOSPHERE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Slavin, Jonathan D.; Frisch, Priscilla C.; Müller, Hans-Reinhard; Heerikhuisen, Jacob; Pogorelov, Nikolai V.; Reach, William T.; Zank, Gary

    2012-01-01

    The solar wind carves a bubble in the surrounding interstellar medium (ISM) known as the heliosphere. Charged interstellar dust grains (ISDG) encountering the heliosphere may be diverted around the heliopause or penetrate it depending on their charge-to-mass ratio. We present new calculations of trajectories of ISDG in the heliosphere, and the dust density distributions that result. We include up-to-date grain charging calculations using a realistic UV radiation field and full three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic fluid + kinetic models for the heliosphere. Models with two different (constant) polarities for the solar wind magnetic field (SWMF) are used, with the grain trajectory calculations done separately for each polarity. Small grains a gr ∼ gr ∼> 1.0 μm, pass into the inner solar system and are concentrated near the Sun by its gravity. Trajectories of intermediate size grains depend strongly on the SWMF polarity. When the field has magnetic north pointing to ecliptic north, the field de-focuses the grains resulting in low densities in the inner heliosphere, while for the opposite polarity the dust is focused near the Sun. The ISDG density outside the heliosphere inferred from applying the model results to in situ dust measurements is inconsistent with local ISM depletion data for both SWMF polarities but is bracketed by them. This result points to the need to include the time variation in the SWMF polarity during grain propagation. Our results provide valuable insights for interpretation of the in situ dust observations from Ulysses.

  10. Heliospheric Modulation Strength During The Neutron Monitor Era

    Science.gov (United States)

    Usoskin, I. G.; Alanko, K.; Mursula, K.; Kovaltsov, G. A.

    Using a stochastic simulation of a one-dimensional heliosphere we calculate galactic cosmic ray spectra at the Earth's orbit for different values of the heliospheric mod- ulation strength. Convoluting these spectra with the specific yield function of a neu- tron monitor, we obtain the expected neutron monitor count rates for different values of the modulation strength. Finally, inverting this relation, we calculate the modula- tion strength using the actually recorded neutron monitor count rates. We present the reconstructed annual heliospheric modulation strengths for the neutron monitor era (1953­2000) using several neutron monitors from different latitudes, covering a large range of geomagnetic rigidity cutoffs from polar to equatorial regions. The estimated modulation strengths are shown to be in good agreement with the corresponding esti- mates reported earlier for some years.

  11. Modeling Emission of Heavy Energetic Neutral Atoms from the Heliosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Swaczyna, Paweł; Bzowski, Maciej

    2017-01-01

    Observations of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) are a fruitful tool for remote diagnosis of the plasma in the heliosphere and its vicinity. So far, instruments detecting ENAs from the heliosphere were configured for observations of hydrogen atoms. Here, we estimate emissions of ENAs of the heavy chemical elements helium, oxygen, nitrogen, and neon. A large portion of the heliospheric ENAs is created in the inner heliosheath from neutralized interstellar pick-up ions (PUIs). We modeled this process and calculated full-sky intensities of ENAs for energies 0.2–130 keV/nuc. We found that the largest fluxes among considered species are expected for helium, smaller for oxygen and nitrogen, and smallest for neon. The obtained intensities are 50–10 6 times smaller than the hydrogen ENA intensities observed by IBEX . The detection of heavy ENAs will be possible if a future ENA detector is equipped with the capability to measure the masses of observed atoms. Because of different reaction cross-sections among the different species, observations of heavy ENAs can allow for a better understanding of global structure of the heliosphere as well as the transport and energization of PUIs in the heliosphere.

  12. Modeling Emission of Heavy Energetic Neutral Atoms from the Heliosphere

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Swaczyna, Paweł; Bzowski, Maciej, E-mail: pswaczyna@cbk.waw.pl [Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences (CBK PAN), Bartycka 18A, 00-716 Warsaw (Poland)

    2017-09-10

    Observations of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) are a fruitful tool for remote diagnosis of the plasma in the heliosphere and its vicinity. So far, instruments detecting ENAs from the heliosphere were configured for observations of hydrogen atoms. Here, we estimate emissions of ENAs of the heavy chemical elements helium, oxygen, nitrogen, and neon. A large portion of the heliospheric ENAs is created in the inner heliosheath from neutralized interstellar pick-up ions (PUIs). We modeled this process and calculated full-sky intensities of ENAs for energies 0.2–130 keV/nuc. We found that the largest fluxes among considered species are expected for helium, smaller for oxygen and nitrogen, and smallest for neon. The obtained intensities are 50–10{sup 6} times smaller than the hydrogen ENA intensities observed by IBEX . The detection of heavy ENAs will be possible if a future ENA detector is equipped with the capability to measure the masses of observed atoms. Because of different reaction cross-sections among the different species, observations of heavy ENAs can allow for a better understanding of global structure of the heliosphere as well as the transport and energization of PUIs in the heliosphere.

  13. Periodic Density Structures and the Origin of the Slow Solar Wind

    Science.gov (United States)

    Viall-Kepko, Nicholeen M.; Vourlidas, Angelos

    2015-01-01

    The source of the slow solar wind has challenged scientists for years. Periodic density structures (PDSs), observed regularly in the solar wind at 1 AU (Astronomical Unit), can be used to address this challenge. These structures have length scales of hundreds to several thousands of megameters and frequencies of tens to hundreds of minutes. Two lines of evidence indicate that PDSs are formed in the solar corona as part of the slow solar wind release and/or acceleration processes. The first is corresponding changes in compositional data in situ, and the second is PDSs observed in the inner Heliospheric Imaging data on board the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO)/Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation (SECCHI) suite. The periodic nature of these density structures is both a useful identifier as well as an important physical constraint on their origin. In this paper, we present the results of tracking periodic structures identified in the inner Heliospheric Imager in SECCHI back in time through the corresponding outer coronagraph (COR2) images. We demonstrate that the PDSs are formed around or below 2.5 solar radii-the inner edge of the COR2 field of view. We compute the occurrence rates of PDSs in 10 days of COR2 images both as a function of their periodicity and location in the solar corona, and we find that this set of PDSs occurs preferentially with a periodicity of approximately 90 minutes and occurs near streamers. Lastly, we show that their acceleration and expansion through COR2 is self-similar, thus their frequency is constant at distances beyond 2.5 solar radii.

  14. The Heliospheric Termination Shock

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jokipii, J. R.

    2013-06-01

    The heliospheric termination shock is a vast, spheroidal shock wave marking the transition from the supersonic solar wind to the slower flow in the heliosheath, in response to the pressure of the interstellar medium. It is one of the most-important boundaries in the outer heliosphere. It affects energetic particles strongly and for this reason is a significant factor in the effects of the Sun on Galactic cosmic rays. This paper summarizes the general properties and overall large-scale structure and motions of the termination shock. Observations over the past several years, both in situ and remote, have dramatically revised our understanding of the shock. The consensus now is that the shock is quite blunt, is with the front, blunt side canted at an angle to the flow direction of the local interstellar plasma relative to the Sun, and is dynamical and turbulent. Much of this new understanding has come from remote observations of energetic charged particles interacting with the shock, radio waves and radiation backscattered from interstellar neutral atoms. The observations and the implications are discussed.

  15. SEP modeling based on global heliospheric models at the CCMC

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mays, M. L.; Luhmann, J. G.; Odstrcil, D.; Bain, H. M.; Schwadron, N.; Gorby, M.; Li, Y.; Lee, K.; Zeitlin, C.; Jian, L. K.; Lee, C. O.; Mewaldt, R. A.; Galvin, A. B.

    2017-12-01

    Heliospheric models provide contextual information of conditions in the heliosphere, including the background solar wind conditions and shock structures, and are used as input to SEP models, providing an essential tool for understanding SEP properties. The global 3D MHD WSA-ENLIL+Cone model provides a time-dependent background heliospheric description, into which a spherical shaped hydrodynamic CME can be inserted. ENLIL simulates solar wind parameters and additionally one can extract the magnetic topologies of observer-connected magnetic field lines and all plasma and shock properties along those field lines. An accurate representation of the background solar wind is necessary for simulating transients. ENLIL simulations also drive SEP models such as the Solar Energetic Particle Model (SEPMOD) (Luhmann et al. 2007, 2010) and the Energetic Particle Radiation Environment Module (EPREM) (Schwadron et al. 2010). The Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC) is in the process of making these SEP models available to the community and offering a system to run SEP models driven by a variety of heliospheric models available at CCMC. SEPMOD injects protons onto a sequence of observer field lines at intensities dependent on the connected shock source strength which are then integrated at the observer to approximate the proton flux. EPREM couples with MHD models such as ENLIL and computes energetic particle distributions based on the focused transport equation along a Lagrangian grid of nodes that propagate out with the solar wind. The coupled SEP models allow us to derive the longitudinal distribution of SEP profiles of different types of events throughout the heliosphere. The coupled ENLIL and SEP models allow us to derive the longitudinal distribution of SEP profiles of different types of events throughout the heliosphere. In this presentation we demonstrate several case studies of SEP event modeling at different observers based on WSA-ENLIL+Cone simulations.

  16. Solar Dynamics and Its Effects on the Heliosphere and Earth

    CERN Document Server

    Baker, D. N; Schwartz, S. J; Schwenn, R; Steiger, R

    2007-01-01

    The SOHO and Cluster missions form a single ESA cornerstone. Yet they observe very different regions in our solar system: the solar atmosphere on one hand and the Earth’s magnetosphere on the other. At the same time the Ulysses mission provides observations in the third dimension of the heliosphere, and many others add to the picture from the Lagrangian point L1 to the edge of the heliosphere. It is the aim of this ISSI volume to tie these observations together in addressing the topic of Solar Dynamics and its Effects on the Heliosphere and Earth, thus contributing to the International Living With a Star (ILWS) program. The volume starts out with an assessment and description of the reasons for solar dynamics and how it couples into the heliosphere. The three subsequent sections are each devoted to following one chain of events from the Sun all the way to the Earth’s magnetosphere and ionosphere: The normal solar wind chain, the chain associated with coronal mass ejections, and the solar energetic particl...

  17. Observational Evidence For The Comet-Like Heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bzowski, M.; Czechowski, A.; Funsten, H. O.; Grygorczuk, J.; Heerikhuisen, J.; Kubiak, M. A.; Moebius, E.; McComas, D. J.; Schwadron, N.; Sokol, J. M.; Swaczyna, P.; Zirnstein, E.

    2017-12-01

    The shape of the heliosphere is a subject of ongoing debate. The traditional comet-like image has recently been challenged by ideas of croissant- or bubble-like forms. Here we seek to resolve this debate by confronting available observational evidence with global modeling. Several MHD models of a comet-like heliosphere were used to simulate the radius and center of the IBEX Ribbon to fit the direction and intensity of the interstellar magnetic field (ISMF). These models assumed the secondary ENA emission mechanism, which was recently strengthened due to direct measurement of the distance to the Ribbon source most likely just beyond the heliopause. The same mechanism explains the dependence of the Ribbon center position on energy due to the latitudinal structure of solar wind. The obtained ISMF vector agrees among these models and is consistent with the draped IMF measured by Voyager. Independently, we have shown by modeling that the Warm Breeze discovered by IBEX is naturally created in the outer heliosheath due to charge-exchange between interstellar He+ ions and He atoms. Now we simulate the Warm Breeze for various directions and intensities of the local IMF and we find that the simulation results are in best agreement with IBEX observations for the IMF vector obtained from the above-mentioned Ribbon analyses and Voyager measurements. These arguments, along with the co-planarity of the inflow directions of interstellar neutral H, He, O, and the Warm Breeze, directions of the Ribbon center and ISMF, as well as measurements of the plasma flow directions in the IHS by Voyager 2 indicate the existence of a common plane of approximate mirror symmetry of the heliosphere, defined by the directions of ISMF and the Sun's motion through the local interstellar medium. This suggests that the global structure of the outer heliosphere mostly results from the conditions in the local interstellar medium and the Sun's velocity. This evidence, obtained from very different

  18. FEASIBILITY OF HELIOSPHERIC IMAGING FROM NEAR EARTH

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    DeForest, C. E.; Howard, T. A.

    2015-01-01

    Imaging solar wind structures via Thomson scattered sunlight has proved important to understanding the inner heliosphere. The principal challenge of heliospheric imaging is background subtraction: typical solar wind features are fainter than the zodiacal light and starfield by 2-3 orders of magnitude. Careful post-processing is required to separate the solar wind signal from the static background. Remnant background, and not photon noise, is the dominant noise source in current STEREO data. We demonstrate that 10× shorter exposure times would not strongly affect the noise level in these data. Further, we demonstrate that current processing techniques are sufficient to separate not only the existing background of the STEREO images but also diffuse variable backgrounds such as are expected to be seen from low Earth orbit. We report on a hare-and-hounds style study, demonstrating blind signal extraction from STEREO/HI-2 data that have been degraded by the addition of large-scale, time-dependent artifacts to simulate viewing through airglow or high-altitude aurora. We demonstrate removal of these effects via image processing, with little degradation compared to the original. Even with as few as three highly degraded source images over 48 hr, it is possible to detect and track large coronal mass ejections more than 40° from the Sun. This implies that neither the high altitude aurora discovered by Coriolis/SMEI, nor airglow effects seen from low Earth orbit, are impediments to a hypothetical next-generation heliospheric imager in low Earth orbit; and also that post-processing is as important to heliospheric image qualitiy as are optical contamination effects

  19. Modulation of Galactic Cosmic Rays in the Inner Heliosphere over Solar Cycles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Z.-N.; Qin, G.

    2018-02-01

    The 11- and 22-year modulation of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) in the inner heliosphere is studied using a numerical model developed by Qin and Shen in 2017. Based on the numerical solutions of Parker’s transport equations, the model incorporates a modified Parker heliospheric magnetic field, a locally static time-delayed heliosphere, and a time-dependent diffusion coefficients model in which an analytical expression of the variation of magnetic turbulence magnitude throughout the inner heliosphere is applied. Furthermore, during solar maximum, the solar magnetic polarity is determined randomly with the possibility of A > 0 decided by the percentage of the solar north polar magnetic field being outward and the solar south polar magnetic field being inward. The computed results are compared at various energies with several GCR observations, e.g., the Interplanetary Monitoring Platform 8 (IMP 8), EPHIN on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), Ulysses, and Voyager 1 and 2, and they show good agreement. We show that our model has successfully reproduced the 11- and 22-year modulation cycles.

  20. A Snapshot of the Sun Near Solar Minimum: The Whole Heliosphere Interval

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Barbara J.; Gibson, Sarah E.; Schroeder, Peter C.; Webb, David F.; Arge, Charles N.; Bisi, Mario M.; de Toma, Giuliana; Emery, Barbara A.; Galvin, Antoinette B.; Haber, Deborah A.; hide

    2011-01-01

    We present an overview of the data and models collected for the Whole Heliosphere Interval, an international campaign to study the three-dimensional solar heliospheric planetary connected system near solar minimum. The data and models correspond to solar Carrington Rotation 2068 (20 March 16 April 2008) extending from below the solar photosphere, through interplanetary space, and down to Earth's mesosphere. Nearly 200 people participated in aspects of WHI studies, analyzing and interpreting data from nearly 100 instruments and models in order to elucidate the physics of fundamental heliophysical processes. The solar and inner heliospheric data showed structure consistent with the declining phase of the solar cycle. A closely spaced cluster of low-latitude active regions was responsible for an increased level of magnetic activity, while a highly warped current sheet dominated heliospheric structure. The geospace data revealed an unusually high level of activity, driven primarily by the periodic impingement of high-speed streams. The WHI studies traced the solar activity and structure into the heliosphere and geospace, and provided new insight into the nature of the interconnected heliophysical system near solar minimum.

  1. POSSIBLE EVIDENCE FOR A FISK-TYPE HELIOSPHERIC MAGNETIC FIELD. I. ANALYZING ULYSSES/KET ELECTRON OBSERVATIONS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sternal, O.; Heber, B.; Kopp, A.; Engelbrecht, N. E.; Burger, R. A.; Ferreira, S. E. S.; Potgieter, M. S.; Fichtner, H.; Scherer, K.

    2011-01-01

    The propagation of energetic charged particles in the heliospheric magnetic field is one of the fundamental problems in heliophysics. In particular, the structure of the heliospheric magnetic field remains an unsolved problem and is discussed as a controversial topic. The first successful analytic approach to the structure of the heliospheric magnetic field was the Parker field. However, the measurements of the Ulysses spacecraft at high latitudes revealed the possible need for refinements of the existing magnetic field model during solar minimum. Among other reasons, this led to the development of the Fisk field. This approach is highly debated and could not be ruled out with magnetic field measurements so far. A promising method to trace this magnetic field structure is to model the propagation of electrons in the energy range of a few MeV. Employing three-dimensional and time-dependent simulations of the propagation of energetic electrons, this work shows that the influence of a Fisk-type field on the particle transport in the heliosphere leads to characteristic variations of the electron intensities on the timescale of a solar rotation. For the first time it is shown that the Ulysses count rates of 2.5-7 MeV electrons contain the imprint of a Fisk-type heliospheric magnetic field structure. From a comparison of simulation results and the Ulysses count rates, realistic parameters for the Fisk theory are derived. Furthermore, these parameters are used to investigate the modeled relative amplitudes of protons and electrons, including the effects of drifts.

  2. COUPLING OF CORONAL AND HELIOSPHERIC MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC MODELS: SOLUTION COMPARISONS AND VERIFICATION

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Merkin, V. G. [The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723 (United States); Lionello, R.; Linker, J.; Török, T.; Downs, C. [Predictive Science, Inc., San Diego, CA 92121 (United States); Lyon, J. G., E-mail: slava.merkin@jhuapl.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 (United States)

    2016-11-01

    Two well-established magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) codes are coupled to model the solar corona and the inner heliosphere. The corona is simulated using the MHD algorithm outside a sphere (MAS) model. The Lyon–Fedder–Mobarry (LFM) model is used in the heliosphere. The interface between the models is placed in a spherical shell above the critical point and allows both models to work in either a rotating or an inertial frame. Numerical tests are presented examining the coupled model solutions from 20 to 50 solar radii. The heliospheric simulations are run with both LFM and the MAS extension into the heliosphere, and use the same polytropic coronal MAS solutions as the inner boundary condition. The coronal simulations are performed for idealized magnetic configurations, with an out-of-equilibrium flux rope inserted into an axisymmetric background, with and without including the solar rotation. The temporal evolution at the inner boundary of the LFM and MAS solutions is shown to be nearly identical, as are the steady-state background solutions, prior to the insertion of the flux rope. However, after the coronal mass ejection has propagated through the significant portion of the simulation domain, the heliospheric solutions diverge. Additional simulations with different resolution are then performed and show that the MAS heliospheric solutions approach those of LFM when run with progressively higher resolution. Following these detailed tests, a more realistic simulation driven by the thermodynamic coronal MAS is presented, which includes solar rotation and an azimuthally asymmetric background and extends to the Earth’s orbit.

  3. From the Outside Looking In - Looking Back at Our Heliosphere in Energetic Neutral Atoms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demajistre, R.; Brandt, P. C.; Gruntman, M.; McNutt, R. L., Jr.; Opher, M.; Roelof, E. C.; Wood, B. E.

    2017-12-01

    Energetic Neutral Atoms (ENAs) have been used over the past two decades to image space plasmas in planetary magnetospheres as well as the structure of the heliosheath. Any energetic plasma containing singly charged ions embedded in a cold neutral gas will 'glow' in ENAs, and this glow can be analyzed to infer the properties of the source plasma, giving us insight into processes that are difficult to study with the more traditional sensors that use photons/electromagnetic waves as an information carrier. ENA measurements of the heliosphere have (obviously) all been taken from vantage points in the inner heliosphere. ENAs created in the inner heliosphere from the solar wind and Pick Up Ions (PUIs) generally have large outward velocity, and thus do not reach sensors closer to the sun. Thus, the plasma is only 'visible' in ENAs to an inner heliosphere observer after it reaches the termination shock, where its outward motion is slowed and it is heated. This perspective from the inside looking out is convenient to study the outer boundary of the heliophere, but contains no direct information about the plasma and processes occurring in the inner heliosphere. ENA sensors placed outside the heliosphere, conversely would allow us to remotely sense both the inner and outer heliosphere, allowing us full access to the evolution of the solar wind and PUIs as they travel from the sun outward. Further, such a perspective would allow us to more directly measure the boundaries of the heliosphere with the LISM without the obscuration of the inner heliosheath. In this paper, we present modeled views of ENA images from the outside looking in at energies between 0.5 and 100 keV. It is important to note that while measurements of the outer heliosphere have been made by IBEX, Cassini/INCA, SoHO/HSTOF and the Voyagers, there are still important outstanding questions about the global structure and plasma flow patterns in the heliosphere. We will show here how new observations from the

  4. Breathing of heliospheric structures triggered by the solar-cycle activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Scherer

    Full Text Available Solar wind ram pressure variations occuring within the solar activity cycle are communicated to the outer heliosphere as complicated time-variabilities, but repeating its typical form with the activity period of about 11 years. At outer heliospheric regions, the main surviving solar cycle feature is a periodic variation of the solar wind dynamical pressure or momentum flow, as clearly recognized by observations of the VOYAGER-1/2 space probes. This long-periodic variation of the solar wind dynamical pressure is modeled here through application of appropriately time-dependent inner boundary conditions within our multifluid code to describe the solar wind – interstellar medium interaction. As we can show, it takes several solar cycles until the heliospheric structures adapt to an average location about which they carry out a periodic breathing, however, lagged in phase with respect to the solar cycle. The dynamically active heliosphere behaves differently from a static heliosphere and especially shows a historic hysteresis in the sense that the shock structures move out to larger distances than explained by the average ram pressure. Obviously, additional energies are pumped into the heliosheath by means of density and pressure waves which are excited. These waves travel outwards through the interface from the termination shock towards the bow shock. Depending on longitude, the heliospheric sheath region memorizes 2–3 (upwind and up to 6–7 (downwind preceding solar activity cycles, i.e. the cycle-induced waves need corresponding travel times for the passage over the heliosheath. Within our multifluid code we also adequately describe the solar cycle variations in the energy distributions of anomalous and galactic cosmic rays, respectively. According to these results the distribution of these high energetic species cannot be correctly described on the basis of the actually prevailing solar wind conditions.

    Key words. Interplanetary

  5. ADVECTIVE TRANSPORT OF INTERSTELLAR PLASMA INTO THE HELIOSPHERE ACROSS THE RECONNECTING HELIOPAUSE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strumik, M.; Grzedzielski, S.; Czechowski, A.; Macek, W. M.; Ratkiewicz, R.

    2014-01-01

    We discuss results of magnetohydrodynamical model simulations of plasma dynamics in the proximity of the heliopause (HP). The model is shown to fit details of the magnetic field variations observed by the Voyager 1 spacecraft during the transition from the heliosphere to the local interstellar medium (LISM). We propose an interpretation of magnetic field structures observed by Voyager 1 in terms of fine-scale physical processes. Our simulations reveal an effective transport mechanism of relatively dense LISM plasma across the reconnecting HP into the heliosphere. The mechanism is associated with annihilation of magnetic sectors in the heliospheric plasma near the HP

  6. Observations of Heliospheric Faraday Rotation (FR) and Interplanetary Scintillation (IPS): Steps Towards Investigating Bz Propagation Between the Sun and the Earth

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bisi, Mario M.; Fallows, Richard A.; Sobey, Charlotte; Eftekhari, Tarraneh; Jensen, Elizabeth A.; Jackson, Bernard V.; Yu, Hsiu-Shan; Hick, P. Paul; Odstrcil, Dusan; Tokumaru, Munetoshi; Oyuki Chang, M. T.

    2016-04-01

    Space weather - analogous to terrestrial weather (describing the changing pressure, temperature, wind, and humidity conditions on Earth) - is essentially a description of the changes in velocity, density, magnetic field, high-energy particles, and radiation in the near-Earth space environment including the effects of such on the Earth. Space weather can be considered to have two main strands: (i) scientific research, and (ii) applications. The former is self-explanatory, but the latter covers operational aspects including forecasting. Understanding and forecasting space weather near the Earth is of critical importance to protecting our modern-day reliance on satellites, global-communications and navigation networks, high-altitude air travel (radiation concerns particularly on polar routes), long-distance power/oil/gas lines and piping, and for any future human exploration of space to list but a few. This includes both military and commercial considerations. Two ground-based radio-observing techniques that can add to and lead our understanding and forecasting of heliospheric space weather are those of interplanetary scintillation (IPS) and heliospheric Faraday rotation (FR). We present our latest progress using these two radio heliospheric-imaging remote-sensing techniques including the use of three-dimensional (3-D) modelling and reconstruction techniques using other, additional data as input to support and better-interpret individual case-study results.

  7. TeV Cosmic-Ray Anisotropy from the Magnetic Field at the Heliospheric Boundary

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    López-Barquero, V. [Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States); Xu, S. [Department of Astronomy, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Desiati, P. [Wisconsin IceCube Particle Astrophysics Center (WIPAC), University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53703 (United States); Lazarian, A. [Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 (United States); Pogorelov, N. V. [Department of Physics, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899 (United States); Yan, H. [DESY, Platanenallee 6, D-15738 Zeuthen (Germany)

    2017-06-10

    We performed numerical calculations to test the suggestion by Desiati and Lazarian that the anisotropies of TeV cosmic rays may arise from their interactions with the heliosphere. For this purpose, we used a magnetic field model of the heliosphere and performed direct numerical calculations of particle trajectories. Unlike earlier papers testing the idea, we did not employ time-reversible techniques that are based on Liouville’s theorem. We showed numerically that for scattering by the heliosphere, the conditions of Liouville’s theorem are not satisfied, and the adiabatic approximation and time-reversibility of the particle trajectories are not valid. Our results indicate sensitivity to the magnetic structure of the heliospheric magnetic field, and we expect that this will be useful for probing this structure in future research.

  8. Heliospheric modulation of cosmic rays: model and observation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gerasimova S.K.

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents the basic model of cosmic ray modulation in the heliosphere, developed in Yu.G. Shafer Institute of Cosmophysical Research and Aeronomy of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The model has only one free modulation parameter: the ratio of the regular magnetic field to the turbulent one. It may also be applied to the description of cosmic ray intensity variations in a wide energy range from 100 MeV to 100 GeV. Possible mechanisms of generation of the turbulent field are considered. The primary assumption about the electrical neutrality of the heliosphere appears to be wrong, and the zero potential needed to match the model with observations in the solar equatorial plane can be achieved if the frontal point of the heliosphere, which is flowed around by interstellar gas, lies near the plane. We have revealed that the abnormal rise of cosmic ray intensity at the end of solar cycle 23 is related to the residual modulation produced by the subsonic solar wind behind the front of a standing shock wave. The model is used to describe features of cosmic ray intensity variations in several solar activity cycles.

  9. NUMERICAL STUDY OF THE LONGITUDINALLY ASYMMETRIC DISTRIBUTION OF SOLAR ENERGETIC PARTICLES IN THE HELIOSPHERE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    He, H.-Q.; Wan, W., E-mail: hqhe@mail.iggcas.ac.cn, E-mail: wanw@mail.iggcas.ac.cn [Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029 (China)

    2015-06-22

    Solar energetic particles (SEPs) affect the solar–terrestrial space environment and are very important to space weather research. In this work, we numerically investigate the transport processes of SEPs in the three-dimensional interplanetary magnetic field, with an emphasis on the longitudinal distribution of SEPs in the heliosphere. We confirm our previous finding that there exists an east–west longitudinal asymmetry in the SEP intensities, i.e., with the same longitude separations between the solar source centers and the magnetic footpoint of the observer, the fluxes of SEP events originating from solar sources located on the eastern side of the nominal magnetic footpoint of the observer are systematically larger than those of the SEP events originating from sources located on the western side. We discuss the formation mechanism of this phenomenon, and conclude that the longitudinally asymmetric distribution of SEPs results from the east–west azimuthal asymmetry in the topology of the heliospheric magnetic field as well as the effects of perpendicular diffusion on the transport of SEPs in the heliosphere. Our results will be valuable to understanding Sun–Earth relations and useful for space weather forecasting.

  10. CMEs in the Heliosphere: I. A Statistical Analysis of the Observational Properties of CMEs Detected in the Heliosphere from 2007 to 2017 by STEREO/HI-1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrison, R. A.; Davies, J. A.; Barnes, D.; Byrne, J. P.; Perry, C. H.; Bothmer, V.; Eastwood, J. P.; Gallagher, P. T.; Kilpua, E. K. J.; Möstl, C.; Rodriguez, L.; Rouillard, A. P.; Odstrčil, D.

    2018-05-01

    We present a statistical analysis of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) imaged by the Heliospheric Imager (HI) instruments on board NASA's twin-spacecraft STEREO mission between April 2007 and August 2017 for STEREO-A and between April 2007 and September 2014 for STEREO-B. The analysis exploits a catalogue that was generated within the FP7 HELCATS project. Here, we focus on the observational characteristics of CMEs imaged in the heliosphere by the inner (HI-1) cameras, while following papers will present analyses of CME propagation through the entire HI fields of view. More specifically, in this paper we present distributions of the basic observational parameters - namely occurrence frequency, central position angle (PA) and PA span - derived from nearly 2000 detections of CMEs in the heliosphere by HI-1 on STEREO-A or STEREO-B from the minimum between Solar Cycles 23 and 24 to the maximum of Cycle 24; STEREO-A analysis includes a further 158 CME detections from the descending phase of Cycle 24, by which time communication with STEREO-B had been lost. We compare heliospheric CME characteristics with properties of CMEs observed at coronal altitudes, and with sunspot number. As expected, heliospheric CME rates correlate with sunspot number, and are not inconsistent with coronal rates once instrumental factors/differences in cataloguing philosophy are considered. As well as being more abundant, heliospheric CMEs, like their coronal counterparts, tend to be wider during solar maximum. Our results confirm previous coronagraph analyses suggesting that CME launch sites do not simply migrate to higher latitudes with increasing solar activity. At solar minimum, CMEs tend to be launched from equatorial latitudes, while at maximum, CMEs appear to be launched over a much wider latitude range; this has implications for understanding the CME/solar source association. Our analysis provides some supporting evidence for the systematic dragging of CMEs to lower latitude as they propagate

  11. Magnetized jets driven by the Sun: The structure of the heliosphere revisited—Updates

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Opher, M., E-mail: mopher@bu.edu [Astronomy Department, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215 (United States); Drake, J. F.; Swisdak, M. [University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742 (United States); Zieger, B. [Center for Space Physics, Boston University, Massachusetts 02215 (United States); Toth, G. [Department of Climate and Space, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 (United States)

    2016-05-15

    As the solar system moves through the interstellar medium, the solar wind is deflected forming the heliosphere. The standard picture of the heliosphere is a comet-shape like structure with the tail extending for 1000s of astronomical units. This standard picture stems from a view where magnetic forces are negligible and the solar magnetic field is convected passively down the tail. Recently, we showed that the magnetic tension of the solar magnetic field plays a crucial role on organizing the solar wind in the heliosheath into two jet-like structures. The two jets are separated by the interstellar medium that flows between them. The heliosphere then has a “croissant”-like shape where the distance to the heliopause downtail is almost the same as towards the nose. This new view of the heliosphere is in agreement with the energetic neutral atoms maps taken by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer and INCA/CASSINI. We developed as well an analytic model of the heliosheath in the axisymmetric limit that shows how the magnetic tension force is the driver for the north and south jets. We confirmed that the formation of these jets with magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations. The main reason why previous global MHD simulations did not see these jets is due to spurious magnetic dissipation that was present at the heliospheric current sheet. We instead kept the same polarity for the interplanetary (solar) magnetic field in both the northern and southern hemispheres, eliminating spurious magnetic dissipation effects at the heliospheric current sheet. In this paper, we extend these previous results to include additional cases where we used: (a) weaker solar magnetic field; (b) solar magnetic field that reverses polarity at the solar equator in the axisymmetric limit; and (c) slower motion through the interstellar system. We discuss as well future challenges regarding the structure of the heliosphere.

  12. Cosmic-Ray Transport in Heliospheric Magnetic Structures. II. Modeling Particle Transport through Corotating Interaction Regions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kopp, Andreas [Université Libre de Bruxelles, Service de Physique Statistique et des Plasmas, CP 231, B-1050 Brussels (Belgium); Wiengarten, Tobias; Fichtner, Horst [Institut für Theoretische Physik IV, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, D-44780 Bochum (Germany); Effenberger, Frederic [Department of Physics and KIPAC, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States); Kühl, Patrick; Heber, Bernd [Institut für Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Christian-Albrecht-Universität zu Kiel, D-24098 Kiel (Germany); Raath, Jan-Louis; Potgieter, Marius S. [Centre for Space Research, North-West University, 2520 Potchefstroom (South Africa)

    2017-03-01

    The transport of cosmic rays (CRs) in the heliosphere is determined by the properties of the solar wind plasma. The heliospheric plasma environment has been probed by spacecraft for decades and provides a unique opportunity for testing transport theories. Of particular interest for the three-dimensional (3D) heliospheric CR transport are structures such as corotating interaction regions (CIRs), which, due to the enhancement of the magnetic field strength and magnetic fluctuations within and due to the associated shocks as well as stream interfaces, do influence the CR diffusion and drift. In a three-fold series of papers, we investigate these effects by modeling inner-heliospheric solar wind conditions with the numerical magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) framework Cronos (Wiengarten et al., referred as Paper I), and the results serve as input to a transport code employing a stochastic differential equation approach (this paper). While, in Paper I, we presented results from 3D simulations with Cronos, the MHD output is now taken as an input to the CR transport modeling. We discuss the diffusion and drift behavior of Galactic cosmic rays using the example of different theories, and study the effects of CIRs on these transport processes. In particular, we point out the wide range of possible particle fluxes at a given point in space resulting from these different theories. The restriction of this variety by fitting the numerical results to spacecraft data will be the subject of the third paper of this series.

  13. A Time-dependent Heliospheric Model Driven by Empirical Boundary Conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, T. K.; Arge, C. N.; Pogorelov, N. V.

    2017-12-01

    Consisting of charged particles originating from the Sun, the solar wind carries the Sun's energy and magnetic field outward through interplanetary space. The solar wind is the predominant source of space weather events, and modeling the solar wind propagation to Earth is a critical component of space weather research. Solar wind models are typically separated into coronal and heliospheric parts to account for the different physical processes and scales characterizing each region. Coronal models are often coupled with heliospheric models to propagate the solar wind out to Earth's orbit and beyond. The Wang-Sheeley-Arge (WSA) model is a semi-empirical coronal model consisting of a potential field source surface model and a current sheet model that takes synoptic magnetograms as input to estimate the magnetic field and solar wind speed at any distance above the coronal region. The current version of the WSA model takes the Air Force Data Assimilative Photospheric Flux Transport (ADAPT) model as input to provide improved time-varying solutions for the ambient solar wind structure. When heliospheric MHD models are coupled with the WSA model, density and temperature at the inner boundary are treated as free parameters that are tuned to optimal values. For example, the WSA-ENLIL model prescribes density and temperature assuming momentum flux and thermal pressure balance across the inner boundary of the ENLIL heliospheric MHD model. We consider an alternative approach of prescribing density and temperature using empirical correlations derived from Ulysses and OMNI data. We use our own modeling software (Multi-scale Fluid-kinetic Simulation Suite) to drive a heliospheric MHD model with ADAPT-WSA input. The modeling results using the two different approaches of density and temperature prescription suggest that the use of empirical correlations may be a more straightforward, consistent method.

  14. The application of heliospheric imaging to space weather operations: Lessons learned from published studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrison, Richard A.; Davies, Jackie A.; Biesecker, Doug; Gibbs, Mark

    2017-08-01

    The field of heliospheric imaging has matured significantly over the last 10 years—corresponding, in particular, to the launch of NASA's STEREO mission and the successful operation of the heliospheric imager (HI) instruments thereon. In parallel, this decade has borne witness to a marked increase in concern over the potentially damaging effects of space weather on space and ground-based technological assets, and the corresponding potential threat to human health, such that it is now under serious consideration at governmental level in many countries worldwide. Hence, in a political climate that recognizes the pressing need for enhanced operational space weather monitoring capabilities most appropriately stationed, it is widely accepted, at the Lagrangian L1 and L5 points, it is timely to assess the value of heliospheric imaging observations in the context of space weather operations. To this end, we review a cross section of the scientific analyses that have exploited heliospheric imagery—particularly from STEREO/HI—and discuss their relevance to operational predictions of, in particular, coronal mass ejection (CME) arrival at Earth and elsewhere. We believe that the potential benefit of heliospheric images to the provision of accurate CME arrival predictions on an operational basis, although as yet not fully realized, is significant and we assert that heliospheric imagery is central to any credible space weather mission, particularly one located at a vantage point off the Sun-Earth line.

  15. IBEX Discoveries of the Global Heliosphere from Energetic Neutral Atoms and Preparations for IMAP

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwadron, N.

    2015-12-01

    Our piece of cosmic real-estate, the heliosphere, is the domain of all human existence -- an astrophysical case-history of the successful evolution of life in a habitable system. By exploring our global heliosphere and its myriad interactions, we develop key physical knowledge of the interstellar interactions that influence exoplanetary habitability as well the history and destiny of our solar system. IBEX was the first mission to explore the global heliosphere and in concert with Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 is discovering a fundamentally new and uncharted physical domain of the outer heliosphere. In parallel, Cassini/INCA maps the global heliosphere at energies (~5-55 KeV) above those measured by IBEX. The enigmatic IBEX ribbon and the INCA belt were unanticipated discoveries demonstrating that much of what we know or think we understand about the outer heliosphere needs to be revised. Remarkably, the combination of observations of the ribbon, the belt and the globally distributed flux have provided a picture not only of the global heliosphere, but also the interstellar magnetic field, which has a strength and direction that can be directly compared to Voyager 1 observations. Currently, unraveling the interstellar magnetic field and its influences on the flows and structure of the heliosheath is an area of remarkably rapid discovery. The next quantum leap enabled by IMAP will open new windows on the frontier of Heliophysics at a time when the space environment is rapidly evolving. IMAP, like ACE before it, will be a keystone of the Heliophysics System Observatory. IMAP with 100 times the combined resolution and sensitivity of IBEX and INCA will discover the substructure of the IBEX ribbon and will reveal in unprecedented resolution global maps of our heliosphere. The remarkable synergy between IMAP, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 will remain for at least the next decade as Voyager1 pushes further into the interstellar domain and Voyager 2 moves through the heliosheath.

  16. Energetic particles in the heliosphere and GCR modulation: Reviewing of SH-posters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Struminsky, Alexei

    2013-01-01

    This rapporteur paper addresses the SH poster session titled 'Energetic particles in the heliosphere (solar and anomalous CRs, GCR modulation)' of the 23rd European Cosmic Ray Symposium (ECRS) and the 32nd Russian Cosmic Ray Conference (RCRC). The 65 posters presented are tentatively divided into five sections: Instruments and Methods; Solar Energetic Particles; Short Term Variations; Long Term Variations; Heliosphere.

  17. WARM BREEZE FROM THE STARBOARD BOW: A NEW POPULATION OF NEUTRAL HELIUM IN THE HELIOSPHERE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kubiak, M. A.; Bzowski, M.; Sokół, J. M.; Swaczyna, P.; Grzedzielski, S. [Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw (Poland); Alexashov, D. B.; Izmodenov, V. V. [Space Research Institute (IKI) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation); Möbius, E.; Leonard, T. [Space Research Center and Department of Physics, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH (United States); Fuselier, S. A.; McComas, D. J. [Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX (United States); Wurz, P. [Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern (Switzerland)

    2014-08-01

    We investigate the signals from neutral helium atoms observed in situ from Earth orbit in 2010 by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX). The full helium signal observed during the 2010 observation season can be explained as a superposition of pristine neutral interstellar He gas and an additional population of neutral helium that we call the Warm Breeze. The Warm Breeze is approximately 2 times slower and 2.5 times warmer than the primary interstellar He population, and its density in front of the heliosphere is ∼7% that of the neutral interstellar helium. The inflow direction of the Warm Breeze differs by ∼19° from the inflow direction of interstellar gas. The Warm Breeze seems to be a long-term, perhaps permanent feature of the heliospheric environment. It has not been detected earlier because it is strongly ionized inside the heliosphere. This effect brings it below the threshold of detection via pickup ion and heliospheric backscatter glow observations, as well as by the direct sampling of GAS/Ulysses. We discuss possible sources for the Warm Breeze, including (1) the secondary population of interstellar helium, created via charge exchange and perhaps elastic scattering of neutral interstellar He atoms on interstellar He{sup +} ions in the outer heliosheath, or (2) a gust of interstellar He originating from a hypothetic wave train in the Local Interstellar Cloud. A secondary population is expected from models, but the characteristics of the Warm Breeze do not fully conform to modeling results. If, nevertheless, this is the explanation, IBEX-Lo observations of the Warm Breeze provide key insights into the physical state of plasma in the outer heliosheath. If the second hypothesis is true, the source is likely to be located within a few thousand AU from the Sun, which is the propagation range of possible gusts of interstellar neutral helium with the Warm Breeze characteristics against dissipation via elastic scattering in the Local Cloud. Whatever the

  18. Solar wind stream interaction regions throughout the heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richardson, Ian G.

    2018-01-01

    This paper focuses on the interactions between the fast solar wind from coronal holes and the intervening slower solar wind, leading to the creation of stream interaction regions that corotate with the Sun and may persist for many solar rotations. Stream interaction regions have been observed near 1 AU, in the inner heliosphere (at ˜ 0.3-1 AU) by the Helios spacecraft, in the outer and distant heliosphere by the Pioneer 10 and 11 and Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft, and out of the ecliptic by Ulysses, and these observations are reviewed. Stream interaction regions accelerate energetic particles, modulate the intensity of Galactic cosmic rays and generate enhanced geomagnetic activity. The remote detection of interaction regions using interplanetary scintillation and white-light imaging, and MHD modeling of interaction regions will also be discussed.

  19. The sun, the solar wind, and the heliosphere

    CERN Document Server

    Miralles, Mari Paz

    2011-01-01

    This volume presents a concise, up-to-date overview of current research on the observations, theoretical interpretations, and empirical and physical descriptions of the Sun, the Solar Wind, and the Heliosphere, from the solar interior outward to the planets.

  20. Cosmic Ray Modulation in the Outer Heliosphere During the Minimum of Solar Cycle 23/24

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adams, James H., Jr.; Florinski, V.; Washimi, H.; Pogorelov, N. V.

    2011-01-01

    We report a next generation model of galactic cosmic ray (GCR) transport in the three dimensional heliosphere. Our model is based on an accurate three-dimensional representation of the heliospheric interface. This representation is obtained by taking into account the interaction between partially ionized, magnetized plasma flows of the solar wind and the local interstellar medium. Our model reveals that after entering the heliosphere GCRs are stored in the heliosheath for several years. The preferred GCR entry locations are near the nose of the heliopause and at high latitudes. Low-energy (hundreds of MeV) galactic ions observed in the heliosheath have spent, on average, a longer time in the solar wind than those observed in the inner heliosphere, which would explain their cooled-off spectra at these energies. We also discuss radial gradients in the heliosheath and the implications for future Voyager observations.

  1. The long-term variability of cosmic ray protons in the heliosphere: A modeling approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M.S. Potgieter

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Galactic cosmic rays are charged particles created in our galaxy and beyond. They propagate through interstellar space to eventually reach the heliosphere and Earth. Their transport in the heliosphere is subjected to four modulation processes: diffusion, convection, adiabatic energy changes and particle drifts. Time-dependent changes, caused by solar activity which varies from minimum to maximum every ∼11 years, are reflected in cosmic ray observations at and near Earth and along spacecraft trajectories. Using a time-dependent compound numerical model, the time variation of cosmic ray protons in the heliosphere is studied. It is shown that the modeling approach is successful and can be used to study long-term modulation cycles.

  2. Heliosphere Responds to a Large Solar Wind Intensification: Decisive Observations from IBEX

    Science.gov (United States)

    McComas, D. J.; Dayeh, M. A.; Funsten, H. O.; Heerikhuisen, J.; Janzen, P. H.; Reisenfeld, D. B.; Schwadron, N. A.; Szalay, J. R.; Zirnstein, E. J.

    2018-03-01

    Our heliosphere—the bubble in the local interstellar medium produced by the Sun’s outflowing solar wind—has finally responded to a large increase in solar wind output and pressure in the second half of 2014. NASA’s Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission remotely monitors the outer heliosphere by observing energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) returning from the heliosheath, the region between the termination shock and heliopause. IBEX observed a significant enhancement in higher energy ENAs starting in late 2016. While IBEX observations over the previous decade reflected a general reduction of ENA intensities, indicative of a deflating heliosphere, new observations show that the large (∼50%), persistent increase in the solar wind dynamic pressure has modified the heliosheath, producing enhanced ENA emissions. The combination of these new observations with simulation results indicate that this pressure is re-expanding our heliosphere, with the termination shock and heliopause already driven outward in the locations closest to the Sun. The timing between the IBEX observations, a large transient pressure enhancement seen by Voyager 2, and the simulations indicates that the pressure increase propagated through the heliosheath, reflected off the heliopause, and the enhanced density of the solar wind filled the heliosheath behind it before generating significantly enhanced ENA emissions. The coming years should see significant changes in anomalous cosmic rays, galactic cosmic radiation, and the filtration of interstellar neutral atoms into the inner heliosphere.

  3. Cosmic Rays in the Heliosphere: Requirements for Future Observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mewaldt, R. A.

    2013-06-01

    Since the publication of Cosmic Rays in the Heliosphere in 1998 there has been great progress in understanding how and why cosmic rays vary in space and time. This paper discusses measurements that are needed to continue advances in relating cosmic ray variations to changes in solar and interplanetary activity and variations in the local interstellar environment. Cosmic ray acceleration and transport is an important discipline in space physics and astrophysics, but it also plays a critical role in defining the radiation environment for humans and hardware in space, and is critical to efforts to unravel the history of solar activity. Cosmic rays are measured directly by balloon-borne and space instruments, and indirectly by ground-based neutron, muon and neutrino detectors, and by measurements of cosmogenic isotopes in ice cores, tree-rings, sediments, and meteorites. The topics covered here include: what we can learn from the deep 2008-2009 solar minimum, when cosmic rays reached the highest intensities of the space era; the implications of 10Be and 14C isotope archives for past and future solar activity; the effects of variations in the size of the heliosphere; opportunities provided by the Voyagers for discovering the origin of anomalous cosmic rays and measuring cosmic-ray spectra in interstellar space; and future space missions that can continue the exciting exploration of the heliosphere that has occurred over the past 50 years.

  4. ASHI: An All Sky Heliospheric Imager for Viewing Thomson-Scattered Light

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buffington, A.; Jackson, B. V.; Yu, H. S.; Hick, P. P.; Bisi, M. M.

    2017-12-01

    We have developed, and are now making a detailed design for an All-Sky Heliospheric Imager (ASHI), to fly on future deep-space missions. ASHI's principal long-term objective is acquisition of a precision photometric map of the inner heliosphere as viewed from deep space. Photometers on the twin Helios spacecraft, the Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI) upon the Coriolis satellite, and the Heliospheric Imagers (HIs) upon the Solar-TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) twin spacecraft, all indicate an optimum instrument design for visible-light Thomson-scattering observations. This design views a hemisphere of sky starting a few degrees from the Sun. Two imagers can cover almost all of the whole sky. A key photometric specification for ASHI is 0.1% differential photometry: this enables the three dimensional reconstruction of density starting from near the Sun and extending outward. SMEI analyses have demonstrated the success of this technique: when employed by ASHI, this will provide an order of magnitude better resolution in 3-D density over time. We augment this analysis to include velocity, and these imagers deployed in deep space can thus provide high-resolution comparisons both of direct in-situ density and velocity measurements to remote observations of solar wind structures. In practice we find that the 3-D velocity determinations provide the best tomographic timing depiction of heliospheric structures. We discuss the simple concept behind this, and present recent progress in the instrument design, and its expected performance specifications. A preliminary balloon flight of an ASHI prototype is planned to take place next Summer.

  5. MULTIFRACTAL STRUCTURES DETECTED BY VOYAGER 1 AT THE HELIOSPHERIC BOUNDARIES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Macek, W. M.; Wawrzaszek, A.; Burlaga, L. F.

    2014-01-01

    To better understand the dynamics of turbulent systems, we have proposed a phenomenological model based on a generalized Cantor set with two rescaling and one weight parameters. In this Letter, using recent Voyager 1 magnetic field data, we extend our two-scale multifractal analysis further in the heliosheath beyond the heliospheric termination shock, and even now near the heliopause, when entering the interstellar medium for the first time in human history. We have identified the scaling inertial region for magnetized heliospheric plasma between the termination shock and the heliopause. We also show that the degree of multifractality decreases with the heliocentric distance and is still modulated by the phases of the solar cycle in the entire heliosphere including the heliosheath. Moreover, we observe the change of scaling toward a nonintermittent (nonmultifractal) behavior in the nearby interstellar medium, just beyond the heliopause. We argue that this loss of multifractal behavior could be a signature of the expected crossing of the heliopause by Voyager 2 in the near future. The results obtained demonstrate that our phenomenological multifractal model exhibits some properties of intermittent turbulence in the solar system plasmas, and we hope that it could shed light on universal characteristics of turbulence

  6. MULTIFRACTAL STRUCTURES DETECTED BY VOYAGER 1 AT THE HELIOSPHERIC BOUNDARIES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Macek, W. M. [Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University, Wóycickiego 1/3, 01-938 Warsaw (Poland); Wawrzaszek, A. [Space Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Bartycka 18 A, 00-716 Warszawa (Poland); Burlaga, L. F., E-mail: macek@cbk.waw.pl, E-mail: anna.wawrzaszek@cbk.waw.pl, E-mail: lburlagahsp@verizon.net [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 673, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)

    2014-10-01

    To better understand the dynamics of turbulent systems, we have proposed a phenomenological model based on a generalized Cantor set with two rescaling and one weight parameters. In this Letter, using recent Voyager 1 magnetic field data, we extend our two-scale multifractal analysis further in the heliosheath beyond the heliospheric termination shock, and even now near the heliopause, when entering the interstellar medium for the first time in human history. We have identified the scaling inertial region for magnetized heliospheric plasma between the termination shock and the heliopause. We also show that the degree of multifractality decreases with the heliocentric distance and is still modulated by the phases of the solar cycle in the entire heliosphere including the heliosheath. Moreover, we observe the change of scaling toward a nonintermittent (nonmultifractal) behavior in the nearby interstellar medium, just beyond the heliopause. We argue that this loss of multifractal behavior could be a signature of the expected crossing of the heliopause by Voyager 2 in the near future. The results obtained demonstrate that our phenomenological multifractal model exhibits some properties of intermittent turbulence in the solar system plasmas, and we hope that it could shed light on universal characteristics of turbulence.

  7. Heliospheric Magnetic Fields, Energetic Particles, and the Solar Cycle

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    tribpo

    from interstellar space penetrate deep into the heliosphere before being ionized by .... program was formally terminated in 1997, Pioneer-10 is still tracked. Since the last .... already been uncovered, and how many secrets it still holds.

  8. The Telemachus mission: dynamics of the polar sun and heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roelof, E.

    Telemachus in Greek mythology was the faithful son of Ulysses. The Telemachus mission is envisioned as the next logical step in the exploration of the polar regions of the Sun and heliosphere so excitingly initiated by the ESA/NASA Ulysses mission. Telemachus is a polar solar-heliospheric mission described in the current NASA Sun-Earth Connections Roadmap (2003-2028) that has successfully undergone two Team X studies by NASA/JPL. The pioneering observations from Ulysses transformed our perception of the structure and dynamics of these polar regions through which flow the solar wind, magnetic fields and energetic particles that eventually populate most of the volume of the heliosphere. Ulysses carried only fields and particles detectors. Telemachus, in addition to modern versions of such essential in situ instruments, will carry imagers that will give solar astronomers a new viewpoint on coronal mass ejections and solar flares, as well as their first purely polar views of the photospheric magnetic field, thereby providing new helioseismology to probe the interior of the Sun. Unlike the RTG-powered Ulysses, the power for Telemachus will come simply from solar panels. Gravity assist encounters with Venus and Earth (twice) will yield ˜5 years of continuous in-ecliptic cruise science between 0.7 AU and 3.3 AU that will powerfully complement other contemporary solar-heliospheric missions. The Jupiter gravity assist, followed by a perihelion burn ˜8 years after launch, will place Telemachus in a permanent ˜0.2 AU by 2.5 AU heliographic polar orbit (inclination >80 deg) whose period will be 1.5 years. Telemachus will then pass over the solar poles at ˜0.4 AU (compared to 1.4 AU for Ulysses) and spend ˜2 weeks above 60 deg on each polar pass (alternating perihelions between east and west limbs as viewed from Earth). In 14 polar passes during a 10.5 year solar cycle, Telemachus would accumulate over half a year of polar science data. During the remainder of the time, it

  9. Comparative Validation of Realtime Solar Wind Forecasting Using the UCSD Heliospheric Tomography Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacNeice, Peter; Taktakishvili, Alexandra; Jackson, Bernard; Clover, John; Bisi, Mario; Odstrcil, Dusan

    2011-01-01

    The University of California, San Diego 3D Heliospheric Tomography Model reconstructs the evolution of heliospheric structures, and can make forecasts of solar wind density and velocity up to 72 hours in the future. The latest model version, installed and running in realtime at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center(CCMC), analyzes scintillations of meter wavelength radio point sources recorded by the Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory(STELab) together with realtime measurements of solar wind speed and density recorded by the Advanced Composition Explorer(ACE) Solar Wind Electron Proton Alpha Monitor(SWEPAM).The solution is reconstructed using tomographic techniques and a simple kinematic wind model. Since installation, the CCMC has been recording the model forecasts and comparing them with ACE measurements, and with forecasts made using other heliospheric models hosted by the CCMC. We report the preliminary results of this validation work and comparison with alternative models.

  10. 2- to 3-kHz continuum emissions as possible indications of global heliospheric 'breathing'

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grzedzielski, S.; Lazarus, A. J.

    1993-01-01

    The paper analyzes the main features of 2- to 3-kHz heliospheric emissions in the context of a general heliospheric 'breathing' as inferred from the Voyager 2 solar wind average ram pressure data. Triggers for the three 3-kHz emission events seen to date are suggested, and good agreement is obtained in timing and expected postshock frequency for termination shock distances of about 90 AU. It is suggested that the visibility of the individual 3-kHz events and their observed upward frequency drift are enhanced when the postulated global heliospheric expansion results in the formation of a transient, compressed external plasma barrier around the heliopause that prevents radiation escape for several months. The average termination shock distance is estimated to be in the range 80-90 AU.

  11. FIRST DETERMINATION OF THE TRUE MASS OF CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS: A NOVEL APPROACH TO USING THE TWO STEREO VIEWPOINTS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Colaninno, Robin C.; Vourlidas, Angelos

    2009-01-01

    The twin Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation (SECCHI) COR2 coronagraphs of the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) provide images of the solar corona from two viewpoints in the solar system. Since their launch in late 2006, the STEREO Ahead (A) and Behind (B) spacecraft have been slowly separating from Earth at a rate of 22. 0 5 per year. By the end of 2007, the two spacecraft were separated by more than 40 deg. from each other. At that time, we began to see large-scale differences in the morphology and total intensity between coronal mass ejections (CMEs) observed with SECCHI-COR2 on STEREO-A and B. Due to the effects of the Thomson scattering geometry, the intensity of an observed CME is dependent on the angle it makes with the observed plane of the sky. From the intensity images, we can calculate the integrated line-of-sight electron density and mass. We demonstrate that it is possible to simultaneously derive the direction and true total mass of the CME if we make the simple assumption that the same mass should be observed in COR2-A and B.

  12. Voyager observations of the interaction of the heliosphere with the interstellar medium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John D. Richardson

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available This paper provides a brief review and update on the Voyager observations of the interaction of the heliosphere with the interstellar medium. Voyager has found many surprises: (1 a new energetic particle component which is accelerated at the termination shock (TS and leaks into the outer heliosphere forming a foreshock region; (2 a termination shock which is modulated by energetic particles and which transfers most of the solar wind flow energy to the pickup ions (not the thermal ions; (3 the heliosphere is asymmetric; (4 the TS does not accelerate anomalous cosmic rays at the Voyager locations; and (5 the plasma flow in the Voyagers 1 (V1 and 2 (V2 directions are very different. At V1 the flow was small after the TS and has recently slowed to near zero, whereas at V2 the speed has remained constant while the flow direction has turned tailward. V1 may have entered an extended boundary region in front of the heliopause (HP in 2010 in which the plasma flow speeds are near zero.

  13. Voyager observations of the interaction of the heliosphere with the interstellar medium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richardson, John D

    2013-05-01

    This paper provides a brief review and update on the Voyager observations of the interaction of the heliosphere with the interstellar medium. Voyager has found many surprises: (1) a new energetic particle component which is accelerated at the termination shock (TS) and leaks into the outer heliosphere forming a foreshock region; (2) a termination shock which is modulated by energetic particles and which transfers most of the solar wind flow energy to the pickup ions (not the thermal ions); (3) the heliosphere is asymmetric; (4) the TS does not accelerate anomalous cosmic rays at the Voyager locations; and (5) the plasma flow in the Voyagers 1 (V1) and 2 (V2) directions are very different. At V1 the flow was small after the TS and has recently slowed to near zero, whereas at V2 the speed has remained constant while the flow direction has turned tailward. V1 may have entered an extended boundary region in front of the heliopause (HP) in 2010 in which the plasma flow speeds are near zero.

  14. Tentative Identification of Interstellar Dust in the Magnetic Wall of the Heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frisch, P. C.

    2006-06-01

    Data showing that light from nearby stars, Tinbergen (1982) and Piirola (1977), were acquired during the solar minimum of the mid-1970's when the magnetic wall was expected to form at negative ecliptic latitudes because the solar magnetic polarity was north-pole-positive. The polarization is seen primarily at negative ecliptic latitudes, consistent with the expected magnetic wall position. The interstellar magnetic field direction at the Sun is derived from these data. The small dust grains most likely to cause the polarization are also the grains excluded from the heliosphere by small gyroradii, <100 AU. The direction of maximum polarization is offset by ˜ 20 --40 deg. from the inflow direction of the large grains that are gravitationally focused in the heliosphere tail. Interstellar dust grains in and near the heliosphere form a potential contaminant of the cosmic microwave background signal, which should then be identifiable because the spatial behavior of these grains depends on the phase of the 22 year solar magnetic activity cycle. The author would like to thank NASA for supporting her research.

  15. Modulation of Galactic Cosmic Rays in the Inner Heliosphere, Comparing with PAMELA Measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, G.; Shen, Z.-N.

    2017-09-01

    We develop a numerical model to study the time-dependent modulation of galactic cosmic rays in the inner heliosphere. In the model, a time-delayed modified Parker heliospheric magnetic field (HMF) and a new diffusion coefficient model, NLGCE-F, from Qin & Zhang, are adopted. In addition, the latitudinal dependence of magnetic turbulence magnitude is assumed to be ˜ (1+{\\sin }2θ )/2 from the observations of Ulysses, and the radial dependence is assumed to be ˜ {r}S, where we choose an expression of S as a function of the heliospheric current sheet tilt angle. We show that the analytical expression used to describe the spatial variation of HMF turbulence magnitude agrees well with the Ulysses, Voyager 1, and Voyager 2 observations. By numerically calculating the modulation code, we get the proton energy spectra as a function of time during the recent solar minimum, it is shown that the modulation results are consistent with the Payload for Antimatter-Matter Exploration and Light-nuclei Astrophysics measurements.

  16. Remote Sensing of the Heliospheric Solar Wind using Radio ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    tribpo

    Astr. (2000) 21, 439–444. Remote Sensing of the Heliospheric Solar Wind using Radio. Astronomy Methods and Numerical Simulations. S. Ananthakrishnan, National Center for Radio Astrophysics, Tata Institute of. Fundamental Research, Pune, India. Abstract. The ground-based radio astronomy method of interplanetary.

  17. Evidence for a current sheet forming in the wake of a coronal mass ejection from multi-viewpoint coronagraph observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patsourakos, S.; Vourlidas, A.

    2011-01-01

    Context. Ray-like features observed by coronagraphs in the wake of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are sometimes interpreted as the white light counterparts of current sheets (CSs) produced by the eruption. The 3D geometry of these ray-like features is largely unknown and its knowledge should clarify their association to the CS and place constraints on CME physics and coronal conditions. Aims: If these rays are related to field relaxation behind CMEs, therefore representing current sheets, then they should be aligned to the CME axis. With this study we test these important implications for the first time. Methods: An example of such a post-CME ray was observed by various coronagraphs, including these of the Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric investigation (SECCHI) onboard the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) twin spacecraft and the Large Angle Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). The ray was observed in the aftermath of a CME which occurred on 9 April 2008. The twin STEREO spacecraft were separated by about 48° on that day. This significant separation combined with a third “eye” view supplied by LASCO allow for a truly multi-viewpoint observation of the ray and of the CME. We applied 3D forward geometrical modeling to the CME and to the ray as simultaneously viewed by SECCHI-A and B and by SECCHI-A and LASCO, respectively. Results: We found that the ray can be approximated by a rectangular slab, nearly aligned with the CME axis, and much smaller than the CME in both terms of thickness and depth (≈0.05 and 0.15 R⊙ respectively). The ray electron density and temperature were substantially higher than their values in the ambient corona. We found that the ray and CME are significantly displaced from the associated post-CME flaring loops. Conclusions: The properties and location of the ray are fully consistent with the expectations of the standard CME theories for post-CME current

  18. A MEASUREMENT OF THE ADIABATIC COOLING INDEX FOR INTERSTELLAR HELIUM PICKUP IONS IN THE INNER HELIOSPHERE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saul, Lukas; Wurz, Peter; Kallenbach, Reinald

    2009-01-01

    Interstellar neutral gas enters the inner heliosphere where it is ionized and becomes the pickup ion population of the solar wind. It is often assumed that this population will subsequently cool adiabatically, like an expanding ideal gas due, to the divergent flow of the solar wind. Here, we report the first independent measure of the effective adiabatic cooling index in the inner heliosphere from SOHO CELIAS measurements of singly charged helium taken during times of perpendicular interplanetary magnetic field. We use a simple adiabatic transport model of interstellar pickup helium ions, valid for the upwind region of the inner heliosphere. The time averaged velocity spectrum of helium pickup ions measured by CELIAS/CTOF is fit to this model with a single free parameter which indicates an effective cooling rate with a power-law index of γ = 1.35 ± 0.2. While this average is consistent with the 'ideal-gas' assumption of γ = 1.5, the analysis indicates that such an assumption will not apply in general, and that due to observational constraints further measurements are necessary to constrain the cooling process. Implications are discussed for understanding the transport processes in the inner heliosphere and improving this measurement technique.

  19. Interstellar Dust in the Heliosheath: Tentative Discovery of the Magnetic Wall of the Heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frisch, P. C.

    2005-12-01

    The evident identification of interstellar dust grains entrained in the magnetic wall of the heliosphere is reported. It is shown that the distribution of dust grains causing the weak polarization of light from nearby stars is consistent with polarization by small charged interstellar dust grains captured in the heliosphere magnetic wall (Tinbergen 1982, Frisch 2005). There is an offset between the deflected small charged polarizing dust grains, radius less than 0.2 microns, and the undeflected large grain population, radius larger than 0.2 microns. The region of maximum polarization is towards ecliptic coordinates lambda,beta = 295,0 deg, which is offset along the ecliptic longitude by about 35 deg from the heliosphere nose and extends to low ecliptic latitudes where the heliosphere magnetic wall is expected. An offset is also found between the best aligned dust grains, near lambda=281 deg to 220 deg, and the upwind direction of the undeflected inflow of large grains seen by Ulysses and Galileo. In the aligned-grain region, the polarization strength anti-correlates with ecliptic latitude, indicating that the magnetic wall was predominantly at negative ecliptic latitudes when these data were acquired. These data are consistent with model predictions for an interstellar magnetic field which is tilted by 60 deg with respect to the ecliptic plane, and parallel to the galactic plane. References: Tinbergen, 1982: AA, v105, p53; Frisch, 2005: to appear in ApJL.

  20. Magnetic flux density in the heliosphere through several solar cycles

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Erdős, G. [Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 49, H-1525 Budapest (Hungary); Balogh, A., E-mail: erdos.geza@wigner.mta.hu [The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London SW7 2BZ (United Kingdom)

    2014-01-20

    We studied the magnetic flux density carried by solar wind to various locations in the heliosphere, covering a heliospheric distance range of 0.3-5.4 AU and a heliolatitudinal range from 80° south to 80° north. Distributions of the radial component of the magnetic field, B{sub R} , were determined over long intervals from the Helios, ACE, STEREO, and Ulysses missions, as well as from using the 1 AU OMNI data set. We show that at larger distances from the Sun, the fluctuations of the magnetic field around the average Parker field line distort the distribution of B{sub R} to such an extent that the determination of the unsigned, open solar magnetic flux density from the average (|B{sub R} |) is no longer justified. We analyze in detail two methods for reducing the effect of fluctuations. The two methods are tested using magnetic field and plasma velocity measurements in the OMNI database and in the Ulysses observations, normalized to 1 AU. It is shown that without such corrections for the fluctuations, the magnetic flux density measured by Ulysses around the aphelion phase of the orbit is significantly overestimated. However, the matching between the in-ecliptic magnetic flux density at 1 AU (OMNI data) and the off-ecliptic, more distant, normalized flux density by Ulysses is remarkably good if corrections are made for the fluctuations using either method. The main finding of the analysis is that the magnetic flux density in the heliosphere is fairly uniform, with no significant variations having been observed either in heliocentric distance or heliographic latitude.

  1. The Sun's Dynamic Influence on the Outer Heliosphere, the Heliosheath, and the Local Interstellar Medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Intriligator, D S; Sun, W; Detman, T; Miller, W D; Intriligator, J; Dryer, M; Deehr, C; Webber, W; Gloeckler, G

    2016-01-01

    The Sun has been observed for many years to be a dynamic influence in the heliosphere, and as the Voyager missions have continued long after achieving their original goals of observing the major planets they have provided the first in situ observations of the effects of solar activity in the heliosheath (HS), and the nearest portions of the local Interstellar Medium (LISM). Comparing these observations with models provides key insights. We employ two three-dimensional (3D) time-dependent models that simulate the propagation of shocks, other specific features, and the background solar wind throughout the heliosphere, starting with the solar background and solar event boundary conditions near the Sun at 2.5 Rs. The Hybrid Heliospheric Modeling System with Pickup Protons (HHMS-PI) is a 3D time- dependent Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation. HAFSS (HAF Solar Surface) is a 3D time-dependent kinematic simulation. Comparing our models with the observations indicates that solar effects are seen in the heliosphere, the HS, and the LISM in in-situ spacecraft measurements of plasma, magnetic field, energetic particles, cosmic rays, and plasma waves. There is quantitative agreement (at ACE, Ulysses, VI, V2) with data (e.g., solar wind, IMF, Ulysses SWICS pickup protons (PUPs)). Propagating shocks are slowed due to PUPs. The 3D locations of solar events and of various spacecraft are key to understanding the 3D propagation and timing of shocks, other specific features, and gradients throughout the heliosphere, HS, and LISM. (paper)

  2. A MODEL OF THE HELIOSPHERE WITH JETS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Drake, J. F.; Swisdak, M.; Opher, M.

    2015-01-01

    An analytic model of the heliosheath (HS) between the termination shock (TS) and the heliopause (HP) is developed in the limit in which the interstellar flow and magnetic field are neglected. The heliosphere in this limit is axisymmetric and the overall structure of the HS and HP is controlled by the solar magnetic field even in the limit in which the ratio of the plasma to magnetic field pressure, β = 8πP/B 2 , in the HS is large. The tension of the solar magnetic field produces a drop in the total pressure between the TS and the HP. This same pressure drop accelerates the plasma flow downstream of the TS into the north and south directions to form two collimated jets. The radii of these jets are controlled by the flow through the TS and the acceleration of this flow by the magnetic field—a stronger solar magnetic field boosts the velocity of the jets and reduces the radii of the jets and the HP. MHD simulations of the global heliosphere embedded in a stationary interstellar medium match well with the analytic model. The results suggest that mechanisms that reduce the HS plasma pressure downstream of the TS can enhance the jet outflow velocity and reduce the HP radius to values more consistent with the Voyager 1 observations than in current global models

  3. Solar Energetic Particle Transport Near a Heliospheric Current Sheet

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Battarbee, Markus; Dalla, Silvia [Jeremiah Horrocks Institute, University of Central Lancashire, PR1 2HE (United Kingdom); Marsh, Mike S., E-mail: mbattarbee@uclan.ac.uk [Met Office, Exeter, EX1 3 PB (United Kingdom)

    2017-02-10

    Solar energetic particles (SEPs), a major component of space weather, propagate through the interplanetary medium strongly guided by the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). In this work, we analyze the implications that a flat Heliospheric Current Sheet (HCS) has on proton propagation from SEP release sites to the Earth. We simulate proton propagation by integrating fully 3D trajectories near an analytically defined flat current sheet, collecting comprehensive statistics into histograms, fluence maps, and virtual observer time profiles within an energy range of 1–800 MeV. We show that protons experience significant current sheet drift to distant longitudes, causing time profiles to exhibit multiple components, which are a potential source of confusing interpretations of observations. We find that variation of the current sheet thickness within a realistic parameter range has little effect on particle propagation. We show that the IMF configuration strongly affects the deceleration of protons. We show that in our model, the presence of a flat equatorial HCS in the inner heliosphere limits the crossing of protons into the opposite hemisphere.

  4. Galactic Cosmic-ray Transport in the Global Heliosphere: A Four-Dimensional Stochastic Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Florinski, V.

    2009-04-01

    We study galactic cosmic-ray transport in the outer heliosphere and heliosheath using a newly developed transport model based on stochastic integration of the phase-space trajectories of Parker's equation. The model employs backward integration of the diffusion-convection transport equation using Ito calculus and is four-dimensional in space+momentum. We apply the model to the problem of galactic proton transport in the heliosphere during a negative solar minimum. Model results are compared with the Voyager measurements of galactic proton radial gradients and spectra in the heliosheath. We show that the heliosheath is not as efficient in diverting cosmic rays during solar minima as predicted by earlier two-dimensional models.

  5. SOLAR PHOTOIONIZATION RATES FOR INTERSTELLAR NEUTRALS IN THE INNER HELIOSPHERE: H, He, O, AND Ne

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bochsler, P.; Kucharek, H.; Möbius, E. [Space Science Center and Department of Physics, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824 (United States); Bzowski, Maciej; Sokół, Justyna M. [Space Research Center of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Bartycka 18A, 00-716 Warsaw (Poland); Didkovsky, Leonid; Wieman, Seth, E-mail: bochsler@space.unibe.ch [Space Sciences Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-1341 (United States)

    2014-01-01

    Extreme UV (EUV) spectra from the Thermosphere Ionosphere Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics (TIMED)/Solar EUV Experiment are used to infer photoionization rates in the inner heliosphere. Relating these rates to various proxies describing the solar EUV radiation, we construct a multi-linear model which allows us to extrapolate ionization rates back to periods when no routine measurements of the solar EUV spectral distribution have been available. Such information is important, e.g., for comparing conditions of the interstellar neutral particles in the inner heliosphere at the time of Ulysses/GAS observations with conditions during the more recent observations of the Interstellar Boundary Explorer. From a period of 11 yr when detailed spectra from both TIMED and three proxies—Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/CELIAS/SEM-rates, F10.7 radio flux, and Mg II core-to-wing indices—have been available, we conclude that the simple model is able to reproduce the photoionization rates with an uncertainty of typically 5%.

  6. A study of density modulation index in the inner heliospheric solar wind during solar cycle 23

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bisoi, Susanta Kumar; Janardhan, P.; Ingale, M.; Subramanian, P.; Ananthakrishnan, S.; Tokumaru, M.; Fujiki, K.

    2014-01-01

    The ratio of the rms electron density fluctuations to the background density in the solar wind (density modulation index, ε N ≡ ΔN/N) is of vital importance for understanding several problems in heliospheric physics related to solar wind turbulence. In this paper, we have investigated the behavior of ε N in the inner heliosphere from 0.26 to 0.82 AU. The density fluctuations ΔN have been deduced using extensive ground-based observations of interplanetary scintillation at 327 MHz, which probe spatial scales of a few hundred kilometers. The background densities (N) have been derived using near-Earth observations from the Advanced Composition Explorer. Our analysis reveals that 0.001 ≲ ε N ≲ 0.02 and does not vary appreciably with heliocentric distance. We also find that ε N declines by 8% from 1998 to 2008. We discuss the impact of these findings on problems ranging from our understanding of Forbush decreases to the behavior of the solar wind dynamic pressure over the recent peculiar solar minimum at the end of cycle 23.

  7. Helium Energetic Neutral Atoms from the Heliosphere: Perspectives for Future Observations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Swaczyna, Paweł; Grzedzielski, Stan; Bzowski, Maciej, E-mail: pswaczyna@cbk.waw.pl [Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences (CBK PAN), Bartycka 18A, 00-716 Warsaw (Poland)

    2017-05-10

    Observations of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) allow for remote sensing of plasma properties in distant regions of the heliosphere. So far, most of the observations have concerned only hydrogen atoms. In this paper, we present perspectives for observations of helium energetic neutral atoms (He ENAs). We calculated the expected intensities of He ENAs created by the neutralization of helium ions in the inner heliosheath and through the secondary ENA mechanism in the outer heliosheath. We found that the dominant source region for He ENAs is the inner heliosheath. The obtained magnitudes of intensity spectra suggest that He ENAs can be observed with future ENA detectors, as those planned on Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe . Observing He ENAs is most likely for energies from a few to a few tens of keV/nuc. Estimates of the expected count rates show that the ratio of helium to hydrogen atoms registered in the detectors can be as low as 1:10{sup 4}. Consequently, the detectors need to be equipped with an appropriate mass spectrometer capability, allowing for recognition of chemical elements. Due to the long mean free paths of helium ions in the inner heliosheath, He ENAs are produced also in the distant heliospheric tail. This implies that observations of He ENAs can resolve its structure, which seems challenging from observations of hydrogen ENAs since energetic protons are neutralized before they progress deeper in the heliospheric tail.

  8. Taming the data wilderness with the VHO: Integrating heliospheric data sets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schroeder, P.; Szabo, A.; Narock, T.

    Currently space physicists are faced with a bewildering array of heliospheric missions experiments and data sets available at archives distributed around the world Daunting even for those most familiar with the field physicists in other concentrations solar physics magnetospheric physics etc find locating the heliospheric data that they need extremely challenging if not impossible The Virtual Heliospheric Observatory VHO will help to solve this problem by creating an Application Programming Interface API and web portal that integrates these data sets to find the highest quality data for a given task The VHO will locate the best available data often found only at PI institutions rather than at national archives like the NSSDC The VHO will therefore facilitate a dynamic data environment where improved data products are made available immediately In order to accomplish this the VHO will enforce a metadata standard on participating data providers with sufficient depth to allow for meaningful scientific evaluation of similar data products The VHO will provide an automated way for secondary sites to keep mirrors of data archives up to date and encouraging the generation of secondary or added-value data products The VHO will interact seamlessly with the Virtual Solar Observatory VSO and other Virtual Observatories VxO s to allow for inter-disciplinary data searching Software tools for these data sets will also be available through the VHO Finally the VHO will provide linkages to the modeling community and will develop metadata standards for the

  9. Is the S-Web the Secret to Observed Heliospheric Particle Distributions?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Higginson, A. K.; Antiochos, S. K.; DeVore, C. R.; Daldorff, L. K. S.; Wyper, P. F.; Ukhorskiy, A. Y.; Sorathia, K.

    2017-12-01

    Particle transport in the heliosphere remains an unsolved problem across energy regimes. Observations of slow solar wind show that plasma escapes from the closed-field corona, but ends up far away from the heliospheric current sheet, even though the release mechanisms are expected to occur at the HCS. Similarly, some impulsive SEP events have extreme longitudinal extents of 100 degrees or more. Recent theoretical and numerical work has shown that interchange reconnection near a coronal-hole corridor can release plasma from originally closed magnetic field lines into a large swath spread across the heliosphere, forming what is known as an S-Web arc. This is a promising mechanism for explaining both the slow solar wind, with its large latitudinal extent, and impulsive SEP particles, with their large longitudinal extent. Here we compute, for the first time, the dynamics of the S-Web when the photospheric driver is applied over a large portion of the solar surface compared to the scale of the driving. We examine the time scales for the interchange reconnection and compute the angular extent of the plasma released, in the context of understanding both the slow solar wind and flare-accelerated SEPs. We will make predictions for Solar Orbiter and Parker Solar Probe and discuss how these new measurements will help to both pinpoint the source of the slow solar wind and illuminate the transport mechanisms of wide-spread impulsive SEP events.

  10. A Small Mission Concept to the Sun-Earth Lagrangian L5 Point for Innovative Solar, Heliospheric and Space Weather Science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lavraud, B.; Liu, Y.; Segura, K.; He, J.; Qin, G.; Temmer, M.; Vial, J.-C.; Xiong, M.; Davies, J. A.; Rouillard, A. P.; hide

    2016-01-01

    We present a concept for a small mission to the Sun-Earth Lagrangian L5 point for innovative solar, heliospheric and space weather science. The proposed INvestigation of Solar-Terrestrial Activity aNd Transients (INSTANT) mission is designed to identify how solar coronal magnetic fields drive eruptions, mass transport and particle acceleration that impact the Earth and the heliosphere. INSTANT is the first mission designed to (1) obtain measurements of coronal magnetic fields from space and (2) determine coronal mass ejection (CME) kinematics with unparalleled accuracy. Thanks to innovative instrumentation at a vantage point that provides the most suitable perspective view of the Sun-Earth system, INSTANT would uniquely track the whole chain of fundamental processes driving space weather at Earth. We present the science requirements, payload and mission profile that fulfill ambitious science objectives within small mission programmatic boundary conditions.

  11. Observations and Analyses of Heliospheric Faraday Rotation of a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) Using the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) and Space-Based Imaging Techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bisi, Mario Mark; Jensen, Elizabeth; Sobey, Charlotte; Fallows, Richard; Jackson, Bernard; Barnes, David; Giunta, Alessandra; Hick, Paul; Eftekhari, Tarraneh; Yu, Hsiu-Shan; Odstrcil, Dusan; Tokumaru, Munetoshi; Wood, Brian

    2017-04-01

    Geomagnetic storms of the highest intensity are general driven by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) impacting the Earth's space environment. Their intensity is driven by the speed, density, and, most-importantly, their magnetic-field orientation and magnitude of the incoming solar plasma. The most-significant magnetic-field factor is the North-South component (Bz in Geocentric Solar Magnetic - GSM - coordinates). At present, there are no reliable prediction methods available for this magnetic-field component ahead of the in-situ monitors around the Sun-Earth L1 point. Observations of Faraday rotation (FR) can be used to attempt to determine average magnetic-field orientations in the inner heliosphere. Such a technique has already been well demonstrated through the corona, ionosphere, and also the interstellar medium. Measurements of the polarisation of astronomical (or spacecraft in superior conjunction) radio sources (beacons/radio frequency carriers) through the inner corona of the Sun to obtain the FR have been demonstrated but mostly at relatively-high radio frequencies. Here we show some initial results of true heliospheric FR using the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) below 200 MHz to investigate the passage of a coronal mass ejection (CME) across the line of sight. LOFAR is a next-generation low-frequency radio interferometer, and a pathfinder to the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) - LOW telescope. We demonstrate preliminary heliospheric FR results through the analysis of observations of pulsar J1022+1001, which commenced on 13 August 2014 at 13:00UT and spanned over 150 minutes in duration. We also show initial comparisons to the FR results via various modelling techniques and additional context information to understand the structure of the inner heliosphere being detected. This observation could indeed pave the way to an experiment which might be implemented for space-weather purposes that will eventually lead to a near-global method for determining the magnetic

  12. Kinky heliospheric current sheet: Cause of CDAW-6 substorms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tsurutani, B.T.; Russell, C.T.; King, J.H.; Zwickl, R.D.; Lin, R.P.

    1984-01-01

    Two magnetospheric substorms and the intensification of the second are caused by interplanetary magnetic field and ram pressure changes associated with a kinky heliospheric current sheet (KHCS). The responsible interplanetary features occur in a highly compressed region between a solar flare-associated shock wave and the cold driver gas. The possibity that the interplanetary structure is a ''magnetic cloud'' is ruled out

  13. Cosmic ray transport in heliospheric magnetic structures. I. Modeling background solar wind using the CRONOS magnetohydrodynamic code

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wiengarten, T.; Kleimann, J.; Fichtner, H. [Institut für Theoretische Physik IV, Ruhr-Universität Bochum (Germany); Kühl, P.; Kopp, A.; Heber, B. [Institut für Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, Christian-Albrecht-Universität zu Kiel (Germany); Kissmann, R. [Institut für Astro- und Teilchenphysik, Universität Innsbruck (Austria)

    2014-06-10

    The transport of energetic particles such as cosmic rays is governed by the properties of the plasma being traversed. While these properties are rather poorly known for galactic and interstellar plasmas due to the lack of in situ measurements, the heliospheric plasma environment has been probed by spacecraft for decades and provides a unique opportunity for testing transport theories. Of particular interest for the three-dimensional (3D) heliospheric transport of energetic particles are structures such as corotating interaction regions, which, due to strongly enhanced magnetic field strengths, turbulence, and associated shocks, can act as diffusion barriers on the one hand, but also as accelerators of low energy CRs on the other hand as well. In a two-fold series of papers, we investigate these effects by modeling inner-heliospheric solar wind conditions with a numerical magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) setup (this paper), which will serve as an input to a transport code employing a stochastic differential equation approach (second paper). In this first paper, we present results from 3D MHD simulations with our code CRONOS: for validation purposes we use analytic boundary conditions and compare with similar work by Pizzo. For a more realistic modeling of solar wind conditions, boundary conditions derived from synoptic magnetograms via the Wang-Sheeley-Arge (WSA) model are utilized, where the potential field modeling is performed with a finite-difference approach in contrast to the traditional spherical harmonics expansion often utilized in the WSA model. Our results are validated by comparing with multi-spacecraft data for ecliptical (STEREO-A/B) and out-of-ecliptic (Ulysses) regions.

  14. Number density structures in the inner heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stansby, D.; Horbury, T. S.

    2018-06-01

    Aims: The origins and generation mechanisms of the slow solar wind are still unclear. Part of the slow solar wind is populated by number density structures, discrete patches of increased number density that are frozen in to and move with the bulk solar wind. In this paper we aimed to provide the first in-situ statistical study of number density structures in the inner heliosphere. Methods: We reprocessed in-situ ion distribution functions measured by Helios in the inner heliosphere to provide a new reliable set of proton plasma moments for the entire mission. From this new data set we looked for number density structures measured within 0.5 AU of the Sun and studied their properties. Results: We identified 140 discrete areas of enhanced number density. The structures occurred exclusively in the slow solar wind and spanned a wide range of length scales from 50 Mm to 2000 Mm, which includes smaller scales than have been previously observed. They were also consistently denser and hotter that the surrounding plasma, but had lower magnetic field strengths, and therefore remained in pressure balance. Conclusions: Our observations show that these structures are present in the slow solar wind at a wide range of scales, some of which are too small to be detected by remote sensing instruments. These structures are rare, accounting for only 1% of the slow solar wind measured by Helios, and are not a significant contribution to the mass flux of the solar wind.

  15. Heliospheric Impact on Cosmic Rays Modulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tiwari, Bhupendra Kumar

    2016-07-01

    Heliospheric Impact on Cosmic RaysModulation B. K. Tiwari Department of Physics, A. P. S. University, Rewa (M.P.), btiwari70@yahoo.com Cosmic rays (CRs) flux at earth is modulated by the heliosphereric magnetic field and the structure of the heliosphere, controls by solar outputs and their variability. Sunspots numbers (SSN) is often treated as a primary indicator of solar activity (SA). GCRs entering the helioshphere are affected by the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and solar wind speed, their modulation varies with the varying solar activity. The observation based on data recoded from Omniweb data Centre for solar- interplanetary activity indices and monthly mean count rate of cosmic ray intensity (CRI) data from neutron monitors of different cut-off rigidities(Rc) (Moscow Rc=2.42Gv and Oulu Rc=0.80Gv). During minimum solar activity periodof solar cycle 23/24, the sun is remarkably quiet, weakest strength of the IMF and least dense and slowest, solar wind speed, whereas, in 2003, highest value of yearly averaged solar wind speed (~568 Km/sec) associated with several coronal holes, which generate high speed wind stream has been recorded. It is observed that GCRs fluxes reduces and is high anti-correlated with SSN (0.80) and IMF (0.86). CRI modulation produces by a strong solar flare, however, CME associated solar flare produce more disturbance in the interplanetary medium as well as in geomagnetic field. It is found that count rate of cosmic ray intensity and solar- interplanetary parameters were inverse correlated and solar indices were positive correlated. Keywords- Galactic Cosmic rays (GCRs), Sunspot number (SSN), Solar activity (SA), Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), Interplanetary magnetic field (IMF)

  16. Opening a Window on ICME Evolution and GCR Modulation During Propagation in the Innermost Heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winslow, R. M.; Lugaz, N.; Schwadron, N.; Farrugia, C. J.; Guo, J.; Wimmer-Schweingruber, R. F.; Wilson, J. K.; Joyce, C.; Jordan, A.; Lawrence, D. J.

    2017-12-01

    We use multipoint spacecraft observations to study interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) evolution and subsequent galactic cosmic ray (GCR) modulation during propagation in the inner heliosphere. We illustrate ICME propagation effects through two different case studies. The first ICME was launched from the Sun on 29 December 2011 and was observed in near-perfect longitudinal conjunction at MESSENGER and STEREO A. Despite the close longitudinal alignment, we infer from force-free field modeling that the orientation of the underlying flux rope rotated ˜80o in latitude and ˜65o in longitude. Based on both spacecraft measurements as well as ENLIL model simulations of the steady state solar wind, we find that interactions involving magnetic reconnection with corotating structures in the solar wind dramatically alter the ICME magnetic field. In particular, we observed at STEREO A a highly turbulent region with distinct properties within the flux rope that was not observed at MESSENGER; we attribute this region to interaction between the ICME and a heliospheric plasma sheet/current sheet. This is a concrete example of a sequence of events that can increase the complexity of ICMEs during propagation and should serve as a caution on using very distant observations to predict the geoeffectiveness of large interplanetary transients. Our second case study investigates changes with heliospheric distance in GCR modulation by an ICME event (launched on 12 February 2014) observed in near-conjunction at all four of the inner solar system planets. The ICME caused Forbush decreases (FDs) in the GCR count rates at Mercury (MESSENGER), Earth/Moon (ACE/LRO), and Mars (MSL). At all three locations, the pre-ICME background GCR rate was well-matched, but the depth of the FD of GCR fluxes with similar energy ranges diminished with distance from the Sun. A larger difference in FD size was observed between Mercury and Earth than between Earth and Mars, partly owing to the much larger

  17. MICROSTRUCTURE OF THE HELIOSPHERIC TERMINATION SHOCK: IMPLICATIONS FOR ENERGETIC NEUTRAL ATOM OBSERVATIONS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zank, G. P.; Heerikhuisen, J.; Pogorelov, N. V.; Burrows, R.; McComas, D.

    2010-01-01

    The Voyager 2 plasma observations of the proton distribution function downstream of the quasi-perpendicular heliospheric termination shock (TS) showed that upstream thermal solar wind ions played little role in the shock dissipation mechanism, being essentially transmitted directly through the shock. Instead, the hot supra-thermal pickup ion (PUI) component is most likely responsible for the dissipation at the TS. Consequently, the downstream proton distribution function will be a complicated superposition of relatively cool thermal solar wind protons and hot PUIs that have experienced either direct transmission or reflection at the TS cross-shock potential. We develop a simple model for the TS microstructure that allows us to construct approximate proton distribution functions for the inner heliosheath. The distribution function models are compared to κ-distributions, showing the correspondence between the two. Since the interpretation of energetic neutral atom (ENA) fluxes measured at 1 AU by IBEX will depend sensitively on the form of the underlying proton distribution function, we use a three-dimensional MHD-kinetic global model to model ENA spectra at 1 AU and ENA skymaps across the IBEX energy range. We consider both solar minimum and solar maximum-like global models, showing how ENA skymap structure can be related to global heliospheric structure. We suggest that the ENA spectra may allow us to probe the directly the microphysics of the TS, while the ENA skymaps reveal heliospheric structure and, at certain energies, are distinctly different during solar minimum and maximum.

  18. Solar and Heliospheric Data Requirements: Going Further Than L1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szabo, A.

    2011-01-01

    Current operational space weather forecasting relies on solar wind observations made by the ACE spacecraft located at the L1 point providing 30-40 minutes warning time. Some use is also made of SOHO and STEREO solar imaging that potentially can give multiple days of warning time. However, our understanding of the propagation and evolution of solar wind transients is still limited resulting in a typical timing uncertainty of approximately 10 hours. In order to improve this critical understanding, a number of NASA missions are being planned. Specifically the Solar Probe Plus and Solar Orbiter missions will investigate the inner Heliospheric evolution of coronal mass ejections and the acceleration and propagation of solar energetic particles. In addition, a number of multi-spacecraft concepts have been studied that have the potential to significantly improve the accuracy of long-term space weather forecasts.

  19. Voyager in-situ and Cassini Remote Measurements Suggest a Bubble-like Shape for the Global Heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dialynas, K.; Krimigis, S. M.; Mitchell, D. G.; Decker, R. B.; Roelof, E. C.

    2017-12-01

    The Low Energy Charged Particle (LECP) in situ measurements from Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 (V1, V2) have revealed the reservoir of ions and electrons that constitute the heliosheath after crossing the termination shock 35 deg north and 32 deg south of the ecliptic plane at 94 and 84 astronomical units (1 AU=1.5x108 km), respectively. In August 2012, at 121.6 AU, V1 crossed the heliopause to enter the interstellar space, while V2 remains in the heliosheath since 2007. The advent of Energetic Neutral Atom (ENA, produced through charge exchange between ions and neutral particles flowing through the heliosphere) imaging, has revealed the global nature of the heliosheath at both high (5.2-55 keV, Cassini/Ion and Neutral Camera-INCA, from 10 AU) and low (INCA global imaging through ENA in overlapping energy bands provides a powerful tool for examining the spatial, temporal, and spectral evolution of the source hot plasma ions. Here we report 5.2-55 keV ENA global images of the heliosphere from Cassini/INCA and compare them with V1,2/LECP 28-53 keV ions measured within the heliosheath over a 13-year period (2003-2016). The similarity between the time profiles of ENA and ions establish that the heliosheath ions are the source of ENA. These measurements also demonstrate that the heliosphere responds promptly, within 2-3 years, to outward propagating solar wind changes (manifested in solar sunspot numbers and solar wind energy input) in both the upstream (nose) and downstream (tail) hemispheres. These results, taken together with the V1 measurement of a 0.5 nT interstellar magnetic field and the enhanced ratio between particle pressure and magnetic pressure in the heliosheath, constrain the shape of the global heliosphere: by contrast to the magnetosphere-like heliotail (that past modeling broadly assumed for more than 55 years), a more symmetric, diamagnetic bubble-like heliosphere, with few substantial tail-like features is revealed.

  20. Physical and chemical data from secchi disk, bathythermograph (BT and XBT), plankton net, and CTD casts in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Ocean from 1950-01-01 to 1994-12-31 (NODC Accession 9800187)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Physical and chemical data were collected using secchi disk, bathythermograph (BT and XBT), plankton net, and CTD casts from the RYOFU MARU, KEIFU MARU, KOFU MARU,...

  1. A kinky heliospheric current sheet - Cause of CDAW-6 substorms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsurutani, B. T.; Russell, C. T.; King, J. H.; Zwickl, R. D.; Lin, R. P.

    1984-01-01

    Two magnetospheric substorms and the intensification of the second are caused by interplanetary magnetic field and ram pressure changes associated with a kinky heliospheric current sheet (KHCS). The responsible interplanetary features occur in a highly compressed region between a solar flare-associated shock wave and the cold driver gas. The possibility that the interplanetary structure is a 'magnetic cloud' is ruled out.

  2. Diagnostics of the Solar Wind and Global Heliosphere with Lyman-α Emission Measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Provornikova, E. P.; Izmodenov, V. V.; Laming, J. M.; Strachan, L.; Wood, B. E.; Katushkina, O. A.; Ko, Y.-K.; Tun Beltran, S.; Chakrabarti, S.

    2018-02-01

    We propose to develop an instrument measuring full sky intensity maps and spectra of interplanetary Lyman-α emission to reveal the global solar wind variability and the nature of the heliosphere and the local interstellar medium.

  3. The Structure of the Heliosphere with Solar Cycle and Its Effect on the Conditions in the Local ISM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Opher, M.; Drake, J. F.; Toth, G.; Swisdak, M.; Michael, A.; Kornbleuth, M. Z.; Zieger, B.

    2017-12-01

    We argued (Opher et al. 2015, Drake et al. 2015) that the magnetic tension of the solar magnetic field plays a crucial role in organizing the solar wind in the heliosheath into two jet-like structures. The heliosphere then has a "croissant"-like shape where the distance to the heliopause downtail is almost the same as towards the nose. Regardless of whether the heliospheric tail is split in two or has a long comet shape there is consensus that the magnetic field in the heliosheath behaves differently than previously expected - it has a "slinky" structure and is turbulent. In this presentation, we will discuss several aspects related with this new model. We will show that this structure persists when the solar magnetic field is treated as a dipole. We show how the heliosphere, with its "Croissant" shape, evolves when the solar wind with solar cycle conditions are included and when the neutrals are treated kinetically (with our new MHD-Kinetic code). Due to reconnection (and turbulence of the jets) there is a substantial amount of heliosheath material sitting on open field lines. We will discuss the impact of artificial dissipation of the magnetic field in driving mixing and how it evolves with the solar cycle. We will discuss as well the development of turbulence in the jets and its role in mixing the plasma in the heliosheath and LISM and controlling the global structure of the heliosphere. We will discuss how the conditions upstream of the heliosphere, in the local interstellar medium are affected by reconnection in the tail and how it evolves with solar cycle. Recently we established (Opher et al. 2017) that reconnection in the eastern flank of the heliosphere is responsible for the twist of the interstellar magnetic field (BISM) acquiring a strong east-west component as it approaches the Heliopause. Reconnection drives a rotational discontinuity (RD) that twists the BISM into the -T direction and propagates upstream in the interstellar medium toward the nose

  4. INTERSTELLAR PICKUP ION PRODUCTION IN THE GLOBAL HELIOSPHERE AND HELIOSHEATH

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, Y.; Florinski, V.; Guo, X., E-mail: yw0009@uah.edu [Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35805 (United States)

    2016-11-20

    Interstellar pickup ions (PUIs) play a significant part in mediating the solar wind (SW) interaction with the interstellar medium. In this paper, we examine the details of spatial variation of the PUI velocity distribution function (VDF) in the SW by solving the PUI transport equation. We assume the PUI distribution is isotropic resulting from strong pitch-angle scattering by wave–particle interaction. A three-dimensional model combining the MHD treatment of the background SW and neutrals with a kinetic treatment of PUIs throughout the heliosphere and the surrounding local interstellar medium has been developed. The model generates PUI power-law tails via second-order Fermi process. We analyze how PUIs transform across the heliospheric termination shock and obtain the PUI phase space distribution in the inner heliosheath including continuing velocity diffusion. Our simulated PUI spectra are compared with observations made by New Horizons , Ulysses , Voyager 1, 2 , and Cassini , and a satisfactory agreement is demonstrated. Some specific features in the observations, for example, a cutoff of PUI VDF at v = V {sub SW} and a f ∝ v {sup -5} tail in the reference frame of the SW, are well represented by the model.

  5. Formation of Heliospheric Arcs of Slow Solar Wind

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Higginson, A. K.; Zurbuchen, T. H. [Department of Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Antiochos, S. K.; DeVore, C. R. [Heliophysics Science Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Wyper, P. F., E-mail: aleida@umich.edu [Department of Mathematical Sciences, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE (United Kingdom)

    2017-05-01

    A major challenge in solar and heliospheric physics is understanding the origin and nature of the so-called slow solar wind. The Sun’s atmosphere is divided into magnetically open regions, known as coronal holes, where the plasma streams out freely and fills the solar system, and closed regions, where the plasma is confined to coronal loops. The boundary between these regions extends outward as the heliospheric current sheet (HCS). Measurements of plasma composition strongly imply that much of the slow wind consists of plasma from the closed corona that escapes onto open field lines, presumably by field-line opening or by interchange reconnection. Both of these processes are expected to release closed-field plasma into the solar wind within and immediately adjacent to the HCS. Mysteriously, however, slow wind with closed-field plasma composition is often observed in situ far from the HCS. We use high-resolution, three-dimensional, magnetohydrodynamic simulations to calculate the dynamics of a coronal hole with a geometry that includes a narrow corridor flanked by closed field and is driven by supergranule-like flows at the coronal-hole boundary. These dynamics produce giant arcs of closed-field plasma that originate at the open-closed boundary in the corona, but extend far from the HCS and span tens of degrees in latitude and longitude at Earth. We conclude that such structures can account for the long-puzzling slow-wind observations.

  6. Energetic particles beyond the heliospheric shock: Anomalous Cosmic Rays (ACRs), Pick-Up Ions (PUIs) and the associated energetic neutral atoms (ENAs)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fichtner, Horst; Czechowski, Andrzej; Fahr, Hans J.; Lay, Guenter

    2000-01-01

    The Voyager 1 spacecraft is expected to encounter the heliospheric termination shock within the next decade. Besides the ongoing discussion how to possibly predict the time of this encounter, there is a growing interest into a more detailed description of the region beyond the heliospheric shock, i.e., the heliosheath. Refinements of the so far rather crude models will facilitate interpretation of forthcoming data. We report on results obtained with our model of the transport of ACRs in the heliosheath. In improvement of earlier approaches it is based on a solar wind background flow computed with a self-consistent large-scale model of the heliosphere. Besides these downstream ACR spectra, which will become accessible for in situ observation as soon as the Voyager spacecraft will have crossed the heliospheric shock, we study the potential of observations of the flux of ENAs to remotely explore the structure of the heliosheath. In particular, as part of a comparison of the various ENA sources, we will address the significance of the contribution of those ENAs resulting from a de-charging of PUIs

  7. The nature of micro CMEs within coronal holes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bothmer, Volker; Nistico, Giuseppe; Zimbardo, Gaetano; Patsourakos, Spiros; Bosman, Eckhard

    Whilst investigating the origin and characteristics of coronal jets and large-scale CMEs identi-fied in data from the SECCHI (Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation) instrument suites on board the two STEREO satellites, we discovered transient events that originated in the low corona with a morphology resembling that of typical three-part struc-tured coronal mass ejections (CMEs). However, the CMEs occurred on considerably smaller spatial scales. In this presentation we show evidence for the existence of small-scale CMEs from inside coronal holes and present quantitative estimates of their speeds and masses. We interprete the origin and evolution of micro CMEs as a natural consequence of the emergence of small-scale magnetic bipoles related to the Sun's ever changing photospheric magnetic flux on various scales and their interactions with the ambient plasma and magnetic field. The analysis of CMEs is performed within the framework of the EU Erasmus and FP7 SOTERIA projects.

  8. The high latitude heliosphere. Proceedings. 28. ESLAB Symposium, Friedrichshafen (Germany), 19 - 21 Apr 1994.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marsden, R. G.

    1995-04-01

    The following topics were dealt with: high latitude heliosphere, Ulysses mission, corona, spectra, coronal holes, composition, solar wind, He, plasma, streams, interplanetary magnetic field, plasma waves, radio bursts, energetic particles, cosmic rays, and interstellar gas.

  9. Intensity variation of cosmic rays near the heliospheric current sheet

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Badruddin, K.S.; Yadav, R.S.; Yadav, N.R.

    1985-01-01

    Cosmic ray intensity variations near the heliospheric current sheet-both above and below it-have been studied during 1964-76. Superposed epoch analysis of the cosmic ray neutron monitor data with respect to sector boundaries (i.e., heliospheric current sheet crossings) has been performed. In this analysis data from neutron monitors well distributed in latitude over the Earth's surface is used. First, this study has been made during the two solar activity minimum periods 1964-65 and 1975-76, using the data from Thule (cut-off rigidity O GV), Deep River (cut-off rigidity 1.02 GV), Rome (cut-off rigidity 6.32 GV) and Huancayo (cut-off rigidity 13.45 GV) neutron monitors. The data is analyzed from Deep River, Rome and Huancayo neutron monitors, for which data is available for the full period (1964-76), by dividing the periods according to the changes in solar activity, interplanetary magnetic field polarity and coronal holes. All these studies have shown a negative gradient with respect to heliomagnetic latitude (current sheet). These results have been discussed in the light of theoretical and observational evidences. Suggestions have been given to overcome the discrepancy between the observational and theoretical results. Further, possible explanations for these observational results have been suggested. (author)

  10. Seven Years of Imaging the Global Heliosphere with IBEX

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McComas, D. J.; Zirnstein, E. J. [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States); Bzowski, M.; Kubiak, M. A.; Sokół, J. M. [Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Bartycka 18A, 00-716, Warsaw (Poland); Dayeh, M. A.; Fuselier, S. A.; Szalay, J. R. [Southwest Research Institute, P.O. Drawer 28510, San Antonio, TX 78228 (United States); Funsten, H. O. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Intelligence and Space Research Division, P.O. Box 1663, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Janzen, P. H.; Reisenfeld, D. B. [University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59812 (United States); Kucharek, H.; Möbius, E.; Schwadron, N. A. [University of New Hampshire, Space Science Center, Morse Hall Rm 407, Durham, NH 03824 (United States); Tokumaru, M., E-mail: dmccomas@princeton.edu [Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601 (Japan)

    2017-04-01

    The Interstellar Boundary Explorer ( IBEX ) has now operated in space for 7 years and returned nearly continuous observations that have led to scientific discoveries and reshaped our entire understanding of the outer heliosphere and its interaction with the local interstellar medium. Here we extend prior work, adding the 2014–2015 data for the first time, and examine, validate, initially analyze, and provide a complete 7-year set of Energetic Neutral Atom (ENA) observations from ∼0.1 to 6 keV. The data, maps, and documentation provided here represent the 10th major release of IBEX data and include improvements to various prior corrections to provide the citable reference for the current version of IBEX data. We are now able to study time variations in the outer heliosphere and interstellar interaction over more than half a solar cycle. We find that the Ribbon has evolved differently than the globally distributed flux (GDF), with a leveling off and partial recovery of ENAs from the GDF, owing to solar wind output flattening and recovery. The Ribbon has now also lost its latitudinal ordering, which reflects the breakdown of solar minimum solar wind conditions and exhibits a greater time delay than for the surrounding GDF. Together, the IBEX observations strongly support a secondary ENA source for the Ribbon, and we suggest that this be adopted as the nominal explanation of the Ribbon going forward.

  11. PREFACE: 14th Annual International Astrophysics Conference: Linear and Nonlinear Particle Energization throughout the Heliosphere and Beyond

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zank, G. P.

    2015-09-01

    The 14th Annual International Astrophysics Conference was held at the Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk Hotel, Tampa, Florida, USA, during the week of 19-24 April 2015. The meeting drew some 75 participants from all over the world, representing a wide range of interests and expertise in the energization of particles from the perspectives of theory, modelling and simulations, and observations. The theme of the meeting was "Linear and Nonlinear Particle Energization throughout the Heliosphere and Beyond." Energetic particles are ubiquitous to plasma environments, whether collisionless such as the supersonic solar wind, the magnetospheres of planets, the exospheres of nonmagnetized planets and comets, the heliospheric-local interstellar boundary regions, interstellar space and supernova remnant shocks, and stellar wind boundaries. Energetic particles are found too in more collisional regions such as in the solar corona, dense regions of the interstellar medium, accretion flows around stellar objects, to name a few. Particle acceleration occurs wherever plasma boundaries, magnetic and electric fields, and turbulence are present. The meeting addressed the linear and nonlinear physical processes underlying the variety of particle acceleration mechanisms, the role of particle acceleration in shaping different environments, and acceleration processes common to different regions. Both theory and observations were addressed with a view to encouraging crossdisciplinary fertilization of ideas, concepts, and techniques. The meeting addressed all aspects of particle acceleration in regions ranging from the Sun to the interplanetary medium to magnetospheres, exospheres, and comets, the boundaries of the heliosphere, and beyond to supernova remnant shocks, galactic jets, stellar winds, accretion flows, and more. The format of the meeting included 25-minute presentations punctuated by two 40-minute talks, one by Len Fisk that provided an historical overview of particle acceleration in the

  12. VOYAGER OBSERVATIONS OF MAGNETIC SECTORS AND HELIOSPHERIC CURRENT SHEET CROSSINGS IN THE OUTER HELIOSPHERE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Richardson, J. D. [Kavli Center for Astrophysics and Space Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, 02139 (United States); Burlaga, L. F. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 673, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Drake, J. F. [Department of Physics and Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States); Hill, M. E. [Applied Physics Laboratory, The Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, MD 20723 (United States); Opher, M., E-mail: jdr@space.mit.edu, E-mail: lburlagahsp@verizon.net, E-mail: drake@umd.edu, E-mail: Matthew.Hill@jhuapl.edu, E-mail: mopher@bu.edu [Astronomy Department, Boston University, 675 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 (United States)

    2016-11-10

    Voyager 1 ( V1 ) has passed through the heliosheath and is in the local interstellar medium. Voyager 2 ( V2 ) has been in the heliosheath since 2007. The role of reconnection in the heliosheath is under debate; compression of the heliospheric current sheets (HCS) in the heliosheath could lead to rapid reconnection and a reconfiguration of the magnetic field topology. This paper compares the expected and actual amounts of time the Voyager spacecraft observe each magnetic sector and the number of HCS crossings. The predicted and observed values generally agree well. One exception is at Voyager 1 in 2008 and 2009, where the distribution of sectors is more equal than expected and the number of HCS crossings is small. Two other exceptions are at V1 in 2011–2012 and at V2 in 2012, when the spacecraft are in the opposite magnetic sector less than expected and see fewer HCS crossings than expected. These features are consistent with those predicted for reconnection, and consequently searches for other reconnection signatures should focus on these times.

  13. Inner heliosphere spatial gradients of GCR protons and alpha particles in the low GeV range

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gieseler, J.; Boezio, M.; Casolino, M.; De Simone, N.; Di Felice, V.; Heber, B.; Martucci, M.; Picozza, P.

    2013-12-01

    The spacecraft Ulysses was launched in October 1990 in the maximum phase of solar cycle 22, reached its final, highly inclined (80.2°) Keplerian orbit around the Sun in February 1992, and was finally switched off in June 2009. The Kiel Electron Telescope (KET) aboard Ulysses measures electrons from 3 MeV to a few GeV and protons and helium in the energy range from 6 MeV/nucleon to above 2 GeV/nucleon. In order to investigate the radial and latitudinal gradients of galactic cosmic rays (GCR), it is essential to know their intensity variations for a stationary observer in the heliosphere because the Ulysses measurements reflect not only the spatial but also the temporal variation of the energetic particle intensities. This was accomplished in the past with the Interplanetary Monitoring Platform-J (IMP 8) until it was lost in 2006. Fortunately, the satellite-borne experiment PAMELA (Payload for Antimatter Matter Exploration and Light-nuclei Astrophysics) was launched in June 2006 and can be used as a reliable 1 AU baseline for measurements of the KET aboard Ulysses. With these tools at hand, we have the opportunity to determine the spatial gradients of GCR protons and alpha particles at about 0.1 to 1 GeV/n in the inner heliosphere during the extended minimum of solar cycle 23. We then compare these A0 cycle.

  14. Statistical Investigation and Modeling of Sungrazing Comets Discovered with the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sekanina, Zdenek

    2002-02-01

    More than 300 sungrazing comets, most of them discovered with the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) coronagraphs since the beginning of 1996, are known to belong to the Kreutz group or system. Moving about the Sun in similar orbits, they are of indisputably common parentage and represent by far the most extensive data set in the history of investigations of cometary splitting. This study compares the SOHO sungrazers, which always disappear during their approach to the Sun, with the sungrazers detected earlier with the other space-borne coronagraphs (Solwind and Solar Maximum Mission [SMM]) as well as with the bright members of the Kreutz system, discovered from the ground between 1843 and 1970. Collected, summarized, and reviewed information on the sungrazers' light curves indicates that there is a difference of 20 mag (a factor of 108 in brightness) between the brightest sungrazer, C/1882 R1, and the faintest objects detectable with the SOHO instruments. The headless comet C/1887 B1 is suggested to be a transition object between the bright sungrazers and the coronagraphically discovered ones: its physical behavior was similar to that of the latter comets, but it survived the perihelion passage. This study also (1) examines temporal and spatial distributions of the SOHO sungrazers; (2) depicts correlations among their orbital elements; (3) distinguishes among tidally triggered, post-tidal, and terminal fragmentation; (4) reiterates the conclusion made in an earlier paper that post-tidal, secondary fragmentation events are occurring throughout the orbit, including the region of aphelion; (5) determines the relationship between a breakup's location in the orbit and the perturbations of the orbital elements of a fragment caused by the momentum it acquires during the separation from the parent; (6) shows that collisions of the Kreutz system comets with the Sun are clearly possible; (7) finds that minor fragments acquire enough extra momentum during each of the

  15. Relative location of a powerful flare, the heliospheric current sheet and the Earth favourable for the onset of a strong geomagnetic storm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ivanov, K.G.; Kharshiladze, A.F.; Romashets, E.P.

    1992-01-01

    Problem of magnetic clouds propagation in regular-nonuniform internal heliosphere is discussed. High dependence of their retardation and consequently intensity of interplanetary and geomagnetic disturbances on mutual location of flares, heliospheric current sheet and the Earth is identified. Eight solar flares, four of which caused strong storms, and another four led to weak disturbances, all of them being in fair agreement with theoretical conclusions, are presented as examples

  16. Solar wind velocity and temperature in the outer heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gazis, P. R.; Barnes, A.; Mihalov, J. D.; Lazarus, A. J.

    1994-01-01

    At the end of 1992, the Pioneer 10, Pioneer 11, and Voyager 2 spacecraft were at heliocentric distances of 56.0, 37.3, and 39.0 AU and heliographic latitudes of 3.3 deg N, 17.4 deg N, and 8.6 deg S, respectively. Pioneer 11 and Voyager 2 are at similar celestial longitudes, while Pioneer 10 is on the opposite side of the Sun. All three spacecraft have working plasma analyzers, so intercomparison of data from these spacecraft provides important information about the global character of the solar wind in the outer heliosphere. The averaged solar wind speed continued to exhibit its well-known variation with solar cycle: Even at heliocentric distances greater than 50 AU, the average speed is highest during the declining phase of the solar cycle and lowest near solar minimum. There was a strong latitudinal gradient in solar wind speed between 3 deg and 17 deg N during the last solar minimum, but this gradient has since disappeared. The solar wind temperature declined with increasing heliocentric distance out to a heliocentric distance of at least 20 AU; this decline appeared to continue at larger heliocentric distances, but temperatures in the outer heliosphere were suprisingly high. While Pioneer 10 and Voyager 2 observed comparable solar wind temperatures, the temperature at Pioneer 11 was significantly higher, which suggests the existence of a large-scale variation of temperature with heliographic longitude. There was also some suggestion that solar wind temperatures were higher near solar minimum.

  17. Physical, chemical, and other data collected using meteorological sensors, secchi disk, transmissometer, and CTD casts from the THOMAS WASHINGTON as part of the International Decade of Ocean Exploration / North Pacific Experiment (IDOE/NORPAX) project from 21 January - 17 February 1974 (NODC Accession 7800629)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Physical, chemical, and other data were collected using meteorological sensors, secchi disk, transmissometer, and CTD casts from THOMAS WASHINGTON from January 21,...

  18. Modelling injection rates of PUIs from photoionization using kinetic simulations of interstellar neutrals traversing the heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keilbach, D.; Drews, C.; Taut, A.; Wimmer-Schweingruber, R. F.

    2016-12-01

    Recent studies of the inflow direction of the local insterstellar medium from PUI density distributions have shown that the extrema of the longitudinal distribution of PUI velocities (with respect to the solar wind speed) can be attributed to the radial velocity of the interstellar neutral seed population and is symmetric around the inflow direction of the local interstellar medium. This work is aimed to model pickup ion injection rates from photoionization (which is the main process of interstellar PUI production) throughout the heliosphere. To that end a seed population of interstellar neutrals is injected into a model heliosphere at 60 AU distance from the sun, whereas each particle's initial speed is given by a maxwellian distribution at a temperature of 1 eV and an inflow speed of 22 km/s. Then the density of the interstellar neutrals is integrated over the model heliosphere, while the movement of the neutrals is simulated using timestep methods. To model the focusing of the interstellar neutral trajectories from the sun's gravitational potential the model heliosphere contains a central gravitational potential.Each neutral test particle can be ionized via photoionization with a per-timestep probability antiproportional to the neutral's distance to the sun squared. By tracking the ionization rate location-dependently, PUI injection rates have been determined. Therefore using these simulations the density distributions of different species of interstellar neutrals have been calculated. In addition location-dependent injection rates of different species of PUIs have been calculated, which show an increased rate of PUI production in the focusing cone region (e.g. for He+ PUIs), but also in the crescent region (e.g. for O+ PUIs).Furthermore the longitudinal distribution of the neutrals' velocity at 1 AU is calculated from the simulation's results in order to estimate the PUI cut-off as a function of ecliptic longitude. Figure: Simulated He neutral density (left

  19. Solar polar rotation and its effect on heliospheric neutral fluxes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sokol, J. M.; Grzedzielski, S.; Bzowski, M.

    2016-12-01

    The magnetic field in the solar polar corona exhibit a regular "ray-like" structure associated with large polar coronal holes during solar minimum. The solar rotation twists the magnetic field lines of the expanding fast solar wind over the poles. The twist induces a toroidal component of the polar magnetic field which results in magnetic forces directed towards the rotation axis. That is tantamount to a (weak) zeta pinch, known also in other astrophysical contexts (e.g. AGN plasmas). The pinch compresses the polar solar corona plasma and a cone-like enhancement in the solar wind density forms along the rotation axis. Though the effect is likely very dynamic, a time independent description is used here to get an order-of-magnitude estimate. The weak pinch is treated as a 1st order perturbation to the zero-order radial flow. The obtained density enhancement may affect the near and far heliosphere, modifying the charge-exchange and electron impact ionization rates of neutral atoms in interplanetary space. The charge exchange is the most effective ionization process for hydrogen and oxygen atoms, and electron impact ionization is a significant loss reaction for the helium atoms at close distances to the Sun. The change in the polar density due to the solar polar corona rotation could be of importance in the inner heliosphere for low energy atoms. We will present the influence of this effect on interstellar neutral gas distribution and H ENA fluxes observed by IBEX.

  20. Tracking heliospheric disturbances by interplanetary scintillation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Tokumaru

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Coronal mass ejections are known as a solar cause of significant geospace disturbances, and a fuller elucidation of their physical properties and propagation dynamics is needed for space weather predictions. The scintillation of cosmic radio sources caused by turbulence in the solar wind (interplanetary scintillation; IPS serves as an effective ground-based method for monitoring disturbances in the heliosphere. We studied global properties of transient solar wind streams driven by CMEs using 327-MHz IPS observations of the Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory (STEL of Nagoya University. In this study, we reconstructed three-dimensional features of the interplanetary (IP counterpart of the CME from the IPS data by applying the model fitting technique. As a result, loop-shaped density enhancements were deduced for some CME events, whereas shell-shaped high-density regions were observed for the other events. In addition, CME speeds were found to evolve significantly during the propagation between the corona and 1 AU.

  1. Characteristics of solar and heliospheric ion populations observed near earth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gloeckler, G.

    1984-01-01

    The composition and spectra of ions in solar-energetic-particle and energetic-storm-particle events, of diffuse ions upstream of the earth bow shock, and of ions in deep-geomagnetic-tail plasmoids are characterized in a summary of in situ observations. Data are presented in graphs and tables, and remarkable similarities are noted in the distribution functions of the heliospheric ion populations. The solar wind, acting through acceleration mechanisms associated with shocks and turbulence, is identified as the major plasma source of suprathermal and energetic particles. 33 references

  2. The Downwind Hemisphere of the Heliosphere as Observed with IBEX-Lo from 2009 to 2015

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wurz, P.; Galli, A.; Schwadron, N.; Kucharek, H.; Moebius, E.; Bzowski, M.; Sokol, J. M.; Kubiak, M. A.; Funsten, H. O.; Fuselier, S. A.; McComas, D. J.

    2017-12-01

    The topic of this study is the vast region towards the tail of the heliosphere. To this end, we comprehensively analyzed energetic neutral hydrogen atoms (ENAs) of energies 10 eV to 2.5 keV from the downwind hemisphere of the heliosheath measured during the first 7 years of the IBEX (Interstellar Boundary Explorer) mission. Neutralized ions from the heliosheath (the region of slow solar wind plasma between termination shock and heliopause) can be remotely observed as ENAs down to 10 eV with the IBEX-Lo sensor onboard IBEX. This sensor covers those energies of the ion spectrum that dominate the total plasma pressure in the downwind region. So far, this region of the heliosphere has never been explored in-situ. Converting observations obtained near Earth orbit at these low energies to the original ion distributions in the heliocentric rest frame at 100 AU is very challenging, making the assessment of uncertainties and implicit assumptions crucial. From the maps of observed ENAs from the heliosheath and their uncertainties we derive observational constraints on heliospheric models for the downwind hemisphere. These constraints limit the possible range of 1) the distance of the termination shock, 2) the total plasma pressure across the termination shock, 3) the radial flow velocity of the heliosheath plasma, 4) the extinction length of said plasma, and finally 5) the dimension of the heliosheath in downwind directions. Because these parameters are coupled and because of observational limitations, we also need to characterize the degeneracy, i.e., the fact that different sets of parameters may reproduce the observations.

  3. Interplanetary magnetic field according to measurements on the Fobos-1,-2 space vehicles. 3. Heliospheric substorm of August 5-7, 1988

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ivanov, K.G.

    1995-01-01

    Three-phase disturbance of the interplanetary magnetic field was observed by FOBOS-1 and Fobos-2 space vehicles being at 10 million km distance from the Earth and by IMP-8 near-the-Earth satellite. Disturbance configuration and structure demonstrate that passing of nonstandard bend of heliospheric current layer is the reason of it. Structure, intensity and origination of disturbance enable to classify it as belonging to a category of heliospheric substorms. All three phases of interplanetary disturbance were represented in special near-the-Earth geomagnetic variations of polar cap. 9 refs

  4. Energetic neutral atom and interstellar flow observations with IBEX: Implications for the global heliosphere

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schwadron, N. A., E-mail: nschwadron@unh.edu [University of New Hampshire, Durham NH, 03824 (United States); Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, 78238 (United States); McComas, D. J.; Desai, M. I.; Fuselier, S. A. [Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, 78238 (United States); University of Texas, San Antonio, TX, 78249 (United States); Christian, E. R. [Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Funsten, H. O. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Moebius, E. [University of New Hampshire, Durham NH, 03824 (United States); Reno, M.; Scherrer, J.; Zirnstein, E. [Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, 78238 (United States)

    2016-03-25

    Since launch in Oct. 2008, IBEX, with its two energetic neutral atom (ENA) cameras, has provided humankind with the first-ever global images of the complex boundary separating the heliosphere from the local interstellar medium (LISM). IBEX’s energy-resolved all-sky maps, collected every six months, are yielding remarkable new insights into the heliospheres structure as it is shaped by the combined forces of the local interstellar flow, the local interstellar magnetic field (LISMF), and the evolving solar wind. IBEX has also acquired the first images of ENAs backscattered from the surface of the moon as well as global images of the magnetospheric response to solar wind disturbances. IBEX thus addresses all three Heliophysics science objectives set forth in the 2014 Science Plan for NASAs Science Mission Directorate (SMD) as well as the goals in the recent Solar and Space Physics Decadal Survey (NRC 2012). In addition, with the information it provides on the properties of the LISM and the LISMF, IBEX represents a unique bridge between heliophysics and astrophysics, and fills in critical knowledge for understanding the habitability of exoplanetary systems and the future habitability of Earth and the solar system. Because of the few-year time lag due to solar wind and ENA transport, IBEX observed the solar wind/ LISM interaction characteristic of declining phase/solar minimum conditions. In the continuing mission, IBEX captures the response of the interstellar boundaries to the changing structure of the solar wind in its transition toward the “mini” solar maximum and possibly the decline into the next solar minimum. The continuing IBEX mission affords never-to-be-repeated opportunities to coordinate global imaging of the heliospheric boundary with in-situ measurements by the Voyagers as they pass beyond the heliopause and start to directly sample the LISM.

  5. Physical, chemical, and other data collected using meteorological sensors, secchi disk, and bottle casts from the Pacific Ocean as part of the International Decade of Ocean Exploration / North Pacific Experiment (IDOE/NORPAX) project from 18 June 1976 to 14 June 1977 (NODC Accession 8100434)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Physical, chemical, and other data were collected using meteorological sensors, secchi disk, and bottle casts in the Pacific Ocean. Data were collected from the...

  6. Observations of Heliospheric Faraday Rotation (FR) and Interplanetary Scintillation (IPS) with the LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR): Steps Towards Improving Space-Weather Forecasting Capabilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bisi, M. M.; Fallows, R. A.; Sobey, C.; Eftekhari, T.; Jensen, E. A.; Jackson, B. V.; Yu, H. S.; Hick, P. P.; Odstrcil, D.; Tokumaru, M.

    2015-12-01

    The phenomenon of space weather - analogous to terrestrial weather which describes the changing pressure, temperature, wind, and humidity conditions on Earth - is essentially a description of the changes in velocity, density, magnetic field, high-energy particles, and radiation in the near-Earth space environment including the effects of such changes on the Earth's magnetosphere, radiation belts, ionosphere, and thermosphere. Space weather can be considered to have two main strands: (i) scientific research, and (ii) applications. The former is self-explanatory, but the latter covers operational aspects which includes its forecasting. Understanding and forecasting space weather in the near-Earth environment is vitally important to protecting our modern-day reliance (militarily and commercially) on satellites, global-communication and navigation networks, high-altitude air travel (radiation concerns particularly on polar routes), long-distance power/oil/gas lines and piping, and for any future human exploration of space to list but a few. Two ground-based radio-observing remote-sensing techniques that can aid our understanding and forecasting of heliospheric space weather are those of interplanetary scintillation (IPS) and heliospheric Faraday rotation (FR). The LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) is a next-generation 'software' radio telescope centered in The Netherlands with international stations spread across central and northwest Europe. For several years, scientific observations of IPS on LOFAR have been undertaken on a campaign basis and the experiment is now well developed. More recently, LOFAR has been used to attempt scientific heliospheric FR observations aimed at remotely sensing the magnetic field of the plasma traversing the inner heliosphere. We present our latest progress using these two radio heliospheric-imaging remote-sensing techniques including the use of three-dimensional (3-D) modeling and reconstruction techniques using other, additional data as input

  7. New Measurements of Suprathermal Ions, Energetic Particles, and Cosmic Rays in the Outer Heliosphere from the New Horizons PEPSSI Instrument

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hill, M. E.; Kollmann, P.; McNutt, R. L., Jr.; Stern, A.; Weaver, H. A., Jr.; Young, L. A.; Olkin, C.; Spencer, J. R.

    2017-12-01

    During the period from January 2012 to December 2017 the New Horizons spacecraft traveled from 22 to 41 AU from the Sun, making nearly continuous interplanetary plasma and particle measurements utilizing the SWAP and PEPSSI instruments. We report on newly extended measurements from PEPSSI (Pluto Energetic Particle Spectrometer Science Investigation) that now bring together suprathermal particles above 2 keV/nuc (including interstellar pickup ions), energetic particles with H, He, and O composition from 30 keV to 1 MeV, and cosmic rays above 65 MeV (with effective count-rate-limited upper energy of 1 GeV). Such a wide energy range allows us to look at the solar wind structures passing over the spacecraft, the energetic particles that are often accelerated by these structures, and the suppression of cosmic rays resulting from the increased turbulence inhibiting cosmic ray transport to the spacecraft position (i.e., Forbush decreases). This broad perspective provides simultaneous, previously unattainable diagnostics of outer heliospheric particle dynamics and acceleration. Besides the benefit of being recent, in-ecliptic measurements, unlike the historic Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft, these PEPSSI observations are also totally unique in the suprathermal range; in this region only PEPSSI can span the suprathermal range, detecting a population that is a linchpin to understanding the outer heliosphere.

  8. Heliospheric pick-up ions influencing thermodynamics and dynamics of the distant solar wind

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. J. Fahr

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available Neutral interstellar H-atoms penetrate into the inner heliosphere and upon the event of ionization are converted into pick-up ions (PUIs. The magnetized solar wind flow incorporates these ions into the plasma bulk and enforces their co-motion. By nonlinear interactions with wind-entrained Alfvén waves, these ions are then processed in the comoving velocity space. The complete pick-up process is connected with forces acting back to the original solar wind ion flow, thereby decelerating and heating the solar wind plasma. As we show here, the resulting deceleration cannot be treated as a pure loading effect, but requires adequate consideration of the action of the pressure of PUI-scattered waves operating by the PUI pressure gradient. Hereby, it is important to take into proper account the stochastic acceleration which PUIs suffer from at their convection out of the inner heliosphere by quasi-linear interactions with MHD turbulences. Only then can the presently reported VOYAGER observations of solar wind decelerations and heatings in the outer heliosphere be understood in view of the most likely values of interstellar gas parameters, such as an H-atom density of 0.12 cm-3 . Solar wind protons (SWPs appear to be globally heated in their motion to larger solar distances. Ascribing the needed heat transfer to the action of suprathermal PUIs, which drive MHD waves that are partly absorbed by SWPs, in order to establish the observed SWP polytropy, we can obtain a quantitative expression for the solar wind proton pressure as a function of solar distance. This expression clearly shows the change from an adiabatic to a quasi-polytropic SWP behaviour with a decreasing polytropic index at increasing distances. This also allows one to calculate the average percentage of initial pick-up energy fed into the thermal proton energy. In a first order evaluation of this expression, we can estimate that about 10% of the initial PUI injection energy is eventually

  9. Energetic Particles at High Latitudes of the Heliosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Ming

    2004-01-01

    Ulysses has by now made two complete out-of-ecliptic orbits around the sun. The first encounter of the solar poles occurred in 1994-1995, when the sun was near the minimum of its activity cycle, while the second one was in 2000-2001, when the sun was at solar maximum. To our surprise, energetic particles of all origins at high latitude are not much different from those we observe near the ecliptic for at least these two phases of solar cycle. The latitude gradients of galactic and anomalous cosmic rays are positive but small at the 1994-1995 solar minimum and almost zero at the 2000-2001 solar maximum, while temporal solar cycle variation dominates their flux variation at all latitudes. Solar energetic particles from all large gradual events can be seen at both Ulysses and Earth no matter how large their spatial separations from the solar event are, and the particle flux often reaches a uniform level in the entire inner heliosphere within a few days after event onset and remains so throughout the decay phase that can sometimes last over a month. Energetic particles accelerated by low-latitude CIRs can appear at high latitudes, far beyond the latitudinal range of CIRs. All these observations suggest that latitudinal transport of energetic particles is quite easy. In addition, because the average magnetic field is radial at the pole, The Ulysses observations indicate that parallel diffusion and drift in the radial direction need to be reduced at the poles relative to their equatorial values. To achieve such behaviors of particle transport, the heliospheric magnetic field needs a significant latitudinal component at the poles. A non-zero latitudinal magnetic field component can be produced by latitudinal motion of the magnetic field line in solar corona, which can be in form of either random walk suggested by Jokipii or large scale systematic motion suggested by Fisk

  10. Photoemission of Single Dust Grains for Heliospheric Conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spann, James F., Jr.; Venturini, Catherine C.; Abbas, Mian M.; Comfort, Richard H.

    2000-01-01

    Initial results of an experiment to measure the photoemission of single dust grains as a function of far ultraviolet wavelengths are presented. Coulombic forces dominate the interaction of the dust grains in the heliosphere. Knowledge of the charge state of dust grains, whether in a dusty plasma (Debye length grains is primarily determined by primary electron and ion collisions, secondary electron emission and photoemission due to ultraviolet sunlight. We have established a unique experimental technique to measure the photoemission of individual micron-sized dust grains in vacuum. This technique resolves difficulties associated with statistical measurements of dust grain ensembles and non-static dust beams. The photoemission yield of Aluminum Oxide 3-micron grains For wavelengths from 120-300 nm with a spectral resolution of 1 nm FWHM is reported. Results are compared to interplanetary conditions.

  11. The radial distribution of cosmic rays in the heliosphere at solar maximum

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDonald, F. B.; Fujii, Z.; Heikkila, B.; Lal, N.

    2003-08-01

    To obtain a more detailed profile of the radial distribution of galactic (GCRs) and anomalous (ACRs) cosmic rays, a unique time in the 11-year solar activity cycle has been selected - that of solar maximum. At this time of minimum cosmic ray intensity a simple, straight-forward normalization technique has been found that allows the cosmic ray data from IMP 8, Pioneer 10 (P-10) and Voyagers 1 and 2 (V1, V2) to be combined for the solar maxima of cycles 21, 22 and 23. This combined distribution reveals a functional form of the radial gradient that varies as G 0/r with G 0 being constant and relatively small in the inner heliosphere. After a transition region between ˜10 and 20 AU, G 0 increases to a much larger value that remains constant between ˜25 and 82 AU. This implies that at solar maximum the changes that produce the 11-year modulation cycle are mainly occurring in the outer heliosphere between ˜15 AU and the termination shock. These observations are not inconsistent with the concept that Global Merged Interaction. regions (GMIRs) are the principal agent of modulation between solar minimum and solar maximum. There does not appear to be a significant change in the amount of heliosheath modulation occurring between the 1997 solar minimum and the cycle 23 solar maximum.

  12. A cone-like enhancement of polar solar corona plasma and its influence on heliospheric particles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grzedzielski, Stan; Sokół, Justyna M.

    2017-04-01

    We will present results of the study of the properties of the solar wind plasma due to rotation of the polar solar corona. We focus in our study on the solar minimum conditions, when the polar coronal holes are well formed and the magnetic field in the solar polar corona exhibit almost regular "ray-like" structure. The solar rotation twists the magnetic field lines of the expanding fast polar solar wind and the resulting toroidal component of the field induces a force directed towards the rotation axis. This phenomenon is tantamount to a (weak) zeta pinch, known also in other astrophysical contexts (e.g. like in AGN jets). The pinch compresses the polar solar corona plasma and forms a cone-like enhancement of the solar wind density aligned with the rotation axis in the spherically symmetric case. The effect is likely very dynamic due to fast changing conditions in the solar corona, however in the study presented here, we assume a time independent description to get an order-of-magnitude estimate. The weak pinch is treated as a first-order perturbation to the zeroth-order radial flow. Following the assumptions based on the available knowledge about the plasma properties in the polar solar corona we estimated the most typical density enhancements. The cone like structure may extend as far from the Sun as tens of AU and thus will influence the heliospheric particles inside the heliosphere. An increase of the solar wind density in the polar region may be related with a decrease of the solar wind speed. Such changes of the solar wind plasma at high latitudes may modify the charge-exchange and electron impact ionization rates of heliospheric particles in interplanetary space. We will present their influence on the interstellar neutral gas and energetic neutral atoms observed by IBEX.

  13. Particle propagation and acceleration in the heliosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Valdes-Galicia, J.F.; Quenby, J.J.; Mousas, X.

    1988-01-01

    A realistic model of interplanetary magnetic field perturbations has been constructed based on data taken on board spacecraft. The model has been used to study numerically pitch angle scattering suffered by energetic particles (1-100 MeV) as they propagate in the Heliosphere. These numerical experiments allow the determination of the pitch angle diffusion coefficient Dμ and the associated mean free path λ. Dμ is found to be always smaller than implied by quasi linear theory, leading to radial mean free paths (λ r ≅ 0.015 AU) that are at least 3 times larger. Inclusion of solar wind velocity measurements in the model producing V x B random electric fields permits the study of stochastic acceleration caused by these fields. Initial results show that these processes might be able to overcome the effects of adiabatic cooling caused by the expansion of the solar wind and thus be of some influence in cosmic ray acceleration when extrapolated to other astrophysical environments

  14. "Políticas Públicas: conceitos, esquemas de análise, casos práticos", de Leonardo Secchi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alberto Abad

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available O livro “Políticas Públicas: conceitos, esquemas de análise, casos práticos” (2014 de autoria do Doutor Leonardo Secchi, atual Pró-Reitor de Planejamento e Professor da Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina, tem como objetivo introduzir de forma didática o tema das Políticas Públicas. Trata-se de um texto que pode ser utilizado tanto por aqueles que estão iniciando na área das Políticas Públicas, quanto por aqueles que desejam aprofundar no tema. Nesse sentido, o autor utiliza uma linguagem simples e direta e acrescenta, ao final da obra, um glossário de termos como complemento à leitura. O texto está organizado em torno a cinco dimensões das políticas públicas: de conteúdo (tipos de política pública; temporal (ciclos de políticas públicas; espacial (instituições; de atores; e comportamental (estilos de políticas públicas. Cada capítulo é concluído com um mini caso que aprofunda e fixar o tema desenvolvido pelo autor.

  15. Large-scale density structures in the outer heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belcher, J. W.; Lazarus, A. J.; Mcnutt, R. L., Jr.; Gordon, G. S., Jr.

    1993-01-01

    The Plasma Science experiment on the Voyager 2 spacecraft has measured the solar wind density from 1 to 38 AU. Over this distance, the solar wind density decreases as the inverse square of the heliocentric distance. However, there are large variations in this density at a given radius. Such changes in density are the dominant cause of changes in the solar wind ram pressure in the outer heliosphere and can cause large perturbations in the location of the termination shock of the solar wind. Following a simple model suggested by Suess, we study the non-equilibrium, dynamic location of the termination shock as it responds to these pressure changes. The results of this study suggest that the termination shock is rarely if ever at its equilibrium distance and may depart from that distance by as much as 50 AU at times.

  16. Modeling Solar Energetic Particle Transport near a Wavy Heliospheric Current Sheet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Battarbee, Markus; Dalla, Silvia; Marsh, Mike S.

    2018-02-01

    Understanding the transport of solar energetic particles (SEPs) from acceleration sites at the Sun into interplanetary space and to the Earth is an important question for forecasting space weather. The interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), with two distinct polarities and a complex structure, governs energetic particle transport and drifts. We analyze for the first time the effect of a wavy heliospheric current sheet (HCS) on the propagation of SEPs. We inject protons close to the Sun and propagate them by integrating fully 3D trajectories within the inner heliosphere in the presence of weak scattering. We model the HCS position using fits based on neutral lines of magnetic field source surface maps (SSMs). We map 1 au proton crossings, which show efficient transport in longitude via HCS, depending on the location of the injection region with respect to the HCS. For HCS tilt angles around 30°–40°, we find significant qualitative differences between A+ and A‑ configurations of the IMF, with stronger fluences along the HCS in the former case but with a distribution of particles across a wider range of longitudes and latitudes in the latter. We show how a wavy current sheet leads to longitudinally periodic enhancements in particle fluence. We show that for an A+ IMF configuration, a wavy HCS allows for more proton deceleration than a flat HCS. We find that A‑ IMF configurations result in larger average fluences than A+ IMF configurations, due to a radial drift component at the current sheet.

  17. Three-Dimensional Evolution of Flux-Rope CMEs and Its Relation to the Local Orientation of the Heliospheric Current Sheet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Isavnin, A.; Vourlidas, A.; Kilpua, E. K. J.

    2014-06-01

    Flux ropes ejected from the Sun may change their geometrical orientation during their evolution, which directly affects their geoeffectiveness. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how solar flux ropes evolve in the heliosphere to improve our space-weather forecasting tools. We present a follow-up study of the concepts described by Isavnin, Vourlidas, and Kilpua ( Solar Phys. 284, 203, 2013). We analyze 14 coronal mass ejections (CMEs), with clear flux-rope signatures, observed during the decay of Solar Cycle 23 and rise of Solar Cycle 24. First, we estimate initial orientations of the flux ropes at the origin using extreme-ultraviolet observations of post-eruption arcades and/or eruptive prominences. Then we reconstruct multi-viewpoint coronagraph observations of the CMEs from ≈ 2 to 30 R⊙ with a three-dimensional geometric representation of a flux rope to determine their geometrical parameters. Finally, we propagate the flux ropes from ≈ 30 R⊙ to 1 AU through MHD-simulated background solar wind while using in-situ measurements at 1 AU of the associated magnetic cloud as a constraint for the propagation technique. This methodology allows us to estimate the flux-rope orientation all the way from the Sun to 1 AU. We find that while the flux-ropes' deflection occurs predominantly below 30 R⊙, a significant amount of deflection and rotation happens between 30 R⊙ and 1 AU. We compare the flux-rope orientation to the local orientation of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS). We find that slow flux ropes tend to align with the streams of slow solar wind in the inner heliosphere. During the solar-cycle minimum the slow solar-wind channel as well as the HCS usually occupy the area in the vicinity of the solar equatorial plane, which in the past led researchers to the hypothesis that flux ropes align with the HCS. Our results show that exceptions from this rule are explained by interaction with the Parker-spiraled background magnetic field, which dominates

  18. The Jovian and galactic electrons in the heliosphere as seen by the KET experiment on board the spacecraft named ULYSSE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rastoin, Cecile

    1995-01-01

    The KET electron telescope onboard the Ulysse spacecraft flawlessly provides measurements of electrons, protons and alphas of energies above some MeV. This present work focuses on the electron data analysis and interpretation from the Ulysse's launch in 90 to the beginning of 95. The first stage of the odyssey was the Jovian encounter in February 92. The MeV electrons are here used as markers of the magnetic field global structure. We specially study the complex and highly dynamic outer magnetosphere. With reference of previous fly-by, the KET observations permit to characterize the 10-hour modulation of the Jovian electron flux and spectrum and suggest a mechanism involving the rotation of the north low-latitude polar cap. The boundary layers are seen as thick regions with transitions from magnetosheath to magnetospheric particle populations and field properties. The electron anisotropy and flux discontinuities are investigated with support of field data and provide the first evidence of magnetic reconnection occurring around the Jovian magnetopause. Taking advantage of the gravity assistance of the giant planet, Ulysse dipped towards the south heliospheric regions. Along its trajectory KET has detected Jovian electrons in interplanetary space. The first type of events is non-diffusive, with rapid increases discovered by KET at less than 1 AU from the magnetosphere: Jovian electrons have probably escaped through reconnection process which preserves their spectrum modulation and anisotropy characteristics. The events of second category are diffusive, observed since launch up to 30 degrees south. This work highlights the roles of interplanetary shocks and of the heliospheric current sheet in the propagation. A 3D transport model including adiabatic deceleration is presented here and accounts for the Jovian electron flux detected along the Ulysse's trajectory. New estimates of the 3D diffusion coefficients are performed for MeV electrons: K(perpendicular) = 8 * 10

  19. ENERGETIC PARTICLE ANISOTROPIES AT THE HELIOSPHERIC BOUNDARY. II. TRANSIENT FEATURES AND RIGIDITY DEPENDENCE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Florinski, V.; Roux, J. A. le; Stone, E. C.; Cummings, A. C.

    2015-01-01

    In the preceding paper, we showed that large second-order anisotropies of heliospheric ions measured by the Voyager 1 space probe during the August 2012 boundary crossing event could be explained by a magnetic shear across the heliopause preventing particles streaming along the magnetic field from escaping the inner heliosheath. According to Stone et al., the penetration distance of heliospheric ions into the outer heliosheath had a strong dependence on the particle’s Larmor radius. By comparing hydrogen, helium, and oxygen ions with the same energy per nucleon, these authors argued that this effect must be attributed to larger cyclotron radii of heavier species rather than differences in velocity. We propose that gradient drift in a nonuniform magnetic field was the cause of both the large second-order anisotropies and the spatial differentiation based on the ion’s rigidity. A latitudinal gradient of magnetic field strength of about 10% per AU between 2012.7 and 2012.9 could have provided drift motion sufficient to match both LECP and CRS Voyager 1 observations. We explain the transient intensity dropout observed prior to the heliocliff using flux tube structures embedded in the heliosheath and magnetically connected to interstellar space. Finally, this paper reports a new indirect measurement of the plasma radial velocity at the heliopause on the basis of the time difference between two cosmic-ray telescopes measuring the same intensity dropout

  20. ENERGETIC PARTICLE ANISOTROPIES AT THE HELIOSPHERIC BOUNDARY. II. TRANSIENT FEATURES AND RIGIDITY DEPENDENCE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Florinski, V.; Roux, J. A. le [Department of Space Sciences, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899 (United States); Stone, E. C.; Cummings, A. C. [Space Radiation Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

    2015-04-10

    In the preceding paper, we showed that large second-order anisotropies of heliospheric ions measured by the Voyager 1 space probe during the August 2012 boundary crossing event could be explained by a magnetic shear across the heliopause preventing particles streaming along the magnetic field from escaping the inner heliosheath. According to Stone et al., the penetration distance of heliospheric ions into the outer heliosheath had a strong dependence on the particle’s Larmor radius. By comparing hydrogen, helium, and oxygen ions with the same energy per nucleon, these authors argued that this effect must be attributed to larger cyclotron radii of heavier species rather than differences in velocity. We propose that gradient drift in a nonuniform magnetic field was the cause of both the large second-order anisotropies and the spatial differentiation based on the ion’s rigidity. A latitudinal gradient of magnetic field strength of about 10% per AU between 2012.7 and 2012.9 could have provided drift motion sufficient to match both LECP and CRS Voyager 1 observations. We explain the transient intensity dropout observed prior to the heliocliff using flux tube structures embedded in the heliosheath and magnetically connected to interstellar space. Finally, this paper reports a new indirect measurement of the plasma radial velocity at the heliopause on the basis of the time difference between two cosmic-ray telescopes measuring the same intensity dropout.

  1. 3D Embedded Reconfigurable Riometer for Heliospheric Space Missions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dekoulis, George

    2016-07-01

    This paper describes the development of a new three-dimensional embedded reconfigurable Riometer for performing remote sensing of planetary magnetospheres. The system couples the in situ measurements of probe or orbiter magnetospheric space missions. The new prototype features a multi-frequency mode that allows measurements at frequencies, where heliospheric physics events' signatures are distinct on the ionized planetary plasma. For our planet similar measurements are meaningful for frequencies below 55 MHz. Observation frequencies above 55 MHz yield to direct measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background intensity. The system acts as a prototyping platform for subsequent space exploration phased-array imaging experiments, due to its high-intensity scientific processing capabilities. The performance improvement over existing systems in operation is in the range of 80%, due to the state-of-the-art hardware and scientific processing used.

  2. Modeling of coronal mass ejections with the STEREO heliospheric imagers verified with in situ observations by the Heliophysics System Observatory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Möstl, Christian; Isavnin, Alexey; Kilpua, Emilia; Bothmer, Volker; Mrotzek, Nicolas; Boakes, Peter; Rodriguez, Luciano; Krupar, Vratislav; Eastwood, Jonathan; Davies, Jackie; Harrison, Richard; Barnes, David; Winslow, Reka; Helcats Team

    2017-04-01

    We present the first study to verify modeling of CMEs as observed by the heliospheric imagers on the two STEREO spacecraft with a large scale dataset of in situ plasma and magnetic field observations from the Heliophysics System Observatory, including MESSENGER, VEX, Wind, and the in situ measurements on the two STEREO spacecraft. To this end, we have established a new interplanetary CME catalog (ICMECAT) for these spacecraft by gathering and updating individual ICME lists. In addition, we have re-calculated the in situ parameters in a consistent way, resulting in 668 events observed between 2007-2015. We then calculated the efficacy of the STEREO/HI instruments for predicting (in hindsight) with the SSEF30 model the arrival time and speed of CMEs as well as hit/miss ratios. We also show how ICMECAT gives decent statistics concerning CME impacts on all of the terrestrial planets, including Mars. The results show some major implications for future heliospheric imagers which may be used for space weather forecasting. Our effort should also serve as a baseline for the upcoming new era in heliospheric science with Solar Orbiter, Solar Probe Plus, BepiColombo returning partly comparable observations in the next decade. The presented work has received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/ 2007-2013) under grant agreement No. 606692 [HELCATS].

  3. 26-Day Variations of 7 MeV Electrons at high Latitudes and their Implications on the Heliospheric Magnetic Field

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sternal, Oliver; Engelbrecht, Eugene; Burger, Renier; Dunzlaff, Phillip; Ferreira, Stefan; Fichtner, Horst; Heber, Bernd; Kopp, Andreas; Potgieter, Marius; Scherer, Klaus

    The transport of energetic particles in the heliosphere is usually described by the Parker trans-port equation including the physical processes of diffusion, drift, convection and adiabatic energy changes. The Ulysses spacecraft provides unique insight into the flux of MeV electrons at high latitudes. In this contribution, we compare our model results for the Parker HMF model and the Fisk-type Schwadron-Parker HMF model to Ulysses measurements. The elec-tron flux at high latitudes has been used as a remote sensing method to investigate the imprint of a Fisk-type HMF. We show here for the first time that such an imprint exists and deduce a limitation on the Fisk HMF angle β.

  4. Heliospheric Observations of Energetic Particles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Summerlin, Errol J.

    2011-01-01

    Heliospheric observations of energetic particles have shown that, on long time averages, a consistent v^-5 power-law index arises even in the absence of transient events. This implies an ubiquitous acceleration process present in the solar wind that is required to generate these power-law tails and maintain them against adiabatic losses and coulomb-collisions which will cool and thermalize the plasma respectively. Though the details of this acceleration process are being debated within the community, most agree that the energy required for these tails comes from fluctuations in the magnetic field which are damped as the energy is transferred to particles. Given this source for the tail, is it then reasonable to assume that the turbulent LISM should give rise to such a power-law tail as well? IBEX observations clearly show a power-law tail of index approximately -5 in energetic neutral atoms. The simplest explanation for the origins of these ENAs are that they are energetic ions which have charge-exchanged with a neutral atom. However, this would imply that energetic ions possess a v^-5 power-law distribution at keV energies at the source of these ENAs. If the source is presumed to be the LISM, it provides additional options for explaining the, so called, IBEX ribbon. This presentation will discuss some of these options as well as potential mechanisms for the generation of a power-law spectrum in the LISM.

  5. Heliospheric Neutral Atom Spectra Between 0.01 and 6 keV fom IBEX

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fuselier, S. A.; Allegrini, F.; Bzowski, M.; Funsten, H. O.; Ghielmetti, A. G.; Gloeckler, G.; Heirtzler, D.; Janzen, P.; Kubiak, M.; Kucharek, H.; hide

    2012-01-01

    Since 2008 December, the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) has been making detailed observations of neutrals from the boundaries of the heliosphere using two neutral atom cameras with overlapping energy ranges. The unexpected, yet defining feature discovered by IBEX is a Ribbon that extends over the energy range from about 0.2 to 6 keV. This Ribbon is superposed on a more uniform, globally distributed heliospheric neutral population. With some important exceptions, the focus of early IBEX studies has been on neutral atoms with energies greater than approx. 0.5 keV. With nearly three years of science observations, enough low-energy neutral atom measurements have been accumulated to extend IBEX observations to energies less than approx. 0.5 keV. Using the energy overlap of the sensors to identify and remove backgrounds, energy spectra over the entire IBEX energy range are produced. However, contributions by interstellar neutrals to the energy spectrum below 0.2 keV may not be completely removed. Compared with spectra at higher energies, neutral atom spectra at lower energies do not vary much from location to location in the sky, including in the direction of the IBEX Ribbon. Neutral fluxes are used to show that low energy ions contribute approximately the same thermal pressure as higher energy ions in the heliosheath. However, contributions to the dynamic pressure are very high unless there is, for example, turbulence in the heliosheath with fluctuations of the order of 50-100 km/s.

  6. Solar activity and heliosphere-wide cosmic ray modulation in mid-1982

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cliver, E.W.; Mihalov, J.D.; Sheeley, N.R. Jr.; Howard, R.A.; Koomen, M.J.; Schwenn, R.

    1987-01-01

    A major episode of flare activity in June and July 1982 was accompaniedby a pair of heliosphere-wide cosmic ray modulation events. In each case, a large Forbush decrease (FD) at earth was followed in turn by apparently related decreases at Pioneer 11 (P11) and Pioneer 10 (P10). The Pioneer spacecraft were separated by --155 0 in ecliptic longitude. We reviewed white light coronagraph and near-sun (≤1 AU) satellite data to identify plausible solar origins of these modulation events. The first widespread intensity decrease (FD 1) can be attributed to the combined effects of a backside flare on June 3 from solar active region 18382/18383, located 23 0 in ecliptic longitude from Pioneer 10, and a visible disk flare from 18405 on June 6, when this region was 9 0 from Pioneer 11. The second widespread modulation event during this period (FD 2) may be linked to flares from active region 18474 on July 12 and 22. The July 12 flare was located 34 0 in azimuth from Pioneer 11, and the July 22 flare was 24 0 from Pioneer 10. Since even fast shocks would take --1 month to propagate to Pioneer 11 (12 AU) and --2 months to reach Pioneer 10 (28 AU) in mid-1982, these ''one-to-one'' associations must be regarded with caution. The processes of entrainment and coalescence can cause a given traveling interplanetary disturbance to lose its identify enroute to the outer heliosphere. The fact that we were able to identify plausible solar flare candidates for each of the four Forbushlike decreases observed at the Pioneer satellites (two each at P10 and P11), however, removes the need to invoke a chock from a single flare as the sole cause of either FD 1 (at both P10 and P11) or FD 2

  7. Short- and long-term efficacy of intragastric air-filled balloon (Heliosphere® BAG) among obese patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giuricin, M; Nagliati, C; Palmisano, S; Simeth, C; Urban, F; Buri, L; Balani, A; de Manzini, N

    2012-11-01

    Obesity is an increasing health problem worldwide. The intragastric balloon as a temporary endoscopic treatment of obesity can play an important role among the aforementioned group of obese individuals. It can also be used as a preoperative test before subjecting patients to restrictive bariatric surgery. Furthermore, the intragastric device may be applied to patients affected by severe obesity as a "bridge treatment" before they undergo major surgery in order to reduce chances of operation-related risks. To date, there are insufficient data in the literature on the long-term results of the intragastric balloon. Our study includes an analysis of our experience with Heliosphere® BAG from 2006 through to 2010, concerning early weight loss and weight loss maintenance over at least 18 months since the device's removal. The 32 patients who completed the 6-month treatment had recorded a mean weight loss of 12.66 kg and a mean overweight loss of 24.37 % (SD, 12.74). A total of 16 patients are subjected to an 18-month follow-up. Their pretreatment and long-term body mass index (BMI) were calculated: 6 months later, when devices were removed, they showed a mean weight of 99.75 kg (SD, 17.90; p < 0.001) and a mean weight loss of 13.62 kg and 26.14 % (SD, 12.79). 18 months after removing Heliosphere® BAG, the 16 patients' mean BMI was 37.28 kg/m² (SD, 5.41; p = 0.004), with a mean weight of 103.56 kg (SD 17.25; p = 0.0125), and a mean weight loss of 9.8 kg or 18.2 % (SD, 12.07). Heliosphere® BAG enables modest short-term weight loss with little side effects, although mid/long-term follow-up may entail partial weight gain. We believe it can be considered a useful bridge treatment in bariatric surgery in order to reduce chances of preoperative risks.

  8. Energetic Particles in the Inner Heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malandraki, Olga

    2016-07-01

    Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) events are a key ingredient of Solar-Terrestrial Physics both for fundamental research and space weather applications. SEP events are the defining component of solar radiation storms, contribute to radio blackouts in polar regions and are related to many of the fastest Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) driving major geomagnetic storms. In addition to CMEs, SEPs are also related to flares. In this work, the current state of knowledge on the SEP field will be reviewed. Key issues to be covered and discussed include: the current understanding of the origin, acceleration and transport processes of SEPs at the Sun and in the inner heliosphere, lessons learned from multi-spacecraft SEP observations, statistical quantification of the comparison of solar events and SEP events of the current solar cycle 24 with previous solar cycles, causes of the solar-cycle variations in SEP fluencies and composition, theoretical work and current SEP acceleration models. Furthermore, the outstanding issues that constitute a knowledge gap in the field will be presented and discussed, as well as future directions and expected advances from the observational and modeling perspective, also in view of the unique observations provided by the upcoming Solar Orbiter and Solar Probe Plus missions. Acknowledgement: This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 637324.

  9. Modeling observations of solar coronal mass ejections with heliospheric imagers verified with the eliophysics System Observatory

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Möstl, C.; Isavnin, A.; Boakes, P. D.; Kilpua, E. K. J.; Davies, J. A.; Harrison, R. A.; Barnes, D.; Krupař, Vratislav; Eastwood, J.; Good, S. W.; Forsyth, R. J.; Bothmer, V.; Reiss, M. A.; Amerstorfer, T.; Winslow, R. M.; Anderson, B.J.; Philpott, L. C.; Rodriguez, L.; Rouillard, A. P.; Gallagher, P.; Nieves-Chinchilla, T.; Zhang, T. L.

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 15, č. 7 (2017), s. 955-970 ISSN 1539-4956 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GJ17-06818Y Institutional support: RVO:68378289 Keywords : space weather * coronal mass ejections * STEREO * heliospheric imagers * Heliophysics System Observatory * heliophysics Subject RIV: BL - Plasma and Gas Discharge Physics OBOR OECD: Fluids and plasma physics (including surface physics) http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2017SW001614/full

  10. Outer heliospheric radio emissions. II - Foreshock source models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cairns, Iver H.; Kurth, William S.; Gurnett, Donald A.

    1992-01-01

    Observations of LF radio emissions in the range 2-3 kHz by the Voyager spacecraft during the intervals 1983-1987 and 1989 to the present while at heliocentric distances greater than 11 AU are reported. New analyses of the wave data are presented, and the characteristics of the radiation are reviewed and discussed. Two classes of events are distinguished: transient events with varying starting frequencies that drift upward in frequency and a relatively continuous component that remains near 2 kHz. Evidence for multiple transient sources and for extension of the 2-kHz component above the 2.4-kHz interference signal is presented. The transient emissions are interpreted in terms of radiation generated at multiples of the plasma frequency when solar wind density enhancements enter one or more regions of a foreshock sunward of the inner heliospheric shock. Solar wind density enhancements by factors of 4-10 are observed. Propagation effects, the number of radiation sources, and the time variability, frequency drift, and varying starting frequencies of the transient events are discussed in terms of foreshock sources.

  11. [A Predictive Model for the Magnetic Field in the Heliosphere and Acceleration of Suprathermal Particles in the Solar Wind

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fisk, L. A.

    2005-01-01

    The purpose of this grant was to develop a theoretical understanding of the processes by which open magnetic flux undergoes large-scale transport in the solar corona, and to use this understanding to develop a predictive model for the heliospheric magnetic field, the configuration for which is determined by such motions.

  12. SUNWARD-PROPAGATING ALFVÉNIC FLUCTUATIONS OBSERVED IN THE HELIOSPHERE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Hui; Wang, Chi [State Key Laboratory of Space Weather, National Space Science Center, CAS, Beijing, 100190 (China); Belcher, John W.; Richardson, John D. [Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States); He, Jiansen, E-mail: hli@spaceweather.ac.cn [School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871 (China)

    2016-06-10

    The mixture/interaction of anti-sunward-propagating Alfvénic fluctuations (AFs) and sunward-propagating Alfvénic fluctuations (SAFs) is believed to result in the decrease of the Alfvénicity of solar wind fluctuations with increasing heliocentric distance. However, SAFs are rarely observed at 1 au and solar wind AFs are found to be generally outward. Using the measurements from Voyager 2 and Wind , we perform a statistical survey of SAFs in the heliosphere inside 6 au. We first report two SAF events observed by Voyager 2 . One is in the anti-sunward magnetic sector with a strong positive correlation between the fluctuations of magnetic field and solar wind velocity. The other one is in the sunward magnetic sector with a strong negative magnetic field—velocity correlation. Statistically, the percentage of SAFs increases gradually with heliocentric distance, from about 2.7% at 1.0 au to about 8.7% at 5.5 au. These results provide new clues for understanding the generation mechanism of SAFs.

  13. Forbush decreases and particle acceleration in the outer heliosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van Allen, J.A.; Mihalov, J.D.

    1990-01-01

    Major solar flare activity in 1989 has provided examples of the local acceleration of protons at 28 AU (Pioneer 11) and of the propagation of Forbush decreases in galactic cosmic ray intensity to a heliocentric radial distance of 47 AU (Pioneer 10). The combination of these and previous data at lesser distances shows (a) that Forbush decreases propagate with essentially constant magnitude to (at least) 47 AU and with similar magnitude at widely different ecliptic longitudes and (b) that the times for recovery from such decreases become progressively greater as the radial distance increases, being of the order of months in the outer heliosphere. A phenomenological scheme for (b) is proposed and fresh support is given to the hypothesis that the solar cycle modulation of the galactic cosmic ray intensity is attributable primarily to overlapping Forbush decreases which are more frequent and of greater magnitude near times of maximum solar activity than at times of lesser activity

  14. Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) Flight Dynamics Simulations Using MATLAB (R)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Headrick, R. D.; Rowe, J. N.

    1996-01-01

    This paper describes a study to verify onboard attitude control laws in the coarse Sun-pointing (CSP) mode by simulation and to develop procedures for operational support for the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) mission. SOHO was launched on December 2, 1995, and the predictions of the simulation were verified with the flight data. This study used a commercial off the shelf product MATLAB(tm) to do the following: Develop procedures for computing the parasitic torques for orbital maneuvers; Simulate onboard attitude control of roll, pitch, and yaw during orbital maneuvers; Develop procedures for predicting firing time for both on- and off-modulated thrusters during orbital maneuvers; Investigate the use of feed forward or pre-bias torques to reduce the attitude handoff during orbit maneuvers - in particular, determine how to use the flight data to improve the feed forward torque estimates for use on future maneuvers. The study verified the stability of the attitude control during orbital maneuvers and the proposed use of feed forward torques to compensate for the attitude handoff. Comparison of the simulations with flight data showed: Parasitic torques provided a good estimate of the on- and off-modulation for attitude control; The feed forward torque compensation scheme worked well to reduce attitude handoff during the orbital maneuvers. The work has been extended to prototype calibration of thrusters from observed firing time and observed reaction wheel speed changes.

  15. HEMISPHERIC ASYMMETRIES OF SOLAR PHOTOSPHERIC MAGNETISM: RADIATIVE, PARTICULATE, AND HELIOSPHERIC IMPACTS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McIntosh, Scott W.; Burkepile, Joan; Miesch, Mark; Markel, Robert S.; Sitongia, Leonard; Leamon, Robert J.; Gurman, Joseph B.; Olive, Jean-Philippe; Cirtain, Jonathan W.; Hathaway, David H.

    2013-01-01

    Among many other measurable quantities, the summer of 2009 saw a considerable low in the radiative output of the Sun that was temporally coincident with the largest cosmic-ray flux ever measured at 1 AU. Combining measurements and observations made by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) spacecraft we begin to explore the complexities of the descending phase of solar cycle 23, through the 2009 minimum into the ascending phase of solar cycle 24. A hemispheric asymmetry in magnetic activity is clearly observed and its evolution monitored and the resulting (prolonged) magnetic imbalance must have had a considerable impact on the structure and energetics of the heliosphere. While we cannot uniquely tie the variance and scale of the surface magnetism to the dwindling radiative and particulate output of the star, or the increased cosmic-ray flux through the 2009 minimum, the timing of the decline and rapid recovery in early 2010 would appear to inextricably link them. These observations support a picture where the Sun's hemispheres are significantly out of phase with each other. Studying historical sunspot records with this picture in mind shows that the northern hemisphere has been leading since the middle of the last century and that the hemispheric ''dominance'' has changed twice in the past 130 years. The observations presented give clear cause for concern, especially with respect to our present understanding of the processes that produce the surface magnetism in the (hidden) solar interior—hemispheric asymmetry is the normal state—the strong symmetry shown in 1996 was abnormal. Further, these observations show that the mechanism(s) which create and transport the magnetic flux are slowly changing with time and, it appears, with only loose coupling across the equator such that those asymmetries can persist for a considerable time. As the current asymmetry persists and the basal energetics of the system continue to

  16. HEMISPHERIC ASYMMETRIES OF SOLAR PHOTOSPHERIC MAGNETISM: RADIATIVE, PARTICULATE, AND HELIOSPHERIC IMPACTS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    McIntosh, Scott W.; Burkepile, Joan; Miesch, Mark; Markel, Robert S.; Sitongia, Leonard [High Altitude Observatory, National Center for Atmospheric Research, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307 (United States); Leamon, Robert J. [Department of Physics, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717 (United States); Gurman, Joseph B. [Solar Physics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Olive, Jean-Philippe [Astrium SAS, 6 rue Laurent Pichat, F-75016 Paris (France); Cirtain, Jonathan W.; Hathaway, David H. [Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL 35812 (United States)

    2013-03-10

    Among many other measurable quantities, the summer of 2009 saw a considerable low in the radiative output of the Sun that was temporally coincident with the largest cosmic-ray flux ever measured at 1 AU. Combining measurements and observations made by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) spacecraft we begin to explore the complexities of the descending phase of solar cycle 23, through the 2009 minimum into the ascending phase of solar cycle 24. A hemispheric asymmetry in magnetic activity is clearly observed and its evolution monitored and the resulting (prolonged) magnetic imbalance must have had a considerable impact on the structure and energetics of the heliosphere. While we cannot uniquely tie the variance and scale of the surface magnetism to the dwindling radiative and particulate output of the star, or the increased cosmic-ray flux through the 2009 minimum, the timing of the decline and rapid recovery in early 2010 would appear to inextricably link them. These observations support a picture where the Sun's hemispheres are significantly out of phase with each other. Studying historical sunspot records with this picture in mind shows that the northern hemisphere has been leading since the middle of the last century and that the hemispheric ''dominance'' has changed twice in the past 130 years. The observations presented give clear cause for concern, especially with respect to our present understanding of the processes that produce the surface magnetism in the (hidden) solar interior-hemispheric asymmetry is the normal state-the strong symmetry shown in 1996 was abnormal. Further, these observations show that the mechanism(s) which create and transport the magnetic flux are slowly changing with time and, it appears, with only loose coupling across the equator such that those asymmetries can persist for a considerable time. As the current asymmetry persists and the basal energetics of the

  17. Interplanetary Magnetic Field Power Spectrum Variations in the Inner Heliosphere: A Wind and MESSENGER Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szabo, Adam; Koval, A.

    2011-01-01

    The newly reprocessed high time resolution (11/22 vectors/sec) Wind mission interplanetary magnetic field data and the similar observations made by the MESSENGER spacecraft in the inner heliosphere affords an opportunity to compare magnetic field power spectral density variations as a function of radial distance from the Sun under different solar wind conditions. In the reprocessed Wind Magnetic Field Investigation (MFI) data, the spin tone and its harmonics are greatly reduced that allows the meaningful fitting of power spectra to the approx.2 Hz limit above which digitization noise becomes apparent. The powe'r spectral density is computed and the spectral index is fitted for the MHD and ion inertial regime separately along with the break point between the two for various solar wind conditions. Wind and MESSENGER magnetic fluctuations are compared for times when the two spacecraft are close to radial and Parker field alignment. The functional dependence of the ion inertial spectral index and break point on solar wind plasma and magnetic field conditions will be discussed.

  18. Trajectories of inner and outer heliospheric spacecraft: Predicted through 1999

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parthasarathy, R.; King, Joseph H.

    1991-01-01

    Information is presented in tabular and graphical form on the trajectories of the international fleet of spacecraft that will be probing the far reaches of the heliosphere during the 1990s. In particular, the following spacecraft are addressed: Pioneer 10 and 11, Pioneer Venus Orbiter (PVO), Voyager 1 and 2, Galileo, Ulysses, Suisei, Sakigake, Giotto, International Cometary Explorer (ICE), and Interplanetary Monitoring Platform 8 (IMP 8). Yearly resolution listing of position information in inertial space are given for Pioneer and Voyager spacecraft from the times of their launches in the 1970s. One series of plots shows the radial distances, latitudes, and longitudes of the Pioneers and Voyagers. The solar ecliptic inertial coordinate system is used. In this system, the Z axis is normal to the ecliptic plane and the X axis is towards the first point of Aries (from Sun to Earth on the vernal equinox).

  19. Solar wind temperature observations in the outer heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gazis, P. R.; Barnes, A.; Mihalov, J. D.; Lazarus, A. J.

    1992-01-01

    The Pioneer 10, Pioneer 11, and Voyager 2 spacecraft are now at heliocentric distances of 50, 32 and 33 AU, and heliographic latitudes of 3.5 deg N, 17 deg N, and 0 deg N, respectively. Pioneer 11 and Voyager 2 are at similar celestial longitudes, while Pioneer l0 is on the opposite side of the sun. The baselines defined by these spacecraft make it possible to resolve radial, longitudinal, and latitudinal variations of solar wind parameters. The solar wind temperature decreases with increasing heliocentric distance out to a distance of 10-15 AU. At larger heliocentric distances, this gradient disappears. These high solar wind temperatures in the outer heliosphere have persisted for at least 10 years, which suggests that they are not a solar cycle effect. The solar wind temperature varied with heliographic latitude during the most recent solar minimum. The solar wind temperature at Pioneer 11 and Voyager 2 was higher than that seen at Pioneer 10 for an extended period of time, which suggests the existence of a large-scale variation of temperature with celestial longitude, but the contribution of transient phenomena is yet to be clarified.

  20. Heliospheric MeV energization due to resonant interaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roth, Ilan

    2001-01-01

    The prompt enhancement of relativistic electron flux during active geomagnetic periods, and the impulsive increase in the flux of the heliospheric energetic heavy ions during active solar periods are of major importance with respect to the proper operation of electronics on space-borne spacecraft and the safety of interplanetary human travel, respectively. Both enhancements may be caused by resonant wave-particle interaction with oblique electromagnetic waves on the terrestrial and coronal field lines. Whistler waves, which are enhanced significantly during substorms and which propagate obliquely to the magnetic field, can interact with energetic electrons through Landau, cyclotron, and higher harmonic resonant interactions when the Doppler-shifted wave frequency equals any (positive or negative) integer multiple of the local relativistic gyrofrequency. This interaction occurs over a broad spatial region when a relativistic electron is bouncing in the terrestrial magnetic field. Coronal ions interact selectively with electromagnetic ion-cyclotron (emic) waves which are correlated with impulsive flares. This interaction occurs over a small spatial region when the Doppler-shifted frequency matches the first or higher harmonic of the ion gyrofrequency. Recent new observations of terrestrial MeV X-rays are interpreted as a resonant loss of the radiation belt electrons

  1. Spatial gradients of GCR protons in the inner heliosphere derived from Ulysses COSPIN/KET and PAMELA measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gieseler, J.; Heber, B.

    2016-05-01

    Context. During the transition from solar cycle 23 to 24 from 2006 to 2009, the Sun was in an unusual solar minimum with very low activity over a long period. These exceptional conditions included a very low interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) strength and a high tilt angle, which both play an important role in the modulation of galactic cosmic rays (GCR) in the heliosphere. Thus, the radial and latitudinal gradients of GCRs are very much expected to depend not only on the solar magnetic epoch, but also on the overall modulation level. Aims: We determine the non-local radial and the latitudinal gradients of protons in the rigidity range from ~0.45 to 2 GV. Methods: This was accomplished by using data from the satellite-borne experiment Payload for Antimatter Matter Exploration and Light-nuclei Astrophysics (PAMELA) at Earth and the Kiel Electron Telescope (KET) onboard Ulysses on its highly inclined Keplerian orbit around the Sun with the aphelion at Jupiter's orbit. Results: In comparison to the previous A> 0 solar magnetic epoch, we find that the absolute value of the latitudinal gradient is lower at higher and higher at lower rigidities. This energy dependence is therefore a crucial test for models that describe the cosmic ray transport in the inner heliosphere.

  2. Recurrent Cosmic-ray Variations as a Probe of the Heliospheric Magnetic Field

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burger, R. A.; Engelbrecht, E. E.

    2006-12-01

    A linear relationship between the observed 26-day recurrent cosmic-ray intensity variations and the global latitudinal gradient was first reported by Zhang (1997, ApJ, 488), who made extensive use of Ulysses data. This relationship is seen for all species considered and at all latitudes covered by the spacecraft. Burger and Hitge (2004, ApJL, 617) used a three-dimensional steady-state numerical modulation model and showed that a Fisk-type (Fisk 1996, JGR, 101) heliospheric magnetic field (HMF) can in principle explain these observations, at least at high latitudes. In this progress report we use a refinement of the Fisk-Parker hybrid HMF model of Burger and Hitge (2004) by Kruger (2006, MSc dissertation, NWU University) (see also Kruger, Burger and Hitge 2005, AGU Fall meeting abstracts SH23B-0341) to study these 26-day recurrent variations in more detail with the same modulation code. In Kruger's model the HMF is Parker-like at the highest latitudes, becomes Fisk- like at intermediate latitudes, and becomes Parker-like again in the region swept out by the wavy current sheet. By using an almost continuous range of latitudinal gradients for both solar magnetic polarity cycles and for both protons and electrons - in contrast to the limited number of values used by Burger and Hitge (2004) - the structure of the graphs of amplitude of the recurrent cosmic-ray intensity variations as function of global latitudinal gradient can be studied in detail. This was performed in a 100 AU model heliosphere for solar minimum conditions with the tilt angle of the heliospheric current sheet at 10 degrees. In all cases drift effects are included. We find that these curves for amplitude vs. latitudinal gradient are similar for protons and for electrons. By switching the sign of the modeled amplitudes when the latitudinal gradient becomes negative, the existence of a single relationship between the two quantities can be studied for the whole range of modeled latitudinal gradients. This

  3. A propagation tool to connect remote-sensing observations with in-situ measurements of heliospheric structures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rouillard, A. P.; Lavraud, B.; Génot, V.; Bouchemit, M.; Dufourg, N.; Plotnikov, I.; Pinto, R. F.; Sanchez-Diaz, E.; Lavarra, M.; Penou, M.; Jacquey, C.; André, N.; Caussarieu, S.; Toniutti, J.-P.; Popescu, D.; Buchlin, E.; Caminade, S.; Alingery, P.; Davies, J. A.; Odstrcil, D.; Mays, L.

    2017-11-01

    The remoteness of the Sun and the harsh conditions prevailing in the solar corona have so far limited the observational data used in the study of solar physics to remote-sensing observations taken either from the ground or from space. In contrast, the 'solar wind laboratory' is directly measured in situ by a fleet of spacecraft measuring the properties of the plasma and magnetic fields at specific points in space. Since 2007, the solar-terrestrial relations observatory (STEREO) has been providing images of the solar wind that flows between the solar corona and spacecraft making in-situ measurements. This has allowed scientists to directly connect processes imaged near the Sun with the subsequent effects measured in the solar wind. This new capability prompted the development of a series of tools and techniques to track heliospheric structures through space. This article presents one of these tools, a web-based interface called the 'Propagation Tool' that offers an integrated research environment to study the evolution of coronal and solar wind structures, such as Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), Corotating Interaction Regions (CIRs) and Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs). These structures can be propagated from the Sun outwards to or alternatively inwards from planets and spacecraft situated in the inner and outer heliosphere. In this paper, we present the global architecture of the tool, discuss some of the assumptions made to simulate the evolution of the structures and show how the tool connects to different databases.

  4. MORE EVIDENCE THAT VOYAGER 1 IS STILL IN THE HELIOSPHERE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gloeckler, G.; Fisk, L. A.

    2015-01-01

    The investigators of the Voyager mission currently exploring the heliosheath have concluded and announced that Voyager 1 (V1) has crossed the heliopause and is now in the interstellar medium. This conclusion is based primarily on the plasma wave observations of Gurnett et al., which reveal a plasma electron density that resembles the density expected in the local interstellar medium. Fisk and Gloeckler have disputed the conclusion that V1 has crossed the heliopause, pointing out that to account for all the V1 observations, particularly the magnetic field direction together with the density, it is necessary to conclude that the higher densities observed by Gurnett et al. are due to compressed solar wind. In this Letter it is shown that the model of Fisk and Gloeckler for the nose region of the heliosheath can account in detail for the intensity and spectral shape of Energetic Neutral Hydrogen observed by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) in the directions of V1 and Voyager 2 (V2). A key feature of the Fisk and Gloeckler model is the existence of a region in the heliosheath where the solar wind is compressed and heated, followed by a region where the solar wind is compressed but cold. The region of cold compressed solar wind provides a unique explanation for the low-energy IBEX observations, and since this is the region where V1 must now reside, the low-energy IBEX observations provide strong evidence that V1 is still in the heliosphere

  5. From the Outer Heliosphere to the Local Bubble Comparisons of New Observations with Theory

    CERN Document Server

    Linsky, J. L; Möbius, E; Steiger, R

    2009-01-01

    The present volume provides a state-of-the-art synopsis of our current understanding of the dynamic heliosphere, the interstellar clouds surrounding it, the wider neighborhood of the local bubble, and their complex interactions. It is written by many of the researchers who have made key discoveries, observations, and modeling efforts that have led to dramatic progress in the field over the past 25 years. Thus the book is an essential research tool for space scientists and astronomers alike, including graduate students for whom it presents a single-point entrance into this complex yet fascinating field.

  6. INTERSTELLAR NEUTRAL HELIUM IN THE HELIOSPHERE FROM IBEX OBSERVATIONS. II. THE WARSAW TEST PARTICLE MODEL (WTPM)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sokół, J. M.; Kubiak, M. A.; Bzowski, M.; Swaczyna, P., E-mail: jsokol@cbk.waw.pl [Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences, 00-716 Warsaw (Poland)

    2015-10-15

    We have developed a refined and optimized version of the Warsaw Test Particle Model of interstellar neutral gas in the heliosphere, specially tailored for analysis of IBEX-Lo observations. The former version of the model was used in the analysis of neutral He observed by IBEX that resulted in an unexpected conclusion that the interstellar neutral He flow vector was different than previously thought and that a new population of neutral He, dubbed the Warm Breeze, exists in the heliosphere. It was also used in the reanalysis of Ulysses observations that confirmed the original findings on the flow vector, but suggested a significantly higher temperature. The present version of the model has two strains targeted for different applications, based on an identical paradigm, but differing in the implementation and in the treatment of ionization losses. We present the model in detail and discuss numerous effects related to the measurement process that potentially modify the resulting flux of ISN He observed by IBEX, and identify those of them that should not be omitted in the simulations to avoid biasing the results. This paper is part of a coordinated series of papers presenting the current state of analysis of IBEX-Lo observations of ISN He. Details of the analysis method are presented by Swaczyna et al. and results of the analysis are presented by Bzowski et al.

  7. Long-term Longitudinal Recurrences of the Open Magnetic Flux Density in the Heliosphere

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dósa, M.; Erdős, G., E-mail: dosa.melinda@wigner.mta.hu [Institute for Particle and Nuclear Physics, Wigner Research Centre for Physics, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-1121 Budapest, Konkoly-Thege Miklós st 29-33 (Hungary)

    2017-04-01

    Open magnetic flux in the heliosphere is determined from the radial component of the magnetic field vector measured onboard interplanetary space probes. Previous Ulysses research has shown remarkable independence of the flux density from heliographic latitude, explained by super-radial expansion of plasma. Here we are investigating whether any longitudinal variation exists in the 50 year long OMNI magnetic data set. The heliographic longitude of origin of the plasma package was determined by applying a correction according to the solar wind travel time. Significant recurrent enhancements of the magnetic flux density were observed throughout solar cycle 23, lasting for several years. Similar, long-lasting recurring features were observed in the solar wind velocity, temperature and the deviation angle of the solar wind velocity vector from the radial direction. Each of the recurrent features has a recurrence period slightly differing from the Carrington rotation rate, although they show a common trend in time. Examining the coronal temperature data of ACE leads to the possible explanation that these long-term structures are caused by slow–fast solar wind interaction regions. A comparison with MESSENGER data measured at 0.5 au shows that these longitudinal magnetic modulations do not exist closer to the Sun, but are the result of propagation.

  8. Enhancements of energetic particles near the heliospheric termination shock.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDonald, Frank B; Stone, Edward C; Cummings, Alan C; Heikkila, Bryant; Lal, Nand; Webber, William R

    2003-11-06

    The spacecraft Voyager 1 is at a distance greater than 85 au from the Sun, in the vicinity of the termination shock that marks the abrupt slowing of the supersonic solar wind and the beginning of the extended and unexplored distant heliosphere. This shock is expected to accelerate 'anomalous cosmic rays', as well as to re-accelerate Galactic cosmic rays and low-energy particles from the inner Solar System. Here we report a significant increase in the numbers of energetic ions and electrons that persisted for seven months beginning in mid-2002. This increase differs from any previously observed in that there was a simultaneous increase in Galactic cosmic ray ions and electrons, anomalous cosmic rays and low-energy ions. The low-intensity level and spectral energy distribution of the anomalous cosmic rays, however, indicates that Voyager 1 still has not reached the termination shock. Rather, the observed increase is an expected precursor event. We argue that the radial anisotropy of the cosmic rays is expected to be small in the foreshock region, as is observed.

  9. Multi-point Shock and Flux Rope Analysis of Multiple Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections around 2010 August 1 in the Inner Heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Möstl, C.; Farrugia, C. J.; Kilpua, E. K. J.; Jian, L. K.; Liu, Y.; Eastwood, J. P.; Harrison, R. A.; Webb, D. F.; Temmer, M.; Odstrcil, D.; Davies, J. A.; Rollett, T.; Luhmann, J. G.; Nitta, N.; Mulligan, T.; Jensen, E. A.; Forsyth, R.; Lavraud, B.; de Koning, C. A.; Veronig, A. M.; Galvin, A. B.; Zhang, T. L.; Anderson, B. J.

    2012-10-01

    We present multi-point in situ observations of a complex sequence of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) which may serve as a benchmark event for numerical and empirical space weather prediction models. On 2010 August 1, instruments on various space missions, Solar Dynamics Observatory/Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/Solar-TErrestrial-RElations-Observatory (SDO/SOHO/STEREO), monitored several CMEs originating within tens of degrees from the solar disk center. We compare their imprints on four widely separated locations, spanning 120° in heliospheric longitude, with radial distances from the Sun ranging from MESSENGER (0.38 AU) to Venus Express (VEX, at 0.72 AU) to Wind, ACE, and ARTEMIS near Earth and STEREO-B close to 1 AU. Calculating shock and flux rope parameters at each location points to a non-spherical shape of the shock, and shows the global configuration of the interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs), which have interacted, but do not seem to have merged. VEX and STEREO-B observed similar magnetic flux ropes (MFRs), in contrast to structures at Wind. The geomagnetic storm was intense, reaching two minima in the Dst index (≈ - 100 nT), and was caused by the sheath region behind the shock and one of two observed MFRs. MESSENGER received a glancing blow of the ICMEs, and the events missed STEREO-A entirely. The observations demonstrate how sympathetic solar eruptions may immerse at least 1/3 of the heliosphere in the ecliptic with their distinct plasma and magnetic field signatures. We also emphasize the difficulties in linking the local views derived from single-spacecraft observations to a consistent global picture, pointing to possible alterations from the classical picture of ICMEs.

  10. MULTI-POINT SHOCK AND FLUX ROPE ANALYSIS OF MULTIPLE INTERPLANETARY CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS AROUND 2010 AUGUST 1 IN THE INNER HELIOSPHERE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moestl, C.; Liu, Y.; Luhmann, J. G. [Space Science Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Farrugia, C. J. [Space Science Center and Department of Physics, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH (United States); Kilpua, E. K. J. [Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, FI-00560 Helsinki (Finland); Jian, L. K. [Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States); Eastwood, J. P.; Forsyth, R. [The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College, London (United Kingdom); Harrison, R. A.; Davies, J. A. [RAL Space, Harwell Oxford, Didcot (United Kingdom); Webb, D. F. [Institute for Scientific Research, Boston College, Newton, MA (United States); Temmer, M.; Rollett, T.; Veronig, A. M. [Kanzelhoehe Observatory-IGAM, Institute of Physics, University of Graz, A-8010 Graz (Austria); Odstrcil, D. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (United States); Nitta, N. [Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory, Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center, Palo Alto, CA (United States); Mulligan, T. [Space Science Applications Laboratory, The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA (United States); Jensen, E. A. [ACS Consulting, Houston, TX (United States); Lavraud, B. [Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planetologie, Universite de Toulouse (UPS), F-31400 Toulouse (France); De Koning, C. A., E-mail: christian.moestl@uni-graz.at [NOAA/SWPC, Boulder, Colorado (United States); and others

    2012-10-10

    We present multi-point in situ observations of a complex sequence of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) which may serve as a benchmark event for numerical and empirical space weather prediction models. On 2010 August 1, instruments on various space missions, Solar Dynamics Observatory/Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/Solar-TErrestrial-RElations-Observatory (SDO/SOHO/STEREO), monitored several CMEs originating within tens of degrees from the solar disk center. We compare their imprints on four widely separated locations, spanning 120 Degree-Sign in heliospheric longitude, with radial distances from the Sun ranging from MESSENGER (0.38 AU) to Venus Express (VEX, at 0.72 AU) to Wind, ACE, and ARTEMIS near Earth and STEREO-B close to 1 AU. Calculating shock and flux rope parameters at each location points to a non-spherical shape of the shock, and shows the global configuration of the interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs), which have interacted, but do not seem to have merged. VEX and STEREO-B observed similar magnetic flux ropes (MFRs), in contrast to structures at Wind. The geomagnetic storm was intense, reaching two minima in the Dst index ( Almost-Equal-To - 100 nT), and was caused by the sheath region behind the shock and one of two observed MFRs. MESSENGER received a glancing blow of the ICMEs, and the events missed STEREO-A entirely. The observations demonstrate how sympathetic solar eruptions may immerse at least 1/3 of the heliosphere in the ecliptic with their distinct plasma and magnetic field signatures. We also emphasize the difficulties in linking the local views derived from single-spacecraft observations to a consistent global picture, pointing to possible alterations from the classical picture of ICMEs.

  11. Exploiting Laboratory and Heliophysics Plasma Synergies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jill Dahlburg

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Recent advances in space-based heliospheric observations, laboratory experimentation, and plasma simulation codes are creating an exciting new cross-disciplinary opportunity for understanding fast energy release and transport mechanisms in heliophysics and laboratory plasma dynamics, which had not been previously accessible. This article provides an overview of some new observational, experimental, and computational assets, and discusses current and near-term activities towards exploitation of synergies involving those assets. This overview does not claim to be comprehensive, but instead covers mainly activities closely associated with the authors’ interests and reearch. Heliospheric observations reviewed include the Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation (SECCHI on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO mission, the first instrument to provide remote sensing imagery observations with spatial continuity extending from the Sun to the Earth, and the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer (EIS on the Japanese Hinode spacecraft that is measuring spectroscopically physical parameters of the solar atmosphere towards obtaining plasma temperatures, densities, and mass motions. The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO and the upcoming Solar Orbiter with the Heliospheric Imager (SoloHI on-board will also be discussed. Laboratory plasma experiments surveyed include the line-tied magnetic reconnection experiments at University of Wisconsin (relevant to coronal heating magnetic flux tube observations and simulations, and a dynamo facility under construction there; the Space Plasma Simulation Chamber at the Naval Research Laboratory that currently produces plasmas scalable to ionospheric and magnetospheric conditions and in the future also will be suited to study the physics of the solar corona; the Versatile Toroidal Facility at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that

  12. A GLOBAL TWO-TEMPERATURE CORONA AND INNER HELIOSPHERE MODEL: A COMPREHENSIVE VALIDATION STUDY

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jin, M.; Manchester, W. B.; Van der Holst, B.; Gruesbeck, J. R.; Frazin, R. A.; Landi, E.; Toth, G.; Gombosi, T. I. [Atmospheric Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Vasquez, A. M. [Instituto de Astronomia y Fisica del Espacio (CONICET-UBA) and FCEN (UBA), CC 67, Suc 28, Ciudad de Buenos Aires (Argentina); Lamy, P. L.; Llebaria, A.; Fedorov, A., E-mail: jinmeng@umich.edu [Laboratoire d' Astrophysique de Marseille, Universite de Provence, Marseille (France)

    2012-01-20

    The recent solar minimum with very low activity provides us a unique opportunity for validating solar wind models. During CR2077 (2008 November 20 through December 17), the number of sunspots was near the absolute minimum of solar cycle 23. For this solar rotation, we perform a multi-spacecraft validation study for the recently developed three-dimensional, two-temperature, Alfven-wave-driven global solar wind model (a component within the Space Weather Modeling Framework). By using in situ observations from the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) A and B, Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE), and Venus Express, we compare the observed proton state (density, temperature, and velocity) and magnetic field of the heliosphere with that predicted by the model. Near the Sun, we validate the numerical model with the electron density obtained from the solar rotational tomography of Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph C2 data in the range of 2.4 to 6 solar radii. Electron temperature and density are determined from differential emission measure tomography (DEMT) of STEREO A and B Extreme Ultraviolet Imager data in the range of 1.035 to 1.225 solar radii. The electron density and temperature derived from the Hinode/Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer data are also used to compare with the DEMT as well as the model output. Moreover, for the first time, we compare ionic charge states of carbon, oxygen, silicon, and iron observed in situ with the ACE/Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer with those predicted by our model. The validation results suggest that most of the model outputs for CR2077 can fit the observations very well. Based on this encouraging result, we therefore expect great improvement for the future modeling of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and CME-driven shocks.

  13. Additional acceleration of solar-wind particles in current sheets of the heliosphere

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. Zharkova

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Particles of fast solar wind in the vicinity of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS or in a front of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs often reveal very peculiar energy or velocity profiles, density distributions with double or triple peaks, and well-defined streams of electrons occurring around or far away from these events. In order to interpret the parameters of energetic particles (both ions and electrons measured by the WIND spacecraft during the HCS crossings, a comparison of the data was carried out with 3-D particle-in-cell (PIC simulations for the relevant magnetic topology (Zharkova and Khabarova, 2012. The simulations showed that all the observed particle-energy distributions, densities, ion peak velocities, electron pitch angles and directivities can be fitted with the same model if the heliospheric current sheet is in a status of continuous magnetic reconnection. In this paper we present further observations of the solar-wind particles being accelerated to rather higher energies while passing through the HCS and the evidence that this acceleration happens well before the appearance of the corotating interacting region (CIR, which passes through the spacecraft position hours later. We show that the measured particle characteristics (ion velocity, electron pitch angles and the distance at which electrons are turned from the HCS are in agreement with the simulations of additional particle acceleration in a reconnecting HCS with a strong guiding field as measured by WIND. A few examples are also presented showing additional acceleration of solar-wind particles during their passage through current sheets formed in a front of ICMEs. This additional acceleration at the ICME current sheets can explain the anticorrelation of ion and electron fluxes frequently observed around the ICME's leading front. Furthermore, it may provide a plausible explanation of the appearance of bidirectional "strahls" (field-aligned most energetic

  14. An Efficient Approximation of the Coronal Heating Rate for use in Global Sun-Heliosphere Simulations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cranmer, Steven R.

    2010-02-01

    The origins of the hot solar corona and the supersonically expanding solar wind are still the subject of debate. A key obstacle in the way of producing realistic simulations of the Sun-heliosphere system is the lack of a physically motivated way of specifying the coronal heating rate. Recent one-dimensional models have been found to reproduce many observed features of the solar wind by assuming the energy comes from Alfvén waves that are partially reflected, then dissipated by magnetohydrodynamic turbulence. However, the nonlocal physics of wave reflection has made it difficult to apply these processes to more sophisticated (three-dimensional) models. This paper presents a set of robust approximations to the solutions of the linear Alfvén wave reflection equations. A key ingredient of the turbulent heating rate is the ratio of inward-to-outward wave power, and the approximations developed here allow this to be written explicitly in terms of local plasma properties at any given location. The coronal heating also depends on the frequency spectrum of Alfvén waves in the open-field corona, which has not yet been measured directly. A model-based assumption is used here for the spectrum, but the results of future measurements can be incorporated easily. The resulting expression for the coronal heating rate is self-contained, computationally efficient, and applicable directly to global models of the corona and heliosphere. This paper tests and validates the approximations by comparing the results to exact solutions of the wave transport equations in several cases relevant to the fast and slow solar wind.

  15. A Tractable Estimate for the Dissipation Range Onset Wavenumber Throughout the Heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Engelbrecht, N. Eugene; Strauss, R. Du Toit

    2018-04-01

    The modulation of low-energy electrons in the heliosphere is extremely sensitive to the behavior of the dissipation range slab turbulence. The present study derives approximate expressions for the wavenumber at which the dissipation range on the slab turbulence power spectrum commences, by assuming that this onset occurs when dispersive waves propagating parallel to the background magnetic field gyroresonate with thermal plasma particles. This assumption yields results in reasonable agreement with existing spacecraft observations. These expressions are functions of the solar wind proton and electron temperatures, which are here modeled throughout the region where the solar wind is supersonic using a two-component turbulence transport model. The results so acquired are compared with extrapolations of existing models for the dissipation range onset wavenumber, and conclusions are drawn therefrom.

  16. A model for heliospheric flux-ropes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nieves-Chinchilla, T.; Linton, M.; Vourlidas, A.; Hidalgo, M. A. U.

    2017-12-01

    This work is presents an analytical flux-rope model, which explores different levels of complexity starting from a circular-cylindrical geometry. The framework of this series of models was established by Nieves-Chinchilla et al. 2016 with the circular-cylindrical analytical flux rope model. The model attempts to describe the magnetic flux rope topology with distorted cross-section as a possible consequence of the interaction with the solar wind. In this model, the flux rope is completely described in a non-orthogonal geometry. The Maxwell equations are solved using tensor calculus consistent with the geometry chosen, invariance along the axial direction, and with the assumption of no radial current density. The model is generalized in terms of the radial and azimuthal dependence of the poloidal current density component and axial current density component. The misalignment between current density and magnetic field is studied in detail for several example profiles of the axial and poloidal current density components. This theoretical analysis provides a map of the force distribution inside of the flux-rope. For reconstruction of the heliospheric flux-ropes, the circular-cylindrical reconstruction technique has been adapted to the new geometry and applied to in situ ICMEs with a flux-rope entrained and tested with cases with clear in situ signatures of distortion. The model adds a piece in the puzzle of the physical-analytical representation of these magnetic structures that should be evaluated with the ultimate goal of reconciling in-situ reconstructions with imaging 3D remote sensing CME reconstructions. Other effects such as axial curvature and/or expansion could be incorporated in the future to fully understand the magnetic structure.

  17. ION-SCALE TURBULENCE IN THE INNER HELIOSPHERE: RADIAL DEPENDENCE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Comisel, H.; Motschmann, U.; Büchner, J.; Narita, Y.; Nariyuki, Y. [University of Toyama, Faculty of Human Development, 3190, Gofuku, Toyama, 930-8555 (Japan)

    2015-10-20

    The evolution of the ion-scale plasma turbulence in the inner heliosphere is studied by associating the plasma parameters for hybrid-code turbulence simulations to the radial distance from the Sun via a Solar wind model based mapping procedure. Using a mapping based on a one-dimensional solar wind expansion model, the resulting ion-kinetic scale turbulence is related to the solar wind distance from the Sun. For this purpose the mapping is carried out for various values of ion beta that correspond to the heliocentric distance. It is shown that the relevant normal modes such as ion cyclotron and ion Bernstein modes will occur first at radial distances of about 0.2–0.3 AU, i.e., near the Mercury orbit. This finding can be used as a reference, a prediction to guide the in situ measurements to be performed by the upcoming Solar Orbiter and Solar Probe Plus missions. Furthermore, a radial dependence of the wave-vector anisotropy was obtained. For astrophysical objects this means that the spatial scales of filamentary structures in interstellar media or astrophysical jets can be predicted for photometric observations.

  18. Oscillations in the open solar magnetic flux with a period of 1.68 years: imprint on galactic cosmic rays and implications for heliospheric shielding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Rouillard

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available An understanding of how the heliosphere modulates galactic cosmic ray (GCR fluxes and spectra is important, not only for studies of their origin, acceleration and propagation in our galaxy, but also for predicting their effects (on technology and on the Earth's environment and organisms and for interpreting abundances of cosmogenic isotopes in meteorites and terrestrial reservoirs. In contrast to the early interplanetary measurements, there is growing evidence for a dominant role in GCR shielding of the total open magnetic flux, which emerges from the solar atmosphere and enters the heliosphere. In this paper, we relate a strong 1.68-year oscillation in GCR fluxes to a corresponding oscillation in the open solar magnetic flux and infer cosmic-ray propagation paths confirming the predictions of theories in which drift is important in modulating the cosmic ray flux. Key words. Interplanetary physics (Cosmic rays, Interplanetary magnetic fields

  19. On the Effects of Pickup Ion-driven Waves on the Diffusion Tensor of Low-energy Electrons in the Heliosphere

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Engelbrecht, N. Eugene, E-mail: n.eugene.engelbrecht@gmail.com [Center for Space Research, North-West University, Potchefstroom, 2522 (South Africa)

    2017-11-01

    The effects of Alfvén cyclotron waves generated due to the formation in the outer heliosphere of pickup ions on the transport coefficients of low-energy electrons is investigated here. To this end, parallel mean free path (MFP) expressions are derived from quasilinear theory, employing the damping model of dynamical turbulence. These are then used as inputs for existing expressions for the perpendicular MFP and turbulence-reduced drift coefficient. Using outputs generated by a two-component turbulence transport model, the resulting diffusion coefficients are compared with those derived using a more typically assumed turbulence spectral form, which neglects the effects of pickup ion-generated waves. It is found that the inclusion of pickup ion effects greatly leads to considerable reductions in the parallel and perpendicular MFPs of 1–10 MeV electrons beyond ∼10 au, which are argued to have significant consequences for studies of the transport of these particles.

  20. Properties of the Circumsolar Dust Distribution Determined from STEREO/SECCHI and Implications for PSP and SolO

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howard, R.; Stenborg, G.

    2017-12-01

    We have performed an analysis of the HI-1A instrument in the STEREO/SECCHI suite to determine the inclination and longitude of the ascending node of the plane of symmetry of the F-corona. The F-corona arises from sunlight scattered by the dust in orbit about the Sun. We find that the inclination and ascending node are not constant in the field of view of the HI-1A (4° to 24° elongation), but are functions of the elongation angle i.e. the distance to the Sun and are slightly different from the parameters determined from the Helios mission. These parameters are reflecting the gravitational influences of Jupiter, Venus and the Sun as well as Lorentz and Poynting-Robinson forces on the dust orbits. The center of symmetry is not the center of the Sun, but is offset by 0.5 Rsun from the center in the direction of the average position of Jupiter during the epoch studied: from 2007-2012. We also observe a slight difference in the inclination when it is north or south of the ecliptic. We suggest this may be due to remnant dust in the orbit of the Kreutz sun-grazing comets which occur at an average rate of one every 2-3 days. Finally, as the dust particles evaporate we expect to see the F-coronal brightness correspondingly decrease. The detectability of the decrease will depend on the amount of dust evaporating, but a 10% change in the density is easily detectable. If a dust free zone surrounding the Sun exists, it will affect the F-coronal intensities observed by PSP and SolO by an observable amount.

  1. Modeling observations of solar coronal mass ejections with heliospheric imagers verified with the Heliophysics System Observatory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Möstl, C; Isavnin, A; Boakes, P D; Kilpua, E K J; Davies, J A; Harrison, R A; Barnes, D; Krupar, V; Eastwood, J P; Good, S W; Forsyth, R J; Bothmer, V; Reiss, M A; Amerstorfer, T; Winslow, R M; Anderson, B J; Philpott, L C; Rodriguez, L; Rouillard, A P; Gallagher, P; Nieves-Chinchilla, T; Zhang, T L

    2017-07-01

    We present an advance toward accurately predicting the arrivals of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) at the terrestrial planets, including Earth. For the first time, we are able to assess a CME prediction model using data over two thirds of a solar cycle of observations with the Heliophysics System Observatory. We validate modeling results of 1337 CMEs observed with the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) heliospheric imagers (HI) (science data) from 8 years of observations by five in situ observing spacecraft. We use the self-similar expansion model for CME fronts assuming 60° longitudinal width, constant speed, and constant propagation direction. With these assumptions we find that 23%-35% of all CMEs that were predicted to hit a certain spacecraft lead to clear in situ signatures, so that for one correct prediction, two to three false alarms would have been issued. In addition, we find that the prediction accuracy does not degrade with the HI longitudinal separation from Earth. Predicted arrival times are on average within 2.6 ± 16.6 h difference of the in situ arrival time, similar to analytical and numerical modeling, and a true skill statistic of 0.21. We also discuss various factors that may improve the accuracy of space weather forecasting using wide-angle heliospheric imager observations. These results form a first-order approximated baseline of the prediction accuracy that is possible with HI and other methods used for data by an operational space weather mission at the Sun-Earth L5 point.

  2. Polar conic current sheets as sources and channels of energetic particles in the high-latitude heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khabarova, Olga; Malova, Helmi; Kislov, Roman; Zelenyi, Lev; Obridko, Vladimir; Kharshiladze, Alexander; Tokumaru, Munetoshi; Sokół, Justyna; Grzedzielski, Stan; Fujiki, Ken'ichi; Malandraki, Olga

    2017-04-01

    The existence of a large-scale magnetically separated conic region inside the polar coronal hole has been predicted by the Fisk-Parker hybrid heliospheric magnetic field model in the modification of Burger and co-workers (Burger et al., ApJ, 2008). Recently, long-lived conic (or cylindrical) current sheets (CCSs) have been found from Ulysses observations at high heliolatitudes (Khabarova et al., ApJ, 2017). The characteristic scale of these structures is several times lesser than the typical width of coronal holes, and the CCSs can be observed at 2-3 AU for several months. CCS crossings in 1994 and 2007 are characterized by sharp decreases in the solar wind speed and plasma beta typical for predicted profiles of CCSs. In 2007, a CCS was detected directly over the South Pole and strongly highlighted by the interaction with comet McNaught. The finding is confirmed by restorations of solar coronal magnetic field lines that reveal the occurrence of conic-like magnetic separators over the solar poles both in 1994 and 2007. Interplanetary scintillation data analysis also confirms the existence of long-lived low-speed regions surrounded by the typical polar high-speed solar wind in solar minima. The occurrence of long-lived CCSs in the high-latitude solar wind could shed light on how energetic particles reach high latitudes. Energetic particle enhancements up to tens MeV were observed by Ulysses at edges of CCSs both in 1994 and 2007. In 1994 this effect was clearer, probably due to technical reasons. Accelerated particles could be produced either by magnetic reconnection at the edges of a CCS in the solar corona or in the solar wind. We discuss the role of high-latitude CCSs in propagation of energetic particles in the heliosphere and revisit previous studies of energetic particle enhancements at high heliolatitudes. We also suggest that the existence of a CCS can modify the distribution of the solar wind as a function of heliolatitude and consequently impact ionization

  3. Enhance field water-color measurements with a Secchi disk and its implication for fusion of active and passive ocean-color remote sensing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Zhongping; Shang, Shaoling; Du, Keping; Liu, Bingyi; Lin, Gong; Wei, Jianwei; Li, Xiaolong

    2018-05-01

    Inversion of the total absorption (a) and backscattering coefficients of bulk water through a fusion of remote sensing reflectance (R rs ) and Secchi disk depth (Z SD ) is developed. An application of such a system to a synthesized wide-range dataset shows a reduction of ∼3 folds in the uncertainties of inverted a(λ) (in a range of ∼0.01-6.8  m -1 ) from R rs (λ) for the 350-560 nm range. Such a fusion is further proposed to process concurrent active (ocean LiDAR) and passive (ocean-color) measurements, which can lead to nearly "exact" analytical inversion of an R rs spectrum. With such a fusion, it is found that the uncertainty in the inverted total a in the 350-560 nm range could be reduced to ∼2% for the synthesized data, which can thus significantly improve the derivation of a coefficients of other varying components. Although the inclusion of Z SD places an extra constraint in the inversion of R rs , no apparent improvement over the quasi-analytical algorithm (QAA) was found when the fusion of Z SD and R rs was applied to a field dataset, which calls for more accurate determination of the absorption coefficients from water samples.

  4. On the shape and properties of the global heliosphere over the Solar Cycle with Voyager/LECP ions and Cassini/INCA ENAs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dialynas, Konstantinos; Krimigis, Stamatios; Mitchell, Donald; Decker, Robert; Roelof, Edmond

    2017-04-01

    Voyager 1 (V1) and Voyager 2 (V2) have crossed the termination shock in 2004 (V1) and 2007(V2) and traversing the Heliosheath (HS) in the upstream (nose) hemisphere, while the Ion and Neutral Camera (INCA) on Cassini enables Energetic Neutral Atom (ENA) images of the celestial sphere that place the local ion measurements by each Voyager in a global context. We present an analysis of 5.2-55 keV ENA global images of the HS and 28-53 keV in-situ ions over an 11-year period (2003-2014) that corresponds to the declining phase of solar cycle 23 (SC23) and onset of SC24. The measurements reveal a coherent decrease and recovery between ENA in the global heliosphere and in-situ ions at V1/V2 during this time period, in overlapping energy bands, establishing that the HS ions are the source of >28 keV ENA. The similarity in the overall appearance of the images throughout the INCA energy range (5.2-55 keV), reveals that the source of ENAs at 5.2 keV ENA and ion variations with the Solar Sunspot Numbers (SSN) and solar wind parameters indicates that the Heliosphere responds promptly, within 2-3 years, to outward propagating solar wind changes in both the nose and anti-nose (tail) directions following the Solar Cycle (SC) phases. A detailed latitudinal examination of the global ENA emissions, verifies that the peak intensities between the nose and anti-nose directions are nearly similar, the power law ENA spectral index (γ) is largely the same near the equator in both the nose and anti-nose directions and displays similar spatial dependence with latitude. The totality of the ENA and in situ ion observations, together with the V1 measurement of a 0.5 nT interstellar magnetic field (ISMF) and recent modeling, suggest a "bubble-shape" heliosphere, i.e with little substantial tail-like feature. These observations are essential in determining the context for the measurements anticipated by the forthcoming IMAP mission.

  5. Simulating multi-spacecraft Heliospheric Imager observations for tomographic reconstruction of interplanetary CMEs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnes, D.

    2017-12-01

    The multiple, spatially separated vantage points afforded by the STEREO and SOHO missions provide physicists with a means to infer the three-dimensional structure of the solar corona via tomographic imaging. The reconstruction process combines these multiple projections of the optically thin plasma to constrain its three-dimensional density structure and has been successfully applied to the low corona using the STEREO and SOHO coronagraphs. However, the technique is also possible at larger, inter-planetary distances using wide-angle imagers, such as the STEREO Heliospheric Imagers (HIs), to observe faint solar wind plasma and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). Limited small-scale structure may be inferred from only three, or fewer, viewpoints and the work presented here is done so with the aim of establishing techniques for observing CMEs with upcoming and future HI-like technology. We use simulated solar wind densities to compute realistic white-light HI observations, with which we explore the requirements of such instruments for determining solar wind plasma density structure via tomography. We exploit this information to investigate the optimal orbital characteristics, such as spacecraft number, separation, inclination and eccentricity, necessary to perform the technique with HIs. Further to this we argue that tomography may be greatly enhanced by means of improved instrumentation; specifically, the use of wide-angle imagers capable of measuring polarised light. This work has obvious space weather applications, serving as a demonstration for potential future missions (such as at L1 and L5) and will prove timely in fully exploiting the science return from the upcoming Solar Orbiter and Parker Solar Probe missions.

  6. THE PRODUCTION OF LOW-ENERGY NEUTRONS IN SOLAR FLARES AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THEIR DETECTION IN THE INNER HELIOSPHERE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Murphy, R. J.; Kozlovsky, B.; Share, G. H.

    2012-01-01

    Neutron detectors on spacecraft in the inner heliosphere can observe the low-energy ( ion –1 ) most important for producing low-energy neutrons from these reactions. We calculate escaping-neutron spectra and neutron-capture line yields from ions propagating in a magnetic loop with various kinetic-energy spectra. This study provides the basis for planning inner-heliospheric missions having a low-energy neutron detector. The MESSENGER spacecraft orbiting Mercury has such a detector. We conclude that a full understanding of ion acceleration, transport, and interaction at the Sun requires observation of both neutrons and gamma rays with detectors of comparable sensitivity. We find that the neutron-capture line fluence at 1 AU is comparable to the 1-10 MeV neutron fluence at 0.5 AU, and therefore as effective for revealing low-energy ion acceleration. However, as the distance from the Sun to the neutron detector decreases, the tremendous increase of the low-energy neutron flux allows exploration of ion acceleration in weak flares not previously observable and may reveal acceleration at other sites not previously detected where low-energy neutrons could be the only high-energy signature of ion acceleration. Also, a measurement of the low-energy neutron spectrum will provide important information about the accelerated-ion spectrum that is not available from the capture line fluence measurement alone.

  7. TRACKING THE SOLAR CYCLE THROUGH IBEX OBSERVATIONS OF ENERGETIC NEUTRAL ATOM FLUX VARIATIONS AT THE HELIOSPHERIC POLES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reisenfeld, D. B.; Janzen, P. H. [University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812 (United States); Bzowski, M., E-mail: dan.reisenfeld@umontana.edu, E-mail: paul.janzen@umontana.edu, E-mail: bzowski@cbk.waw.pl [Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences, (CBK PAN), Bartycka 18A, 00-716, Warsaw (Poland); and others

    2016-12-20

    With seven years of Interstellar Boundary Explorer ( IBEX ) observations, from 2009 to 2015, we can now trace the time evolution of heliospheric energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) through over half a solar cycle. At the north and south ecliptic poles, the spacecraft attitude allows for continuous coverage of the ENA flux; thus, signal from these regions has much higher statistical accuracy and time resolution than anywhere else in the sky. By comparing the solar wind dynamic pressure measured at 1 au with the heliosheath plasma pressure derived from the observed ENA fluxes, we show that the heliosheath pressure measured at the poles correlates well with the solar cycle. The analysis requires time-shifting the ENA measurements to account for the travel time out and back from the heliosheath, which allows us to estimate the scale size of the heliosphere in the polar directions. We arrive at an estimated distance to the center of the ENA source region in the north of 220 au and in the south a distance of 190 au. We also find a good correlation between the solar cycle and the ENA energy spectra at the poles. In particular, the ENA flux for the highest IBEX energy channel (4.3 keV) is quite closely correlated with the areas of the polar coronal holes, in both the north and south, consistent with the notion that polar ENAs at this energy originate from pickup ions of the very high speed wind (∼700 km s{sup −1}) that emanates from polar coronal holes.

  8. Heliospheric Modulation of Galactic Cosmic Rays; Diurnal Variability Abstract Details

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalu, D. F.; Okpala, K. C.

    2017-12-01

    We have studied the variability of Cosmic rays flux during solar quiet days at mid and high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. By using the five (5) quietest days for each month and the five disturbed days for each month, the monthly mean diurnal variation of cosmic ray anisotropy have been derived for the period 1999-2015, which covers part of cycles 23, and cycle 24. This study seeks to understand the heliospheric contribution to the variation of these Cosmic rays on quietest days, three stations (Inuvik, Moscow, Rome) Neutron Monitors were employed. This study seeks to understand the important features of the high latitude and mid latitude diurnal wave, and how solar and geomagnetic activity may be influencing the wave characteristics. Cosmic ray wave characteristics were obtained by discrete Fourier transform (DFT). The mean, diurnal amplitude, phase and dispersion for each month's diurnal wave were calculated and profiled. There was clear indication that the terrestrial effect on the variability of the monthly mean was more associated with geomagnetic activity rather than rigidity of the cosmic rays. Correlation of the time series of these wave characteristic with solar and geomagnetic activity index showed better association with solar activity.

  9. Global Fluxon Modeling of the Solar Corona and Inner Heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamb, D. A.; DeForest, C. E.

    2017-12-01

    The fluxon approach to MHD modeling enables simulations of low-beta plasmas in the absence of undesirable numerical effects such as diffusion and magnetic reconnection. The magnetic field can be modeled as a collection of discrete field lines ("fluxons") containing a set amount of magnetic flux in a prescribed field topology. Due to the fluxon model's pseudo-Lagrangian grid, simulations can be completed in a fraction of the time of traditional grid-based simulations, enabling near-real-time simulations of the global magnetic field structure and its influence on solar wind properties. Using SDO/HMI synoptic magnetograms as lower magnetic boundary conditions, and a separate one-dimensional fluid flow model attached to each fluxon, we compare the resulting fluxon relaxations with other commonly-used global models (such as PFSS), and with white-light images of the corona (including the August 2017 total solar eclipse). Finally, we show the computed magnetic field expansion ratio, and the modeled solar wind speed near the coronal-heliospheric transition. Development of the fluxon MHD model FLUX (the Field Line Universal relaXer), has been funded by NASA's Living with a Star program and by Southwest Research Institute.

  10. Solar prominences

    CERN Document Server

    Engvold, Oddbjørn

    2015-01-01

    This volume presents the latest research results on solar prominences, including new developments on e.g. chirality, fine structure, magnetism, diagnostic tools and relevant solar plasma physics. In 1875 solar prominences, as seen out of the solar limb, were described by P.A. Secchi in his book Le Soleil as "gigantic pink or peach-flower coloured flames". The development of spectroscopy, coronagraphy and polarimetry brought tremendous observational advances in the twentieth century. The authors present and discuss exciting new challenges (resulting from observations made by space and ground-based telescopes in the 1990s and the first decade of the 21st century) concerning the diagnostics of prominences, their formation, their life time and their eruption along with their impact in the heliosphere (including the Earth). The book starts with a general introduction of the prominence “object” with some historical background on observations and instrumentation. In the next chapter, the various forms of promine...

  11. Effects of Turbulent Magnetic Fields on the Transport and Acceleration of Energetic Charged Particles: Numerical Simulations with Application to Heliospheric Physics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Fan

    2012-11-01

    Turbulent magnetic fields are ubiquitous in space physics and astrophysics. The influence of magnetic turbulence on the motions of charged particles contains the essential physics of the transport and acceleration of energetic charged particles in the heliosphere, which is to be explored in this thesis. After a brief introduction on the energetic charged particles and magnetic fields in the heliosphere, the rest of this dissertation focuses on three specific topics: 1. the transport of energetic charged particles in the inner heliosphere, 2. the acceleration of ions at collisionless shocks, and 3. the acceleration of electrons at collisionless shocks. We utilize various numerical techniques to study these topics. In Chapter 2 we study the propagation of charged particles in turbulent magnetic fields similar to the propagation of solar energetic particles in the inner heliosphere. The trajectories of energetic charged particles in the turbulent magnetic field are numerically integrated. The turbulence model includes a Kolmogorov-like magnetic field power spectrum containing a broad range of scales from those that lead to large-scale field-line random walk to small scales leading to resonant pitch-angle scattering of energetic particles. We show that small-scale variations in particle intensities (the so-called "dropouts") and velocity dispersions observed by spacecraft can be reproduced using this method. Our study gives a new constraint on the error of "onset analysis", which is a technique commonly used to infer information about the initial release of energetic particles. We also find that the dropouts are rarely produced in the simulations using the so-called "two-component" magnetic turbulence model (Matthaeus et al., 1990). The result questions the validity of this model in studying particle transport. In the first part of Chapter 3 we study the acceleration of ions in the existence of turbulent magnetic fields. We use 3-D self-consistent hybrid simulations

  12. PREDICTION OF GEOMAGNETIC STORM STRENGTH FROM INNER HELIOSPHERIC IN SITU OBSERVATIONS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kubicka, M.; Möstl, C.; Amerstorfer, T.; Boakes, P. D.; Törmänen, O. [Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, 8042 Graz (Austria); Feng, L. [Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, West Beijing Road 2 Nanjing, 210008 (China); Eastwood, J. P., E-mail: christian.moestl@oeaw.ac.at [Space and Atmospheric Physics, The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom)

    2016-12-20

    Prediction of the effects of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) on Earth strongly depends on knowledge of the interplanetary magnetic field southward component, B{sub z}. Predicting the strength and duration of B{sub z} inside a CME with sufficient accuracy is currently impossible, forming the so-called B{sub z} problem. Here, we provide a proof-of-concept of a new method for predicting the CME arrival time, speed, B{sub z}, and resulting disturbance storm time ( Dst ) index on Earth based only on magnetic field data, measured in situ in the inner heliosphere (<1 au). On 2012 June 12–16, three approximately Earthward-directed and interacting CMEs were observed by the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory imagers and Venus Express (VEX) in situ at 0.72 au, 6° away from the Sun–Earth line. The CME kinematics are calculated using the drag-based and WSA–Enlil models, constrained by the arrival time at VEX , resulting in the CME arrival time and speed on Earth. The CME magnetic field strength is scaled with a power law from VEX to Wind . Our investigation shows promising results for the Dst forecast (predicted: −96 and −114 nT (from 2 Dst models); observed: −71 nT), for the arrival speed (predicted: 531 ± 23 km s{sup −1}; observed: 488 ± 30 km s{sup −1}), and for the timing (6 ± 1 hr after the actual arrival time). The prediction lead time is 21 hr. The method may be applied to vector magnetic field data from a spacecraft at an artificial Lagrange point between the Sun and Earth or to data taken by any spacecraft temporarily crossing the Sun–Earth line.

  13. Particle acceleration at corotating interaction regions in the three-dimensional heliosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Desai, M.I.; Marsden, R.G.; Sanderson, T.R.; Balogh, A.; Forsyth, R.J.; Gosling, J.T.

    1998-01-01

    We have investigated the relationship between the energetic (∼1MeV) proton intensity (J) and the magnetic compression ratio (C) measured at the trailing edges of corotating interaction regions observed at Ulysses. In general, our results show that the proton intensity was well correlated with the compression ratio, provided that the seed intensity remained constant, consistent with predictions of the Fermi model. Specifically, our results indicate that particles were accelerated to above ∼1MeV in energy at or near the trailing edges of the compression regions observed in the midlatitude southern heliosphere, irrespective of whether the bounding reverse shocks were present or not. On the basis of this, we conclude that shock acceleration is probably not the only mechanism by which particles are accelerated to above ∼1MeV in energy at compression or interaction regions (CIRs). On the basis of magnetic field measurements obtained near the trailing edges of several midlatitude CIRs, we propose that particles could have been accelerated via the Fermi mechanism by being scattered back and forth across the trailing edges of the compression regions by large-amplitude Alfvacute en waves. Our results also show that the proton intensity was well correlated with the compression ratio during low solar activity periods but was essentially independent of C during periods of high solar activity. We suggest that the correlation between J and C was not observed during solar active periods because of significant variations in the seed intensity that result from sporadic contributions from transient solar events. In contrast, the correlation was observable during quiescent periods probably because contributions from transients had decreased dramatically, which allowed the CIRs to accelerate particles out of a seed population whose intensity remained relatively unperturbed. copyright 1998 American Geophysical Union

  14. Magnetic clouds seen at different locations in the heliosphere

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. Rodriguez

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available We analyze two magnetic clouds (MCs observed in different points of the heliosphere. The main aim of the present study is to provide a link between the different aspects of this phenomenon, starting with information on the origins of the MCs at the Sun and following by the analysis of in-situ observations at 1 AU and at Ulysses. The candidate source regions were identified in SOHO/EIT and SOHO/MDI observations. They were correlated with H-α images that were obtained from ground-based observatories. Hints on the internal magnetic field configuration of the associated coronal mass ejections are obtained from LASCO C2 images. In interplanetary space, magnetic and plasma moments of the distribution function of plasma species (ACE/Ulysses were analyzed together with information on the plasma composition, and the results were compared between both spacecraft in order to understand how these structures interact and evolve in their cruise from the Sun to 5 AU. Additionally, estimates of global magnitudes of magnetic fluxes and helicity were obtained from magnetic field models applied to the data in interplanetary space. We have found that these magnetic characteristics were well kept from their solar source, up to 5 AU where Ulysses provided valuable information which, together with that obtained from ACE, can help to reinforce the correct matching of solar events and their interplanetary counterparts.

  15. THE ROLL-OVER OF HELIOSPHERIC NEUTRAL HYDROGEN BELOW 100 eV: OBSERVATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Galli, A.; Wurz, P. [Physics Institute, University of Bern, Bern, 3012 (Switzerland); Schwadron, N. A.; Kucharek, H.; Möbius, E. [University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824 (United States); Bzowski, M.; Sokół, J. M.; Kubiak, M. A. [Space Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, 00-716 (Poland); Funsten, H. O. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Intelligence and Space Research Division, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Fuselier, S. A.; McComas, D. J. [Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78228 (United States)

    2016-04-20

    We present an improved analysis of the energy spectrum of energetic neutral hydrogen from the heliosheath observed with the IBEX -Lo sensor on the Interstellar Boundary EXplorer from the years 2009 to 2012. This analysis allows us to study the lowest energies between 10 and 100 eV although various background sources are more intense than the targeted signal over broad areas of the sky. The results improve our knowledge of the interaction region between our heliosphere and the interstellar plasma because these neutral atoms are direct messengers from the low-energy plasma in the heliosheath. We find a roll-over of the energy spectrum below 100 eV, which has major implications for the pressure balance of the plasma in the inner heliosheath. The results can also be compared directly with in situ observations of the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft.

  16. Solar journey: The significance of our galactic environment for the heliosphere and earth

    CERN Document Server

    Frisch, Priscilla C

    2006-01-01

    Humans evolved when the Sun was in the great void of the Local Bubble. The Sun entered the present environment of interstellar clouds only during the late Quaternary. Astronomical data reveal these long and short term changes in our galactic environment. Theoretical models then tell us how these changes affect interplanetary particles, planetary magnetospheres, and the Earth itself. Cosmic rays leave an isotopic signature in the paleoclimate record that helps trace the solar journey through space. "Solar Journey: The Significance of Our Galactic Environment for the Heliosphere and Earth" lays the foundation for an interdisciplinary study of the influence of interstellar material on the solar system and Earth as we travel through the Milky Way Galaxy. The solar wind bubble responds dynamically to interstellar material flowing past the Sun, regulating interstellar gas, dust, and cosmic particle fluxes in the interplanetary medium and the Earth. Cones of interstellar gas and dust focused by solar gravity, the ma...

  17. Flow downstream of the heliospheric terminal shock: Magnetic field line topology and solar cycle imprint

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nerney, Steven; Suess, S. T.; Schmahl, E. J.

    1995-01-01

    The topology of the magnetic field in the heliosheath is illustrated using plots of the field lines. It is shown that the Archimedean spiral inside the terminal shock is rotated back in the heliosheath into nested spirals that are advected in the direction of the interstellar wind. The 22-year solar magnetic cycle is imprinted onto these field lines in the form of unipolar magnetic envelopes surrounded by volumes of strongly mixed polarity. Each envelope is defined by the changing tilt of the heliospheric current sheet, which is in turn defined by the boundary of unipolar high-latitude regions on the Sun that shrink to the pole at solar maximum and expand to the equator at solar minimum. The detailed shape of the envelopes is regulated by the solar wind velocity structure in the heliosheath.

  18. Neutron-decay Protons from Solar Flares as Seed Particles for CME-shock Acceleration in the Inner Heliosphere

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Murphy, Ronald J. [Code 7650, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 (United States); Ko, Yuan-Kuen, E-mail: ronald.murphy@nrl.navy.mil, E-mail: yuan-kuen.ko@nrl.navy.mil [Code 7680, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 (United States)

    2017-09-01

    The protons in large solar energetic particle events are accelerated in the inner heliosphere by fast shocks produced by coronal mass ejections. Unless there are other sources, the protons these shocks act upon would be those of the solar wind (SW). The efficiency of the acceleration depends on the kinetic energy of the protons. For a 2000 km s{sup −1} shock, the most effective proton energies would be 30–100 keV; i.e., within the suprathermal tail component of the SW. We investigate one possible additional source of such protons: those resulting from the decay of solar-flare-produced neutrons that escape from the Sun into the low corona. The neutrons are produced by interactions of flare-accelerated ions with the solar atmosphere. We discuss the production of low-energy neutrons in flares and their decay on a interplanetary magnetic field line near the Sun. We find that even when the flaring conditions are optimal, the 30–100 keV neutron-decay proton density produced by even a very large solar flare would be only about 10% of that of the 30–100 keV SW suprathermal tail. We discuss the implication of a seed-particle source of more frequent, small flares.

  19. MODULATION OF GALACTIC ELECTRONS IN THE HELIOSPHERE DURING THE UNUSUAL SOLAR MINIMUM OF 2006–2009: A MODELING APPROACH

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Potgieter, M. S.; Vos, E. E.; Munini, R.; Boezio, M.; Felice, V. Di

    2015-01-01

    The last solar minimum activity period, and the consequent minimum modulation conditions for cosmic rays, was unusual. The highest levels of Galactic protons were recorded at Earth in late 2009 in contrast to expectations. A comprehensive model was used to study the proton modulation for the period from 2006 to 2009 in order to determine what basic processes were responsible for solar modulation during this period and why it differs from proton modulation during previous solar minimum modulation periods. This established model is now applied to studying the solar modulation of electron spectra as observed for 80 MeV–30 GeV by the PAMELA space detector from mid-2006 to the end of 2009. Over this period the heliospheric magnetic field had decreased significantly until the end of 2009 while the waviness of the heliospheric current sheet decreased moderately and the observed electron spectra increased by a factor of ∼1.5 at 1.0 GeV to ∼3.5 at 100 MeV. In order to reproduce the modulation evident from seven consecutive semesters, the diffusion coefficients had to increase moderately while maintaining the basic rigidity dependence. It is confirmed that the main diffusion coefficients are independent of rigidity below ∼0.5 GV, while the drift coefficient had to be reduced below this value. The 2006–2009 solar minimum epoch indeed was different than previously observed minima, at least since the beginning of the space exploration era. This period could be called “diffusion-dominated” as was also found for the modulation of protons

  20. Grant Proposal for the Continuation of the Voyager Interstellar Mission: LECP Investigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krimigis, Stamatios M.; Armstrong, Thomas P.; Lanzerotti, Louis J.; Ip, Wing-H.; Decker, Robert B.; Keath, Edwin P.; Mauk, Barry H.; McNutt, Ralph L., Jr.; Gloeckler, George; Hamilton, Douglas C.

    1996-01-01

    This proposal documents the plans of the Low Energy Charged Particle (LECP) investigation team for participation in NASA's Voyager Interstellar Mission (VIM) as the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft explore the outer reaches of the heliosphere and search for the termination shock and the heliopause. The proposal covers the four year period from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2000. The LECP instruments on Voyager 1 and 2 measure in situ intensities of charged particles with energies from about 30 keV to 100 MeV for ions, and about 20 keV to greater than 10 MeV for electrons. The instruments provide detailed spectral, angular, and compositional information about the particles. Composition is available for greater than 200 keV/nuc using multi-parameter measurements. Angular information is obtained by a mechanically scanned platform that rotates at various commanded rates. Measurements of low energy ion and electron intensities versus time and spatial location within the heliosphere contain an abundance of information regarding various transport and acceleration processes on both local (approx. 1 hr, approx. 0.01 AU) and global (approx. 11 yrs, approx. 100 AU) scales. The LECP instruments provide unique observations of such dynamical processes, and we anticipate that it will return critical information regarding the boundaries of the heliosphere. Several recent and exciting discoveries based on LECP measurements emphasize the important role that low energy charged particle distributions play in physical processes in the interplanetary medium. Yet, at the same time, these discoveries also underscore the fact that our understanding of processes in the outer heliosphere is, in most cases, incomplete, and in others, only rudimentary at best. Among the discoveries referred to above are the following: (1) Shocks: Examination of greater than 30 keV ion intensities have revealed: (a) a total absence of acceleration beyond only -100-200 keV at a strong transient shock in May 1991 at 35

  1. A Heliospheric Weather Expert Service Centre for ESA's Space Situational Awareness Space Weather Activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnes, D.; Perry, C. H.

    2017-12-01

    The Heliospheric Weather Expert Service Centre (H-ESC) is one of five thematic virtual centres that are currently being developed as part of ESA's Space Situational Awareness pre-operational Space Weather service. In this presentation we introduce the current products and service that the H-ESC is providing. The immediate and downstream user groups that the centre is aiming to support are discussed. A description is provided on how the H-ESC is largely built on adoption and tailoring of federated products from expert groups around Europe and how these can be used to add value to the overall system. Having only recently been established the H-ESC is continuing to address gaps in its capabilities. Some of the priorities for products, their assessment, validation and integration into the system are discussed together with plans for bespoke development activities tailored to specific end-user group needs.

  2. Plasma surrounding the global heliosphere at large distances controlled by the solar cycle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dialynas, Konstantinos; Krimigis, Stamatios; Mitchell, Donald; Decker, Robert; Roelof, Edmond

    2016-04-01

    The past decade can be characterized by a series of key, groundbreaking remote energetic neutral atom (ENA) images (INCA, IBEX) and in-situ ion (Voyager 1 & 2) observations concerning the characteristics and interactions of the heliosphere with the Local Interstellar Medium (LISM). Voyagers 1 and 2 (V1, V2) discovered the reservoir of ions and electrons that constitute the heliosheath (HS) after crossing the termination shock (TS) 35deg north and 32deg south of the ecliptic plane at 94 and 84 astronomical units (1 AU= 1.5 x108 km), respectively. The in situ measurements by each Voyager were placed in a global context by remote sensing images using ENA obtained with the Ion and Neutral Camera (INCA) onboard Cassini orbiting Saturn. The ENA images contain a 5.2-55 keV hydrogen (H) ENA region (Belt) that loops through the celestial sphere and contributes to balancing the pressure of the interstellar magnetic field (ISMF). The success of any future mission with dedicated ENA detectors (e.g. the IMAP mission), highly depends on the antecedent understanding of the details of the plasma processes in the Heliosphere as revealed by remote sensing of the plasma environment characteristics. Therefore, we address here one of the remaining and most important questions: "Where do the 5-55 keV ENAs that INCA measures come from?". We analyzed INCA all-sky maps from 2003 to 2015 and compare the solar cycle (SC) variation of the ENAs in both the nose (upstream) and anti-nose (downstream) directions with the intensities of > 30 keV ions (source of ENA through charge exchange-CE with H) measured in-situ by V1 and V2, in overlapping energy bands ~30-55 keV. ENA intensities decrease during the declining phase of SC23 by ~x3 from 2003 to 2011 but recover through 2014 (SC24); similarly, V1 and V2 ion intensities also decrease and then recover through 2014. The similarity of time profiles of remotely sensed ENA and locally measured ions are consistent with (a) ENA originating in the HS

  3. COMPARING CORONAL AND HELIOSPHERIC MAGNETIC FIELDS OVER SEVERAL SOLAR CYCLES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Koskela, J. S.; Virtanen, I. I.; Mursula, K., E-mail: jennimari.koskela@oulu.fi [University of Oulu, P.O. Box 3000, FI-90014 Oulu (Finland)

    2017-01-20

    Here we use the PFSS model and photospheric data from Wilcox Solar Observatory, SOHO /MDI, SDO/HMI, and SOLIS to compare the coronal field with heliospheric magnetic field measured at 1 au, compiled in the NASA/NSSDC OMNI 2 data set. We calculate their mutual polarity match and the power of the radial decay, p , of the radial field using different source surface distances and different number of harmonic multipoles. We find the average polarity match of 82% for the declining phase, 78%–79% for maxima, 76%–78% for the ascending phase, and 74%–76% for minima. On an average, the source surface of 3.25 R{sub S} gives the best polarity match. We also find strong evidence for solar cycle variation of the optimal source surface distance, with highest values (3.3 R{sub S}) during solar minima and lowest values (2.6 R{sub S}–2.7 R{sub S}) during the other three solar cycle phases. Raising the number of harmonic terms beyond 2 rarely improves the polarity match, showing that the structure of the HMF at 1 au is most of the time rather simple. All four data sets yield fairly similar polarity matches. Thus, polarity comparison is not affected by photospheric field scaling, unlike comparisons of the field intensity.

  4. Small-scale gradients of charged particles in the heliospheric magnetic field

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo, Fan; Giacalone, Joe

    2014-01-01

    Using numerical simulations of charged-particles propagating in the heliospheric magnetic field, we study small-scale gradients, or 'dropouts,' in the intensity of solar energetic particles seen at 1 AU. We use two turbulence models, the foot-point random motion model and the two-component model, to generate fluctuating magnetic fields similar to spacecraft observations at 1 AU. The turbulence models include a Kolmogorov-like magnetic field power spectrum containing a broad range of spatial scales from those that lead to large-scale field-line random walk to small scales leading to resonant pitch-angle scattering of energetic particles. We release energetic protons (20 keV-10 MeV) from a spatially compact and instantaneous source. The trajectories of energetic charged particles in turbulent magnetic fields are numerically integrated. Spacecraft observations are mimicked by collecting particles in small windows when they pass the windows at a distance of 1 AU. We show that small-scale gradients in the intensity of energetic particles and velocity dispersions observed by spacecraft can be reproduced using the foot-point random motion model. However, no dropouts are seen in simulations using the two-component magnetic turbulence model. We also show that particle scattering in the solar wind magnetic field needs to be infrequent for intensity dropouts to form.

  5. Lake transparency: a window into decadal variations in dissolved organic carbon concentrations in Lakes of Acadia National Park, Maine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roesler, Collin S.; Culbertson, Charles W.

    2016-01-01

    A forty year time series of Secchi depth observations from approximately 25 lakes in Acadia National Park, Maine, USA, evidences large variations in transparency between lakes but relatively little seasonal cycle within lakes. However, there are coherent patterns over the time series, suggesting large scale processes are responsible. It has been suggested that variations in colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) are primarily responsible for the variations in transparency, both between lakes and over time and further that CDOM is a robust optical proxy for dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Here we present a forward model of Secchi depth as a function of DOC based upon first principles and bio-optical relationships. Inverting the model to estimate DOC concentration from Secchi depth observations compared well with the measured DOC concentrations collected since 1995 (RMS error < 1.3 mg C l-1). This inverse model allows the time series of DOC to be extended back to the mid 1970s when only Secchi depth observations were collected, and thus provides a means for investigating lake response to climate forcing, changing atmospheric chemistry and watershed characteristics, including land cover and land use.

  6. Prospective Out-of-ecliptic White-light Imaging of Coronal Mass Ejections Traveling through the Corona and Heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiong, Ming; Davies, Jackie A.; Harrison, Richard A.; Zhou, Yufen; Feng, Xueshang; Xia, Lidong; Li, Bo; Liu, Ying D.; Hayashi, Keiji; Li, Huichao; Yang, Liping

    2018-01-01

    The in-flight performance of the Coriolis/SMEI and STEREO/HI instruments substantiates the high-technology readiness level of white-light (WL) imaging of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in the inner heliosphere. The WL intensity of a propagating CME is jointly determined by its evolving mass distribution and the fixed Thomson-scattering geometry. From their in-ecliptic viewpoints, SMEI and HI, the only heliospheric imagers that have been flown to date, integrate the longitudinal dimension of CMEs. In this paper, using forward magnetohydrodynamic modeling, we synthesize the WL radiance pattern of a typical halo CME viewed from an out-of-ecliptic (OOE) vantage point. The major anatomical elements of the CME identified in WL imagery are a leading sheath and a trailing ejecta; the ejecta-driven sheath is the brightest feature of the CME. The sheath, a three-dimensional (3D) dome-like density structure, occupies a wide angular extent ahead of the ejecta itself. The 2D radiance pattern of the sheath depends critically on viewpoint. For a CME modeled under solar minimum conditions, the WL radiance pattern of the sheath is generally a quasi-straight band when viewed from an in-ecliptic viewpoint and a semicircular arc from an OOE viewpoint. The dependence of the radiance pattern of the ejecta-driven sheath on viewpoint is attributed to the bimodal nature of the 3D background solar wind flow. Our forward-modeling results suggest that OOE imaging in WL radiance can enable (1) a near-ecliptic CME to be continuously tracked from its coronal initiation, (2) the longitudinal span of the CME to be readily charted, and (3) the transporting speed of the CME to be reliably determined. Additional WL polarization measurements can significantly limit the ambiguity of localizing CMEs. We assert that a panoramic OOE view in WL would be highly beneficial in revealing CME morphology and kinematics in the hitherto-unresolved longitudinal dimension and hence for monitoring the propagation and

  7. Spectral evolution of energetic neutral atom emissions at the heliospheric poles as measured by IBEX during its first three years

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dayeh, M. A.; Allegrini, F.; Desai, M. I.; Ebert, R. W.; Fuselier, S. A.; Livadiotis, G.; McComas, D. J.; Schwadron, N. A. [Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78228 (United States); DeMajistre, R. [Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723 (United States); Janzen, P.; Reisenfeld, D. [University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812 (United States); Siewert, M., E-mail: maldayeh@swri.edu [Institut für Astronomie der Universität Bonn, Abteilung f. Astrophysik und Extraterrestrische Forschung, Auf dem Hügel 71, D-53121 Bonn (Germany)

    2014-12-10

    The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission continues to measure energetic neutral atom (ENA) emissions produced by charge exchange between solar wind (SW) protons and interstellar neutrals at the edge of our heliosphere. Using the first 3 yr of IBEX-Hi ENA measurements (2009-2011), we examined the spectral evolution of ∼0.5-6 keV ENAs at the polar regions (above 60°). We found the following: (1) pixels with a characteristic 'ankle' spectra (lower spectral index at higher energies) increase by ∼5% in 2010 and ∼10% in 2011 compared to 2009. (2) The averaged spectral index in 2011 is smaller than that of 2009. (3) The slope of the ENA spectrum above ∼1.7 keV is more variable than the slope below ∼1.7 keV. The lower spectral index at higher energies of the spectrum does not appear to be caused by an increase of the ENA production at these energies, but rather from a consistent decrease at lower energies. (4) The decrease in polar ENA fluxes does not correlate significantly with the averaged SW dynamic pressure, back-traced in time to 1 AU along the flow streamlines (originating between 10° and 30° for slow SW, and 60° and 80° for fast SW), assuming these are the respective conditions of ENA progenitors back in time. These results provide insights into the complexity of relating the slow and fast SW contributions to polar ENAs and shed light on how the solar output and the resulting change in the global heliospheric structure possibly affect the heliosheath (HS) populations.

  8. Cluster and SOHO - a joint endeavor by ESA and NASA to address problems in solar, heliospheric, and space plasma physics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schmidt, R.; Domingo, V.; Shawhan, S.D.; Bohlin, D.

    1988-01-01

    The NASA/ESA Solar-Terrestrial Science Program, which consists of the four-spacecraft cluster mission and the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), is examined. It is expected that the SOHO spacecraft will be launched in 1995 to study solar interior structure and the physical processes associated with the solar corona. The SOHO design, operation, data, and ground segment are discussed. The Cluster mission is designed to study small-scale structures in the earth's plasma environment. The Soviet Union is expected to contribute two additional spacecraft, which will be similar to Cluster in instrumentation and design. The capabilities, mission strategy, spacecraft design, payload, and ground segment of Cluster are discussed. 19 references

  9. Low-energy solar electrons and ions observed at Ulysses February-April, 1991 - The inner heliosphere as a particle reservoir

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roelof, E. C.; Gold, R. E.; Simnett, G. M.; Tappin, S. J.; Armstrong, T. P.; Lanzerotti, L. J.

    1992-01-01

    Ulysses observations at 2.5 AU of 38-315 keV electrons and 61-4752 keV ions during February-April 1991 suggest in several ways that, during periods of sustained high solar activity, the inner heliosphere serves as a 'reservoir' for low-energy solar particles. Particle increases were not associated one-to-one with large X-ray flares because of their poor magnetic connection, yet intensities in March-April remained well above their February levels. The rise phase of the particle event associated with the great flare of 2245UT March 22 lasted most of two days, while throughout the one-week decay phase, the lowest-energy ion fluxes were nearly equal at Ulysses and earth (IMP-8).

  10. Solar Energetic Particle Event Risks for Future Human Missions within the Inner Heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Over, S.; Ford, J.

    2017-12-01

    As astronauts travel beyond low-Earth orbit (LEO), space weather research will play a key role in determining risks from space radiation. Of interest are the rare, large solar energetic particle (SEP) events that can cause significant medical effects during flight. Historical SEP data were analyzed from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) program covering the time period of 1986 to 2016 for SEP events. The SEP event data were combined with a Monte Carlo approach to develop a risk model to determine maximum expected doses for missions within the inner heliosphere. Presented here are results from risk assessments for proposed Mars transits as compared to a geostationary Earth-bound mission. Overall, the greatest risk was for the return from Mars with a Venus swing-by, due to the additional transit length and decreased distance from the Sun as compared to traditional Hohmann transfers. The overall results do not indicate that the effects of SEP events alone would prohibit these missions based on current radiation limits alone, but the combination of doses from SEP events and galactic cosmic radiation may be significant, and should be considered in all phases of mission design.

  11. Validation for Global Solar Wind Prediction Using Ulysses Comparison: Multiple Coronal and Heliospheric Models Installed at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jian, L. K.; MacNeice, P. J.; Mays, M. L.; Taktakishvili, A.; Odstrcil, D.; Jackson, B.; Yu, H.-S.; Riley, P.; Sokolov, I. V.

    2016-01-01

    The prediction of the background global solar wind is a necessary part of space weather forecasting. Several coronal and heliospheric models have been installed and/or recently upgraded at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC), including the Wang-Sheely-Arge (WSA)-Enlil model, MHD-Around-a-Sphere (MAS)-Enlil model, Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF), and Heliospheric tomography using interplanetary scintillation data. Ulysses recorded the last fast latitudinal scan from southern to northern poles in 2007. By comparing the modeling results with Ulysses observations over seven Carrington rotations, we have extended our third-party validation from the previous near-Earth solar wind to middle to high latitudes, in the same late declining phase of solar cycle 23. Besides visual comparison, wehave quantitatively assessed the models capabilities in reproducing the time series, statistics, and latitudinal variations of solar wind parameters for a specific range of model parameter settings, inputs, and grid configurations available at CCMC. The WSA-Enlil model results vary with three different magnetogram inputs.The MAS-Enlil model captures the solar wind parameters well, despite its underestimation of the speed at middle to high latitudes. The new version of SWMF misses many solar wind variations probably because it uses lower grid resolution than other models. The interplanetary scintillation-tomography cannot capture the latitudinal variations of solar wind well yet. Because the model performance varies with parameter settings which are optimized for different epochs or flow states, the performance metric study provided here can serve as a template that researchers can use to validate the models for the time periods and conditions of interest to them.

  12. Validation for global solar wind prediction using Ulysses comparison: Multiple coronal and heliospheric models installed at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jian, L. K.; MacNeice, P. J.; Mays, M. L.; Taktakishvili, A.; Odstrcil, D.; Jackson, B.; Yu, H.-S.; Riley, P.; Sokolov, I. V.

    2016-08-01

    The prediction of the background global solar wind is a necessary part of space weather forecasting. Several coronal and heliospheric models have been installed and/or recently upgraded at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC), including the Wang-Sheely-Arge (WSA)-Enlil model, MHD-Around-a-Sphere (MAS)-Enlil model, Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF), and heliospheric tomography using interplanetary scintillation data. Ulysses recorded the last fast latitudinal scan from southern to northern poles in 2007. By comparing the modeling results with Ulysses observations over seven Carrington rotations, we have extended our third-party validation from the previous near-Earth solar wind to middle to high latitudes, in the same late declining phase of solar cycle 23. Besides visual comparison, we have quantitatively assessed the models' capabilities in reproducing the time series, statistics, and latitudinal variations of solar wind parameters for a specific range of model parameter settings, inputs, and grid configurations available at CCMC. The WSA-Enlil model results vary with three different magnetogram inputs. The MAS-Enlil model captures the solar wind parameters well, despite its underestimation of the speed at middle to high latitudes. The new version of SWMF misses many solar wind variations probably because it uses lower grid resolution than other models. The interplanetary scintillation-tomography cannot capture the latitudinal variations of solar wind well yet. Because the model performance varies with parameter settings which are optimized for different epochs or flow states, the performance metric study provided here can serve as a template that researchers can use to validate the models for the time periods and conditions of interest to them.

  13. UNCOVERING THE WAVE NATURE OF THE EIT WAVE FOR THE 2010 JANUARY 17 EVENT THROUGH ITS CORRELATION TO THE BACKGROUND MAGNETOSONIC SPEED

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao, X. H.; Feng, X. S.; Jiang, C. W.; Wu, S. T.; Wang, A. H.; Vourlidas, A.

    2011-01-01

    An EIT wave, which typically appears as a diffuse brightening that propagates across the solar disk, is one of the major discoveries of the Extreme ultraviolet Imaging Telescope on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. However, the physical nature of the so-called EIT wave continues to be debated. In order to understand the relationship between an EIT wave and its associated coronal wave front, we investigate the morphology and kinematics of the coronal mass ejection (CME)-EIT wave event that occurred on 2010 January 17. Using the observations of the SECCHI EUVI, COR1, and COR2 instruments on board the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observation-B, we track the shape and movements of the CME fronts along different radial directions to a distance of about 15 solar radii (R s ); for the EIT wave, we determine the propagation of the wave front on the solar surface along different propagating paths. The relation between the EIT wave speed, the CME speed, and the local fast-mode characteristic speed is also investigated. Our results demonstrate that the propagation of the CME front is much faster than that of the EIT wave on the solar surface, and that both the CME front and the EIT wave propagate faster than the fast-mode speed in their local environments. Specifically, we show a significant positive correlation between the EIT wave speed and the local fast-mode wave speed in the propagation paths of the EIT wave. Our findings support that the EIT wave under study is a fast-mode magnetohydrodynamic wave.

  14. ASYMMETRIC SUNSPOT ACTIVITY AND THE SOUTHWARD DISPLACEMENT OF THE HELIOSPHERIC CURRENT SHEET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Y.-M.; Robbrecht, E.

    2011-01-01

    Observations of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) have suggested a statistical tendency for the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) to be shifted a few degrees southward of the heliographic equator during the period 1965-2010, particularly in the years near sunspot minimum. Using potential-field source-surface extrapolations and photospheric flux-transport simulations, we demonstrate that this southward displacement follows from Joy's law and the observed hemispheric asymmetry in the sunspot numbers, with activity being stronger in the southern (northern) hemisphere during the declining (rising) phase of cycles 20-23. The hemispheric asymmetry gives rise to an axisymmetric quadrupole field, whose equatorial zone has the sign of the leading-polarity flux in the dominant hemisphere; during the last four cycles, the polarity of the IMF around the equator thus tended to match that of the north polar field both before and after polar field reversal. However, large fluctuations are introduced by the nonaxisymmetric field components, which depend on the longitudinal distribution of sunspot activity in either hemisphere. Consistent with this model, the HCS showed an average northward displacement during cycle 19, when the 'usual' alternation was reversed and the northern hemisphere became far more active than the southern hemisphere during the declining phase of the cycle. We propose a new method for determining the north-south displacement of the HCS from coronal streamer observations.

  15. Solar Heliospheric and INterplanetary Environment (SHINE) Students - Student Representatives' Perspectives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pahud, D. M.; Niembro, T.

    2014-12-01

    The SHINE workshop is an annual meeting of solar and heliospheric scientists which, in addition to aiming to improve understanding of solar disturbances and their propagation to, and effect, on the Earth (shinecon.org), is dedicated to actively supporting students. This dedication is substantiated in part through the National Science Foundation (NSF) providing funding for student attendance to the workshop, which enables student participation. Another example of SHINE's commitment to its student members is the incorporation of a Student Day prior to the workshop since 2003, entirely organized and run by two student representatives. While there are variations in format from year to year, Student Day consists of tutorials and research talks exclusively by student volunteers to an audience of only students. The day is intended to provide a low-stress environment for students to learn about the various topics addressed during the workshop, to ask questions freely, and to engage in scientific discussion with other students which hopefully is a catalyst for collaboration. As a result of positive experiences, over the past decade student attendance and participation in the workshop have increased. At the SHINE 2014 workshop, nearly a third of attendees were students. SHINE student visibility has increased over the years, with student posters being advertised at breakfast, inclusion of a student day summary by the student representatives during a plenary session, and continued support from the steering committee. Students are also promoting a broader impact of SHINE sciences via increased social media presence. From a student representative's perspective, SHINE has built and fostered a healthy student community and encourages students to engage in shaping the future of the field.

  16. Predicting lake trophic state by relating Secchi-disk transparency measurements to Landsat-satellite imagery for Michigan inland lakes, 2003-05 and 2007-08

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fuller, L.M.; Jodoin, R.S.; Minnerick, R.J.

    2011-01-01

    Inland lakes are an important economic and environmental resource for Michigan. The U.S. Geological Survey and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment have been cooperatively monitoring the quality of selected lakes in Michigan through the Lake Water Quality Assessment program. Sampling for this program began in 2001; by 2010, 730 of Michigan’s 11,000 inland lakes are expected to have been sampled once. Volunteers coordinated by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment began sampling lakes in 1974 and continue to sample (in 2010) approximately 250 inland lakes each year through the Michigan Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program. Despite these sampling efforts, it still is impossible to physically collect measurements for all Michigan inland lakes; however, Landsat-satellite imagery has been used successfully in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and elsewhere to predict the trophic state of unsampled inland lakes greater than 20 acres by producing regression equations relating in-place Secchi-disk measurements to Landsat bands. This study tested three alternatives to methods previously used in Michigan to improve results for predicted statewide Trophic State Index (TSI) computed from Secchi-disk transparency (TSI (SDT)). The alternative methods were used on 14 Landsat-satellite scenes with statewide TSI (SDT) for two time periods (2003– 05 and 2007–08). Specifically, the methods were (1) satellitedata processing techniques to remove areas affected by clouds, cloud shadows, haze, shoreline, and dense vegetation for inland lakes greater than 20 acres in Michigan; (2) comparison of the previous method for producing a single open-water predicted TSI (SDT) value (which was based on an area of interest (AOI) and lake-average approach) to an alternative Gethist method for identifying open-water areas in inland lakes (which follows the initial satellite-data processing and targets the darkest pixels, representing the deepest water

  17. Coronal and heliospheric magnetic flux circulation and its relation to open solar flux evolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lockwood, Mike; Owens, Mathew J.; Imber, Suzanne M.; James, Matthew K.; Bunce, Emma J.; Yeoman, Timothy K.

    2017-06-01

    Solar cycle 24 is notable for three features that can be found in previous cycles but which have been unusually prominent: (1) sunspot activity was considerably greater in the northern/southern hemisphere during the rising/declining phase; (2) accumulation of open solar flux (OSF) during the rising phase was modest, but rapid in the early declining phase; (3) the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) tilt showed large fluctuations. We show that these features had a major influence on the progression of the cycle. All flux emergence causes a rise then a fall in OSF, but only OSF with foot points in opposing hemispheres progresses the solar cycle via the evolution of the polar fields. Emergence in one hemisphere, or symmetric emergence without some form of foot point exchange across the heliographic equator, causes poleward migrating fields of both polarities in one or both (respectively) hemispheres which temporarily enhance OSF but do not advance the polar field cycle. The heliospheric field observed near Mercury and Earth reflects the asymmetries in emergence. Using magnetograms, we find evidence that the poleward magnetic flux transport (of both polarities) is modulated by the HCS tilt, revealing an effect on OSF loss rate. The declining phase rise in OSF was caused by strong emergence in the southern hemisphere with an anomalously low HCS tilt. This implies the recent fall in the southern polar field will be sustained and that the peak OSF has limited implications for the polar field at the next sunspot minimum and hence for the amplitude of cycle 25.type="synopsis">type="main">Plain Language SummaryThere is growing interest in being able to predict the evolution in solar conditions on a better basis than past experience, which is necessarily limited. Two of the key features of the solar magnetic cycle are that the polar fields reverse just after the peak of each sunspot cycle and that the polar field that has accumulated by the time of each sunspot minimum is a good

  18. International Living With a Star (ILWS), a new collaborative space program in Solar, Heliospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Opgenoorth, H. J.; Guhathakurta, M.; Liu, W.; Kosugi, T.; Zelenyi, L.

    2003-04-01

    International cooperation has long been a vital element in the scientific investigation of solar variability and its impact on Earth and its space environment. Recently a new international cooeperative program in solar terrestrial physics has been established by the major space agencies of the world, called the International Living With a Star (ILWS) program. ILWS is a follow on to the highly successful International Solar Terrestrial Physics (ISTP) program which involved international parterners. ISTP, with its steady flow of discoveries and new knowledge in solar Terrestrial physics, has laid the foundation for the coordinated study of the Sun-Earth sytem as a connected stellar-planetary system, system which is humanity's home. The first step in establishing ILWS was taken in the fall of 2000 when funding was approved for the NASA's Living With a Star (LWS) program whose goal is to develop the scientific understanding necessary to effectively address those aspects of the connected Sun-Earth system that directly affect life and society. The scientific goals of ILWS are defined in a broader sense, aiming to include future solar, heliospheric and solar terrestrial missions of both applied and fundamental scientific focus. The ultimate goal of ILWS wil be to increase our understanding of how solar variability affects the terrestrial and other planetary environments both in the short and long term, and in particular how man and society may be affected by solar variability and its consequences. The mission charter of ILWS is 'to stimulate, strengthen and coordinate space research in order to understand the governing processes of the connected Sun-Earth System as an integrated entity'. More detailed ILWS Objectives are to stimulate and facilitate: - The study of the Sun Earth connected system and the effects which influence life and society - Collaboration among all potential partners in solar-terrestrial space missions - Synergistic coordination of international

  19. Heliospheric current sheet and effects of its interaction with solar cosmic rays

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Malova, H. V., E-mail: hmalova@yandex.ru [Moscow State University, Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics (Russian Federation); Popov, V. Yu.; Grigorenko, E. E.; Dunko, A. V.; Petrukovich, A. A. [Russian Academy of Sciences, Space Research Institute (Russian Federation)

    2016-08-15

    The effects of interaction of solar cosmic rays (SCRs) with the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) in the solar wind are analyzed. A self-consistent kinetic model of the HCS is developed in which ions with quasiadiabatic dynamics can present. The HCS is considered an equilibrium embedded current structure in which two main plasma species with different temperatures (the low-energy background plasma of the solar wind and the higher energy SCR component) contribute to the current. The obtained results are verified by comparing with the results of numerical simulations based on solving equations of motion by the particle tracing method in the given HCS magnetic field with allowance for SCR particles. It is shown that the HCS is a relatively thin multiscale current configuration embedded in a thicker plasma layer. In this case, as a rule, the shear (tangential to the sheet current) component of the magnetic field is present in the HCS. Taking into account high-energy SCR particles in the HCS can lead to a change of its configuration and the formation of a multiscale embedded structure. Parametric family of solutions is considered in which the current balance in the HCS is provided at different SCR temperatures and different densities of the high-energy plasma. The SCR densities are determined at which an appreciable (detectable by satellites) HCS thickening can occur. Possible applications of this modeling to explain experimental observations are discussed.

  20. Imprint of the Sun’s Evolving Polar Winds on IBEX Energetic Neutral Atom All-sky Observations of the Heliosphere

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zirnstein, E. J.; McComas, D. J. [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States); Dayeh, M. A. [Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78228 (United States); Sokół, J. M., E-mail: ejz@princeton.edu [Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences, 00-716 Warsaw (Poland)

    2017-09-01

    With 7 years of Interstellar Boundary Explorer ( IBEX ) measurements of energetic neutral atoms (ENAs), IBEX has shown a clear correlation between dynamic changes in the solar wind and the heliosphere’s response in the formation of ENAs. In this paper, we investigate temporal variations in the latitudinal-dependent ENA spectrum from IBEX and their relationship to the solar wind speed observed at 1 au. We find that the variation in latitude of the transition in ENA spectral indices between low (≲1.8) and high (≳1.8) values, as well as the distribution of ENA spectral indices at high and low latitudes, correlates well with the evolution of the fast and slow solar wind latitudinal structure observed near 1 au. This correlation includes a delay due to the time it takes the solar wind to propagate to the termination shock and into the inner heliosheath, and for ENAs to be generated via charge-exchange and travel back toward 1 au. Moreover, we observe a temporal asymmetry in the steepening of the ENA spectrum in the northern and southern hemispheres, consistent with asymmetries observed in the solar wind and polar coronal holes. While this asymmetry is observed near the upwind direction of the heliosphere, it is not yet observed in the tail direction, suggesting a longer line-of-sight integration distance or different processing of the solar wind plasma downstream of the termination shock.

  1. Solution of Heliospheric Propagation: Unveiling the Local Interstellar Spectra of Cosmic-ray Species

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boschini, M. J.; Torre, S. Della; Gervasi, M.; Grandi, D.; Vacca, G. La; Pensotti, S.; Rancoita, P. G.; Rozza, D.; Tacconi, M. [INFN, Milano-Bicocca, Milano (Italy); Jóhannesson, G. [Science Institute, University of Iceland, Dunhaga 3, IS-107 Reykjavik (Iceland); Kachelriess, M. [Institutt for fysikk, NTNU, NO-7491 Trondheim (Norway); Masi, N.; Quadrani, L. [INFN, Bologna (Italy); Moskalenko, I. V.; Orlando, E.; Porter, T. A. [Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States); Ostapchenko, S. S. [Frankfurt Institute of Advanced Studies, Frankfurt (Germany)

    2017-05-10

    Local interstellar spectra (LIS) for protons, helium, and antiprotons are built using the most recent experimental results combined with state-of-the-art models for propagation in the Galaxy and heliosphere. Two propagation packages, GALPROP and HelMod, are combined to provide a single framework that is run to reproduce direct measurements of cosmic-ray (CR) species at different modulation levels and at both polarities of the solar magnetic field. To do so in a self-consistent way, an iterative procedure was developed, where the GALPROP LIS output is fed into HelMod, providing modulated spectra for specific time periods of selected experiments to compare with the data; the HelMod parameter optimization is performed at this stage and looped back to adjust the LIS using the new GALPROP run. The parameters were tuned with the maximum likelihood procedure using an extensive data set of proton spectra from 1997 to 2015. The proposed LIS accommodate both the low-energy interstellar CR spectra measured by Voyager 1 and the high-energy observations by BESS, Pamela, AMS-01, and AMS-02 made from the balloons and near-Earth payloads; it also accounts for Ulysses counting rate features measured out of the ecliptic plane. The found solution is in a good agreement with proton, helium, and antiproton data by AMS-02, BESS, and PAMELA in the whole energy range.

  2. Validation of community models: 3. Tracing field lines in heliospheric models

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacNeice, Peter; Elliott, Brian; Acebal, Ariel

    2011-10-01

    Forecasting hazardous gradual solar energetic particle (SEP) bursts at Earth requires accurately modeling field line connections between Earth and the locations of coronal or interplanetary shocks that accelerate the particles. We test the accuracy of field lines reconstructed using four different models of the ambient coronal and inner heliospheric magnetic field, through which these shocks must propagate, including the coupled Wang-Sheeley-Arge (WSA)/ENLIL model. Evaluating the WSA/ENLIL model performance is important since it is the most sophisticated model currently available to space weather forecasters which can model interplanetary coronal mass ejections and, when coupled with particle acceleration and transport models, will provide a complete model for gradual SEP bursts. Previous studies using a simpler Archimedean spiral approach above 2.5 solar radii have reported poor performance. We test the accuracy of the model field lines connecting Earth to the Sun at the onset times of 15 impulsive SEP bursts, comparing the foot points of these field lines with the locations of surface events believed to be responsible for the SEP bursts. We find the WSA/ENLIL model performance is no better than the simplest spiral model, and the principal source of error is the model's inability to reproduce sufficient low-latitude open flux. This may be due to the model's use of static synoptic magnetograms, which fail to account for transient activity in the low corona, during which reconnection events believed to initiate the SEP acceleration may contribute short-lived open flux at low latitudes. Time-dependent coronal models incorporating these transient events may be needed to significantly improve Earth/Sun field line forecasting.

  3. Chemical, Physical, and zooplankton abundance/biomass data collected using several instruments in the Coastal Waters of California as a part of the California Cooperative Fisheries Investigation (CALCOFI) project, from 07 January 2000 to 01 July 2000 (NODC Accession 0000298)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Chemical, physical, and zooplankton abundance/biomass data were collected using secchi disk, zooplankton net, current meter (ADCP), bottle, and CTD casts in the...

  4. Interstellar Neutral Helium in the Heliosphere from IBEX Observations. V. Observations in IBEX-Lo ESA Steps 1, 2, and 3

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swaczyna, Paweł; Bzowski, Maciej; Kubiak, Marzena A.; Sokół, Justyna M.; Fuselier, Stephen A.; Galli, André; Heirtzler, David; Kucharek, Harald; McComas, David J.; Möbius, Eberhard; Schwadron, Nathan A.; Wurz, P.

    2018-02-01

    Direct-sampling observations of interstellar neutral (ISN) He by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) provide valuable insight into the physical state of and processes operating in the interstellar medium ahead of the heliosphere. The ISN He atom signals are observed at the four lowest ESA steps of the IBEX-Lo sensor. The observed signal is a mixture of the primary and secondary components of ISN He and H. Previously, only data from one of the ESA steps have been used. Here, we extend the analysis to data collected in the three lowest ESA steps with the strongest ISN He signal, for the observation seasons 2009–2015. The instrument sensitivity is modeled as a linear function of the atom impact speed onto the sensor’s conversion surface separately for each ESA step of the instrument. We find that the sensitivity increases from lower to higher ESA steps, but within each of the ESA steps it is a decreasing function of the atom impact speed. This result may be influenced by the hydrogen contribution, which was not included in the adopted model, but seems to exist in the signal. We conclude that the currently accepted temperature of ISN He and velocity of the Sun through the interstellar medium do not need a revision, and we sketch a plan of further data analysis aiming at investigating ISN H and a better understanding of the population of ISN He originating in the outer heliosheath.

  5. The solar energetic particle event on 2013 April 11: an investigation of its solar origin and longitudinal spread

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lario, D.; Raouafi, N. E. [The Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723 (United States); Kwon, R.-Y.; Zhang, J. [School of Physics, Astronomy and Computational Sciences, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, MSN 6A2, Fairfax, VA 22030 (United States); Gómez-Herrero, R. [Space Research Group, Physics and Mathematics Department, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, E-28871 Spain (Spain); Dresing, N. [Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel, Kiel D-24118 (Germany); Riley, P. [Predictive Science, 9990 Mesa Rim Road, Suite 170, San Diego, CA 92121 (United States)

    2014-12-10

    We investigate the solar phenomena associated with the origin of the solar energetic particle (SEP) event observed on 2013 April 11 by a number of spacecraft distributed in the inner heliosphere over a broad range of heliolongitudes. We use extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and white-light coronagraph observations from the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), the SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory, and the twin Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory spacecraft (STEREO-A and STEREO-B) to determine the angular extent of the EUV wave and coronal mass ejection (CME) associated with the origin of the SEP event. We compare the estimated release time of SEPs observed at each spacecraft with the arrival time of the structures associated with the CME at the footpoints of the field lines connecting each spacecraft with the Sun. Whereas the arrival of the EUV wave and CME-driven shock at the footpoint of STEREO-B is consistent, within uncertainties, with the release time of the particles observed by this spacecraft, the EUV wave never reached the footpoint of the field lines connecting near-Earth observers with the Sun, even though an intense SEP event was observed there. We show that the west flank of the CME-driven shock propagating at high altitudes above the solar surface was most likely the source of the particles observed near Earth, but it did not leave any EUV trace on the solar disk. We conclude that the angular extent of the EUV wave on the solar surface did not agree with the longitudinal extent of the SEP event in the heliosphere. Hence EUV waves cannot be used reliably as a proxy for the solar phenomenon that accelerates and injects energetic particles over broad ranges of longitudes.

  6. Low-Energy Neutron Production in Solar Flares and the Importance of their Detection in the Inner Heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, Ronald; Kozlovsky, B.; Share, G.

    2012-05-01

    Neutron detectors on spacecraft in the inner-heliosphere can observe the low-energy (computer code incorporating up-dated neutron-production cross sections of the accelerated proton and alpha-particle reactions with heavier elements at low ion energies (Mercury. We conclude that a full understanding of ion acceleration, transport, and interaction at the Sun requires observations of both neutrons and gamma rays. We find that a measurement of the 2.223 MeV neutron-capture line, even with a modest instrument at 1 AU, is as sensitive to the presence of low-energy interacting ions at the Sun as a 1-10 MeV neutron detector at 0.5 AU. However, as the distance from the Sun to the neutron detector decreases, the tremendous increase of the low-energy neutron flux will allow exploration of ion acceleration in weak flares not previously observable and may reveal ion acceleration at other sites not previously detected where low-energy neutron production could be the only high-energy signature of ion acceleration.

  7. Solar wind conditions in the outer heliosphere and the distance to the termination shock

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belcher, John W.; Lazarus, Alan J.; Mcnutt, Ralph L., Jr.; Gordon, George S., Jr.

    1993-01-01

    The Plasma Science experiment on the Voyager 2 spacecraft has measured the properties of solar wind protons from 1 to 40.4 AU. We use these observations to discuss the probable location and motion of the termination shock of the solar wind. Assuming that the interstellar pressure is due to a 5 micro-G magnetic field draped over the upstream face of the heliopause, the radial variation of ram pressure implies that the termination shock will be located at an average distance near 89 AU. This distance scales inversely as the assumed field strength. There are also large variations in ram pressure on time scales of tens of days, due primarily to large variations in solar wind density at a given radius. Such rapid changes in the solar wind ram pressure can cause large perturbations in the location of the termination shock. We study the nonequilibrium location of the termination shock as it responds to these ram pressure changes. The results of this study suggest that the position of the termination shock can vary by as much as 10 AU in a single year, depending on the nature of variations in the ram pressure, and that multiple crossings of the termination shock by a given outer heliosphere spacecraft are likely. After the first crossing, such models of shock motion will be useful for predicting the timing of subsequent crossings.

  8. Coastal Secchi Depth Atlas

    Science.gov (United States)

    1985-07-01

    ptical properties 5pley. I(-,8). Table 5. Chart 4-Percentage of one-degree squares. 13 f plankton aleae . 0 Table 6. Global coverage-Percentage of one...optical properties result from (e.g., Colorado River), typical in mountainous (tectonic) regions, 9. Hunghlo (Red)110 Mekong and/or organic sediments...typical in mountainous (tectonic) regions, 9. Hungho (Red) 160 Inadequate 10. Mekong 160 Sufficient larger-sized particles in suspension. The

  9. ENERGETIC PARTICLE OBSERVATIONS AND PROPAGATION IN THE THREE-DIMENSIONAL HELIOSPHERE DURING THE 2006 DECEMBER EVENTS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malandraki, O. E.; Marsden, R. G.; Tranquille, C.; Lario, D.; Heber, B.; Mewaldt, R. A.; Cohen, C. M. S.; Lanzerotti, L. J.; Forsyth, R. J.; Elliott, H. A.; Vogiatzis, I. I.; Geranios, A.

    2009-01-01

    We report observations of solar energetic particles obtained by the HI-SCALE and COSPIN/LET instruments onboard Ulysses during the period of isolated but intense solar activity in 2006 December, in the declining phase of the solar activity cycle. We present measurements of particle intensities and also discuss observations of particle anisotropies and composition in selected energy ranges. Active Region 10930 produced a series of major solar flares with the strongest one (X9.0) recorded on December 5 after it rotated into view on the solar east limb. Located over the South Pole of the Sun, at >72 0 S heliographic latitude and 2.8 AU radial distance, Ulysses provided unique measurements for assessing the nature of particle propagation to high latitudes under near-minimum solar activity conditions, in a relatively undisturbed heliosphere. The observations seem to exclude the possibility that magnetic field lines originating at low latitudes reached Ulysses, suggesting either that the energetic particles observed as large solar energetic particle (SEP) events over the South Pole of the Sun in 2006 December were released when propagating coronal waves reached high-latitude field lines connected to Ulysses, or underwent perpendicular diffusion. We also discuss comparisons with energetic particle data acquired by the STEREO and Advanced Composition Explorer in the ecliptic plane near 1 AU during this period.

  10. The radial speed-expansion speed relation for Earth-directed CMEs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mäkelä, P.; Gopalswamy, N.; Yashiro, S.

    2016-05-01

    Earth-directed coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are the main drivers of major geomagnetic storms. Therefore, a good estimate of the disturbance arrival time at Earth is required for space weather predictions. The STEREO and SOHO spacecraft were viewing the Sun in near quadrature during January 2010 to September 2012, providing a unique opportunity to study the radial speed (Vrad)-expansion speed (Vexp) relationship of Earth-directed CMEs. This relationship is useful in estimating the Vrad of Earth-directed CMEs, when they are observed from Earth view only. We selected 19 Earth-directed CMEs observed by the Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO)/C3 coronagraph on SOHO and the Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation (SECCHI)/COR2 coronagraph on STEREO during January 2010 to September 2012. We found that of the three tested geometric CME models the full ice-cream cone model of the CME describes best the Vrad-Vexp relationship, as suggested by earlier investigations. We also tested the prediction accuracy of the empirical shock arrival (ESA) model proposed by Gopalswamy et al. (2005a), while estimating the CME propagation speeds from the CME expansion speeds. If we use STEREO observations to estimate the CME width required to calculate the Vrad from the Vexp measurements, the mean absolute error (MAE) of the shock arrival times of the ESA model is 8.4 h. If the LASCO measurements are used to estimate the CME width, the MAE still remains below 17 h. Therefore, by using the simple Vrad-Vexp relationship to estimate the Vrad of the Earth-directed CMEs, the ESA model is able to predict the shock arrival times with accuracy comparable to most other more complex models.

  11. JHelioviewer. Time-dependent 3D visualisation of solar and heliospheric data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Müller, D.; Nicula, B.; Felix, S.; Verstringe, F.; Bourgoignie, B.; Csillaghy, A.; Berghmans, D.; Jiggens, P.; García-Ortiz, J. P.; Ireland, J.; Zahniy, S.; Fleck, B.

    2017-09-01

    Context. Solar observatories are providing the world-wide community with a wealth of data, covering wide time ranges (e.g. Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, SOHO), multiple viewpoints (Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory, STEREO), and returning large amounts of data (Solar Dynamics Observatory, SDO). In particular, the large volume of SDO data presents challenges; the data are available only from a few repositories, and full-disk, full-cadence data for reasonable durations of scientific interest are difficult to download, due to their size and the download rates available to most users. From a scientist's perspective this poses three problems: accessing, browsing, and finding interesting data as efficiently as possible. Aims: To address these challenges, we have developed JHelioviewer, a visualisation tool for solar data based on the JPEG 2000 compression standard and part of the open source ESA/NASA Helioviewer Project. Since the first release of JHelioviewer in 2009, the scientific functionality of the software has been extended significantly, and the objective of this paper is to highlight these improvements. Methods: The JPEG 2000 standard offers useful new features that facilitate the dissemination and analysis of high-resolution image data and offers a solution to the challenge of efficiently browsing petabyte-scale image archives. The JHelioviewer software is open source, platform independent, and extendable via a plug-in architecture. Results: With JHelioviewer, users can visualise the Sun for any time period between September 1991 and today; they can perform basic image processing in real time, track features on the Sun, and interactively overlay magnetic field extrapolations. The software integrates solar event data and a timeline display. Once an interesting event has been identified, science quality data can be accessed for in-depth analysis. As a first step towards supporting science planning of the upcoming Solar Orbiter mission, JHelioviewer

  12. On the Statistical Properties of Turbulent Energy Transfer Rate in the Inner Heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sorriso-Valvo, Luca; Carbone, Francesco; Perri, Silvia; Greco, Antonella; Marino, Raffaele; Bruno, Roberto

    2018-01-01

    The transfer of energy from large to small scales in solar wind turbulence is an important ingredient of the long-standing question of the mechanism of the interplanetary plasma heating. Previous studies have shown that magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence is statistically compatible with the observed solar wind heating as it expands in the heliosphere. However, in order to understand which processes contribute to the plasma heating, it is necessary to have a local description of the energy flux across scales. To this aim, it is customary to use indicators such as the magnetic field partial variance of increments (PVI), which is associated with the local, relative, scale-dependent magnetic energy. A more complete evaluation of the energy transfer should also include other terms, related to velocity and cross-helicity. This is achieved here by introducing a proxy for the local, scale-dependent turbulent energy transfer rate ɛ_{Δ t}(t), based on the third-order moment scaling law for MHD turbulence. Data from Helios 2 are used to determine the statistical properties of such a proxy in comparison with the magnetic and velocity fields PVI, and the correlation with local solar wind heating is computed. PVI and ɛ_{Δ t}(t) are generally well correlated; however, ɛ_{Δ t}(t) is a very sensitive proxy that can exhibit large amplitude values, both positive and negative, even for low amplitude peaks in the PVI. Furthermore, ɛ_{Δ t}(t) is very well correlated with local increases of the temperature when large amplitude bursts of energy transfer are localized, thus suggesting an important role played by this proxy in the study of plasma energy dissipation.

  13. Diffusion on Viscous Fluids, Existence and Asymptotic Properties of Solutions,

    Science.gov (United States)

    1983-09-01

    Matematica - Politecuico di Milano (1982). 11.* P. Secchi "On the Initial Value ProbleM for the Nquations of Notion of Viscous Incompressible Fluids In...of two viscous Incompressible Fluids’, preprint DepartLmento dl matematica - Politecuico di Milano (1982). -15- 11. P. Secchi 00n the XnitiaI Value

  14. A three-coordinate system (ecliptic, galactic, ISMF) spectral analysis of heliospheric ENA emissions using CASSINI/INCA measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dialynas, K.; Krimigis, S. M.; Mitchell, D. G.; Roelof, E. C.; Decker, R. B

    2013-01-01

    In the present study, we use all-sky energy-resolved energetic neutral atom (ENA) maps obtained by the Ion and Neutral CAmera (INCA) instrument on board Cassini that correspond to the time period from 2003 to 2009, in four discrete energy passbands (∼5.4 to ∼55 keV), to investigate the geometrical characteristics of the belt (a broad band of emission in the sky). The heliospheric ENA emissions are mapped in three different coordinate systems (ecliptic, Galactic, and interstellar magnetic field (ISMF)), and spectral analyses are performed to further examine the belt's possible energy dependence. Our conclusions are summarized as follows: (1) the high flux ENA belt identified in the energy range of 8-42 keV is moderately well organized in Galactic coordinates, as the ENA minima appear in the vicinity of the north and south Galactic poles; (2) using minimization criteria ( B · R ∼ 0), the deviation of the ENA emissions from the equator is effectively minimized in a rotated frame, which we interpret as ISMF, where its north pole points toward 190° ecliptic longitude and 15° ecliptic latitude; (3) ENA spectra show a power-law form in energy that can be fitted with a single function presenting higher spectral slopes in the belt region and lower outside (3.4 < γ < 4.4); (4) the spectra are almost indistinguishable between the tail and the nose regions, i.e., no noticeable asymmetry is observed; (5) the consistency of the ENA distributions as a function of latitude among the different INCA channels indicates that the morphology of the belt (peak, width, and structure) is nearly energy independent from 8 keV to 30 keV (minor deviations start to appear at >35 keV); and (6) in the low count rate regions, the long-term ENA count rate profiles do not match the measured cosmic ray profiles, indicating that even the minimum ENA emissions detected by INCA are foreground ENAs.

  15. Long-term solar activity and its implications to the heliosphere, geomagnetic activity, and the Earth’s climate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tanskanen Eija

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available The Sun’s long-term magnetic variability is the primary driver of space climate. This variability is manifested not only in the long-observed and dramatic change of magnetic fields on the solar surface, but also in the changing solar radiative output across all wavelengths. The Sun’s magnetic variability also modulates the particulate and magnetic fluxes in the heliosphere, which determine the interplanetary conditions and impose significant electromagnetic forces and effects upon planetary atmospheres. All these effects due to the changing solar magnetic fields are also relevant for planetary climates, including the climate of the Earth. The ultimate cause of solar variability, at time scales much shorter than stellar evolutionary time scales, i.e., at decadal to centennial and, maybe, even millennial or longer scales, has its origin in the solar dynamo mechanism. Therefore, in order to better understand the origin of space climate, one must analyze different proxies of solar magnetic variability and develop models of the solar dynamo mechanism that correctly produce the observed properties of the magnetic fields. This Preface summarizes the most important findings of the papers of this Special Issue, most of which were presented in the Space Climate-4 Symposium organized in 2011 in Goa, India.

  16. Velocity fluctuations in polar solar wind: a comparison between different solar cycles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. Bavassano

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available The polar solar wind is a fast, tenuous and steady flow that, with the exception of a relatively short phase around the Sun's activity maximum, fills the high-latitude heliosphere. The polar wind properties have been extensively investigated by Ulysses, the first spacecraft able to perform in-situ measurements in the high-latitude heliosphere. The out-of-ecliptic phases of Ulysses cover about seventeen years. This makes possible to study heliospheric properties at high latitudes in different solar cycles. In the present investigation we focus on hourly- to daily-scale fluctuations of the polar wind velocity. Though the polar wind is a quite uniform flow, fluctuations in its velocity do not appear negligible. A simple way to characterize wind velocity variations is that of performing a multi-scale statistical analysis of the wind velocity differences. Our analysis is based on the computation of velocity differences at different time lags and the evaluation of statistical quantities (mean, standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis for the different ensembles. The results clearly show that, though differences exist in the three-dimensional structure of the heliosphere between the investigated solar cycles, the velocity fluctuations in the core of polar coronal holes exhibit essentially unchanged statistical properties.

  17. Velocity fluctuations in polar solar wind: a comparison between different solar cycles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. Bavassano

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available The polar solar wind is a fast, tenuous and steady flow that, with the exception of a relatively short phase around the Sun's activity maximum, fills the high-latitude heliosphere. The polar wind properties have been extensively investigated by Ulysses, the first spacecraft able to perform in-situ measurements in the high-latitude heliosphere. The out-of-ecliptic phases of Ulysses cover about seventeen years. This makes possible to study heliospheric properties at high latitudes in different solar cycles. In the present investigation we focus on hourly- to daily-scale fluctuations of the polar wind velocity. Though the polar wind is a quite uniform flow, fluctuations in its velocity do not appear negligible. A simple way to characterize wind velocity variations is that of performing a multi-scale statistical analysis of the wind velocity differences. Our analysis is based on the computation of velocity differences at different time lags and the evaluation of statistical quantities (mean, standard deviation, skewness, and kurtosis for the different ensembles. The results clearly show that, though differences exist in the three-dimensional structure of the heliosphere between the investigated solar cycles, the velocity fluctuations in the core of polar coronal holes exhibit essentially unchanged statistical properties.

  18. LANDSAT menhaden and thread herring resources investigation. [Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kemmerer, A. J. (Principal Investigator); Brucks, J. T.; Butler, J. A.; Faller, K. H.; Holley, H. J.; Leming, T. D.; Savastano, K. J.; Vanselous, T. M.

    1977-01-01

    The author has identified the following significant results. The relationship between the distribution of menhaden and selected oceanographic parameters (water color, turbidity, and possibly chlorophyll concentrations) was established. Similar relationships for thread herring were not established nor were relationships relating to the abundance of either species. Use of aircraft and LANDSAT remote sensing instruments to measure or infer a set of basic oceanographic parameters was evaluated. Parameters which could be accurately inferred included surface water temperature, salinity, and color. Water turbidity (Secchi disk) was evaluated as marginally inferrable from the LANDSAT MSS data and chlorophyll-a concentrations as less than marginal. These evaluations considered the parameters only as experienced in the two test areas using available sensors and statistical techniques.

  19. The Production of Low-energy Neutrons in Solar Flares and the Importance of Their Detection in the Inner Heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, R. J.; Kozlovsky, B.; Share, G. H.

    2012-09-01

    Neutron detectors on spacecraft in the inner heliosphere can observe the low-energy (computer code incorporating updated neutron-production cross sections for the proton and α-particle reactions with heavier elements at all ion energies, especially at low energies (E ion Mercury has such a detector. We conclude that a full understanding of ion acceleration, transport, and interaction at the Sun requires observation of both neutrons and gamma rays with detectors of comparable sensitivity. We find that the neutron-capture line fluence at 1 AU is comparable to the 1-10 MeV neutron fluence at 0.5 AU, and therefore as effective for revealing low-energy ion acceleration. However, as the distance from the Sun to the neutron detector decreases, the tremendous increase of the low-energy neutron flux allows exploration of ion acceleration in weak flares not previously observable and may reveal acceleration at other sites not previously detected where low-energy neutrons could be the only high-energy signature of ion acceleration. Also, a measurement of the low-energy neutron spectrum will provide important information about the accelerated-ion spectrum that is not available from the capture line fluence measurement alone.

  20. Ion heating and energy partition at the heliospheric termination shock: hybrid simulations and analytical model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gary, S Peter [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Winske, Dan [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Wu, Pin [BOSTON UNIV.; Schwadron, N A [BOSTON UNIV.; Lee, M [UNIV OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

    2009-01-01

    The Los Alamos hybrid simulation code is used to examine heating and the partition of dissipation energy at the perpendicular heliospheric termination shock in the presence of pickup ions. The simulations are one-dimensional in space but three-dimensional in field and velocity components, and are carried out for a range of values of pickup ion relative density. Results from the simulations show that because the solar wind ions are relatively cold upstream, the temperature of these ions is raised by a relatively larger factor than the temperature of the pickup ions. An analytic model for energy partition is developed on the basis of the Rankine-Hugoniot relations and a polytropic energy equation. The polytropic index {gamma} used in the Rankine-Hugoniot relations is varied to improve agreement between the model and the simulations concerning the fraction of downstream heating in the pickup ions as well as the compression ratio at the shock. When the pickup ion density is less than 20%, the polytropic index is about 5/3, whereas for pickup ion densities greater than 20%, the polytropic index tends toward 2.2, suggesting a fundamental change in the character of the shock, as seen in the simulations, when the pickup ion density is large. The model and the simulations both indicate for the upstream parameters chosen for Voyager 2 conditions that the pickup ion density is about 25% and the pickup ions gain the larger share (approximately 90%) of the downstream thermal pressure, consistent with Voyager 2 observations near the shock.

  1. Forward Modeling of Coronal Mass Ejection Flux Ropes in the Inner Heliosphere with 3DCORE

    Science.gov (United States)

    Möstl, C.; Amerstorfer, T.; Palmerio, E.; Isavnin, A.; Farrugia, C. J.; Lowder, C.; Winslow, R. M.; Donnerer, J. M.; Kilpua, E. K. J.; Boakes, P. D.

    2018-03-01

    Forecasting the geomagnetic effects of solar storms, known as coronal mass ejections (CMEs), is currently severely limited by our inability to predict the magnetic field configuration in the CME magnetic core and by observational effects of a single spacecraft trajectory through its 3-D structure. CME magnetic flux ropes can lead to continuous forcing of the energy input to the Earth's magnetosphere by strong and steady southward-pointing magnetic fields. Here we demonstrate in a proof-of-concept way a new approach to predict the southward field Bz in a CME flux rope. It combines a novel semiempirical model of CME flux rope magnetic fields (Three-Dimensional Coronal ROpe Ejection) with solar observations and in situ magnetic field data from along the Sun-Earth line. These are provided here by the MESSENGER spacecraft for a CME event on 9-13 July 2013. Three-Dimensional Coronal ROpe Ejection is the first such model that contains the interplanetary propagation and evolution of a 3-D flux rope magnetic field, the observation by a synthetic spacecraft, and the prediction of an index of geomagnetic activity. A counterclockwise rotation of the left-handed erupting CME flux rope in the corona of 30° and a deflection angle of 20° is evident from comparison of solar and coronal observations. The calculated Dst matches reasonably the observed Dst minimum and its time evolution, but the results are highly sensitive to the CME axis orientation. We discuss assumptions and limitations of the method prototype and its potential for real time space weather forecasting and heliospheric data interpretation.

  2. A GENERALIZED DIFFUSION TENSOR FOR FULLY ANISOTROPIC DIFFUSION OF ENERGETIC PARTICLES IN THE HELIOSPHERIC MAGNETIC FIELD

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Effenberger, F.; Fichtner, H.; Scherer, K.; Barra, S.; Kleimann, J.; Strauss, R. D.

    2012-01-01

    The spatial diffusion of cosmic rays in turbulent magnetic fields can, in the most general case, be fully anisotropic, i.e., one has to distinguish three diffusion axes in a local, field-aligned frame. We reexamine the transformation for the diffusion tensor from this local to a global frame, in which the Parker transport equation for energetic particles is usually formulated and solved. Particularly, we generalize the transformation formulae to allow for an explicit choice of two principal local perpendicular diffusion axes. This generalization includes the 'traditional' diffusion tensor in the special case of isotropic perpendicular diffusion. For the local frame, we describe the motivation for the choice of the Frenet-Serret trihedron, which is related to the intrinsic magnetic field geometry. We directly compare the old and the new tensor elements for two heliospheric magnetic field configurations, namely the hybrid Fisk and Parker fields. Subsequently, we examine the significance of the different formulations for the diffusion tensor in a standard three-dimensional model for the modulation of galactic protons. For this, we utilize a numerical code to evaluate a system of stochastic differential equations equivalent to the Parker transport equation and present the resulting modulated spectra. The computed differential fluxes based on the new tensor formulation deviate from those obtained with the 'traditional' one (only valid for isotropic perpendicular diffusion) by up to 60% for energies below a few hundred MeV depending on heliocentric distance.

  3. Heliophysical Explorers (HELEX): Solar Orbiter and Sentinels - Report of the Joint Science and Technology Definition Team (JSTDT)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-01-01

    Heliophysical Explorers (HELEX) brings together and augments the unique capabilities of ESA's Solar Orbiter mission (near-Sun and out-of-ecliptic in-situ plus remote-sensing observations) with those of NASA's Inner Heliospheric Sentinels (in-situ observations from multiple platforms arrayed at varying radial distances and azimuthal locations in the near-ecliptic plane)to investigate, characterize, and understand how the Sun determines the environment of the inner solar system and, more broadly, generates the heliosphere itself. This joint ESA-NASA science program offers a unique opportunity for coordinated, correlative measurements, resulting in a combined observational capability and science return that far outweighs that of either mission alone. Building on the knowledge gained from missions like Helios and Ulysses, and STEREO, HELEX will bring to bear the power of multipoint, in-situ measurements using previously unavailable instrumental capabilities in combination with remote-sensing observations from a new, inner heliospheric perspective to answer fundamental questions about the Sun-heliosphere linkage.

  4. Short Wavelength Electromagnetic Perturbations Excited Near the Solar Probe Plus Spacecraft in the Inner Heliosphere: 2.5D Hybrid Modeling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lipatov, Alexander S.; Sittler, Edward C.; Hartle, Richard E.; Cooper, John F.

    2011-01-01

    A 2.5D numerical plasma model of the interaction of the solar wind (SW) with the Solar Probe Plus spacecraft (SPPSC) is presented. These results should be interpreted as a basic plasma model derived from the SW-interaction with the spacecraft (SC), which could have consequences for both plasma wave and electron plasma measurements on board the SC in the inner heliosphere. Compression waves and electric field jumps with amplitudes of about 1.5 V/m and (12-18) V/m were also observed. A strong polarization electric field was also observed in the wing of the plasma wake. However, 2.5D hybrid modeling did not show excitation of whistler/Alfven waves in the upstream connected with the bidirectional current closure that was observed in short-time 3D modeling SPPSC and near a tether in the ionosphere. The observed strong electromagnetic perturbations may be a crucial point in the electromagnetic measurements planned for the future Solar Probe Plus (SPP) mission. The results of modeling electromagnetic field perturbations in the SW due to shot noise in absence of SPPSC are also discussed.

  5. Neutralized solar energetic particles in the inner heliosphere: a parameter study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiao-Dong; Klecker, Berndt; Futaana, Yoshifumi; Cipriani, Fabrice; Barabash, Stas; Wieser, Martin

    2016-04-01

    The large fluxes of solar energetic particles (SEPs) in Gradual Events, dominated by protons, are believed to be produced by the acceleration of shocks driven by coronal mass ejections (CMEs). As SEPs propagate in the lower corona, there is a chance for them to be neutralized via the charge exchange and/or recombination processes and become energetic neutral atoms (ENAs). These ENAs retain the velocity of their parent SEPs and propagate in straight lines without the influence of the interplanetary magnetic field, and therefore might potentially serve as a new window to observe the particle acceleration processes in the solar corona. STEREO/Low Energy Telescope reported the first probable observation of hydrogen ENAs between 1.6 MeV - 5 MeV from the Sun prior to an X-class flare/CME [Mewaldt et al., 2009]. While such observations were somehow controversial, Wang et al. [2014] simulated the neutralization of solar energetic protons in the corona lower than 40 RS, and the result agreed with the STEREO observation. In this work, we further developed a production model of the ENA near the sun together with a transport model toward the inner planets, and explore the dependences of the ENA characteristics against the model parameters. These parameters include the angular width of the CME, its propagation direction with respect to the Sun-observer line, the propagation speed, the particle density in the corona, the abundances of O6+ and C4+, and the reaction rate of electron impact ionization in the loss of ENAs, and the heliospheric distance of the observer. The calculated ENA flux shows that at lower energy the expected ENA flux depends most sensitively on the CME apex angle and the CME propagation direction. At higher energy the dependence on the coronal density is more prominent. References Mewaldt, R. A., R. A. Leske, E. C. Stone, A. F. Barghouty, A. W. Labrador, C. M. S. Cohen, A. C. Cummings, A. J. Davis, T. T. von Rosenvinge, and M. E. Wiedenbeck (2009), STEREO

  6. Probing the Boundaries of the Heliosphere Using Observations of the Polar ENA Flux from IBEX and Cassini/INCA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reisenfeld, D. B.; Janzen, P. H.; Bzowski, M.; Dialynas, K.; Funsten, H. O.; Fuselier, S. A.; Galli, A.; Kubiak, M. A.; McComas, D. J.; Schwadron, N.; Sokol, J. M.

    2016-12-01

    The IBEX Mission has been collecting ENAs from the outer heliosphere for nearly eight years, or three-quarters of a solar cycle. In that time, we have observed clear evidence of the imprint of the solar cycle in the time variation in the ENA flux. The most detailed of such studies has focused on the polar ENA flux observed by IBEX-Hi, as the IBEX spacecraft attitude allows for continuous coverage of the ENA flux incident from the ecliptic poles (Reisenfeld et al. 2012, 2016). By time correlating the ENA-derived heliosheath pressure to the observed 1 AU dynamic pressure, we can estimate the distance to the ENA source region. We can further derive the thickness of the ENA-producing region (presumably the inner heliosheath) by assuming pressure balance at the termination shock (TS). This requires using the 1 AU observations to derive the dynamic pressure at the TS shock by use of a mass-loaded solar wind propagation model (Schwadron et al. 2011), and by integrating ENA observations across all energies that significantly contribute to the heliosheath pressure. This means including polar ENA observations from not only IBEX-Hi, but from IBEX-Lo and Cassini/INCA, spanning an energy range of 15 eV to 40 keV. We will present our latest polar ENA observations and estimates for the distance to the TS and the thickness of the heliosheath.

  7. Application of the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard Using Satellite-Derived and Modeled Data Products for Pelagic Habitats in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-12-10

    surveys include summer and fall shrimp/groundfish, and spring and fall plankton, reef fish, and environmental data. The SEAMAP database for the Gulf of...available Secchi depth data are quite limited within the SEAMAP database . For many of the dates examined, there were no data reported for Secchi depth...optimally within a defined range of salinities and temperature has a considerable impact on ecosystem functioning, affecting photosynthesis , growth, meta

  8. SHOCK CONNECTIVITY IN THE 2010 AUGUST AND 2012 JULY SOLAR ENERGETIC PARTICLE EVENTS INFERRED FROM OBSERVATIONS AND ENLIL MODELING

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bain, H. M.; Luhmann, J. G.; Li, Y.; Mays, M. L.; Jian, L. K.; Odstrcil, D.

    2016-01-01

    During periods of increased solar activity, coronal mass ejections (CMEs) can occur in close succession and proximity to one another. This can lead to the interaction and merger of CME ejecta as they propagate in the heliosphere. The particles accelerated in these shocks can result in complex solar energetic particle (SEP) events, as observing spacecraft form both remote and local shock connections. It can be challenging to understand these complex SEP events from in situ profiles alone. Multipoint observations of CMEs in the near-Sun environment, from the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory –Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation and the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph, greatly improve our chances of identifying the origin of these accelerated particles. However, contextual information on conditions in the heliosphere, including the background solar wind conditions and shock structures, is essential for understanding SEP properties well enough to forecast their characteristics. Wang–Sheeley–Arge WSA-ENLIL + Cone modeling provides a tool to interpret major SEP event periods in the context of a realistic heliospheric model and to determine how much of what is observed in large SEP events depends on nonlocal magnetic connections to shock sources. We discuss observations of the SEP-rich periods of 2010 August and 2012 July in conjunction with ENLIL modeling. We find that much SEP activity can only be understood in the light of such models, and in particular from knowing about both remote and local shock source connections. These results must be folded into the investigations of the physics underlying the longitudinal extent of SEP events, and the source connection versus diffusion pictures of interpretations of SEP events.

  9. SHOCK CONNECTIVITY IN THE 2010 AUGUST AND 2012 JULY SOLAR ENERGETIC PARTICLE EVENTS INFERRED FROM OBSERVATIONS AND ENLIL MODELING

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bain, H. M.; Luhmann, J. G.; Li, Y. [Space Sciences Laboratory, UC Berkeley, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720-7450 (United States); Mays, M. L. [Catholic University of America, Washington, DC (United States); Jian, L. K.; Odstrcil, D., E-mail: hbain@ssl.berkeley.edu [Heliophysics Science Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)

    2016-07-01

    During periods of increased solar activity, coronal mass ejections (CMEs) can occur in close succession and proximity to one another. This can lead to the interaction and merger of CME ejecta as they propagate in the heliosphere. The particles accelerated in these shocks can result in complex solar energetic particle (SEP) events, as observing spacecraft form both remote and local shock connections. It can be challenging to understand these complex SEP events from in situ profiles alone. Multipoint observations of CMEs in the near-Sun environment, from the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory –Sun Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation and the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph, greatly improve our chances of identifying the origin of these accelerated particles. However, contextual information on conditions in the heliosphere, including the background solar wind conditions and shock structures, is essential for understanding SEP properties well enough to forecast their characteristics. Wang–Sheeley–Arge WSA-ENLIL + Cone modeling provides a tool to interpret major SEP event periods in the context of a realistic heliospheric model and to determine how much of what is observed in large SEP events depends on nonlocal magnetic connections to shock sources. We discuss observations of the SEP-rich periods of 2010 August and 2012 July in conjunction with ENLIL modeling. We find that much SEP activity can only be understood in the light of such models, and in particular from knowing about both remote and local shock source connections. These results must be folded into the investigations of the physics underlying the longitudinal extent of SEP events, and the source connection versus diffusion pictures of interpretations of SEP events.

  10. Relationships between colored dissolved organic matter and dissolved organic carbon in different coastal gradients of the Baltic Sea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harvey, E Therese; Kratzer, Susanne; Andersson, Agneta

    2015-06-01

    Due to high terrestrial runoff, the Baltic Sea is rich in dissolved organic carbon (DOC), the light-absorbing fraction of which is referred to as colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM). Inputs of DOC and CDOM are predicted to increase with climate change, affecting coastal ecosystems. We found that the relationships between DOC, CDOM, salinity, and Secchi depth all differed between the two coastal areas studied; the W Gulf of Bothnia with high terrestrial input and the NW Baltic Proper with relatively little terrestrial input. The CDOM:DOC ratio was higher in the Gulf of Bothnia, where CDOM had a greater influence on the Secchi depth, which is used as an indicator of eutrophication and hence important for Baltic Sea management. Based on the results of this study, we recommend regular CDOM measurements in monitoring programmes, to increase the value of concurrent Secchi depth measurements.

  11. Halo-coronal mass ejections near the 23rd solar minimum: lift-off, inner heliosphere, and in situ (1 AU signatures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. B. Berdichevsky

    2002-07-01

    Full Text Available The extreme ultraviolet (EUV signatures of a solar lift-off, decametric and kilometric radio burst emissions and energetic particle (EP inner heliospheric signatures of an interplanetary shock, and in situ identification of its driver through solar wind observations are discussed for 12 isolated halo coronal mass ejections (H-CMEs occurring between December 1996 and 1997. For the aforementioned twelve and the one event added in the discussion, it is found that ten passed several necessary conditions for being a "Sun-Earth connection". It is found that low corona EUV and Ha chromospheric signatures indicate filament eruption as the cause of H-CME. These signatures indicate that the 12 events can be divided into two major subsets, 7 related to active regions (ARs and 5 unrelated or related to decayed AR. In the case of events related to AR, there is indication of a faster lift-off, while a more gradual lift-off appears to characterize the second set. Inner heliospheric signatures – the presence of long lasting enhanced energetic particle flux and/or kilometric type II radio bursts – of a driven shock were identified in half of the 12 events. The in situ (1 AU analyses using five different solar wind ejecta signatures and comparisons with the bidirectional flow of suprathermal particles and Forbush decreases result in indications of a strong solar wind ejecta signatures for 11 out of 12 cases. From the discussion of these results, combined with work by other authors for overlapping events, we conclude that good Sun-Earth connection candidates originate most likely from solar filament eruptions with at least one of its extremities located closer to the central meridian than ~ 30° E or ~ 35° W with a larger extension in latitudinal location possible. In seven of the twelve cases it appears that the encountered ejecta was driving a shock at 1 AU. Support for this interpretation is found on the approximately equal velocity of the shock and the

  12. Halo-coronal mass ejections near the 23rd solar minimum: lift-off, inner heliosphere, and in situ (1 AU signatures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. B. Berdichevsky

    Full Text Available The extreme ultraviolet (EUV signatures of a solar lift-off, decametric and kilometric radio burst emissions and energetic particle (EP inner heliospheric signatures of an interplanetary shock, and in situ identification of its driver through solar wind observations are discussed for 12 isolated halo coronal mass ejections (H-CMEs occurring between December 1996 and 1997. For the aforementioned twelve and the one event added in the discussion, it is found that ten passed several necessary conditions for being a "Sun-Earth connection". It is found that low corona EUV and Ha chromospheric signatures indicate filament eruption as the cause of H-CME. These signatures indicate that the 12 events can be divided into two major subsets, 7 related to active regions (ARs and 5 unrelated or related to decayed AR. In the case of events related to AR, there is indication of a faster lift-off, while a more gradual lift-off appears to characterize the second set. Inner heliospheric signatures – the presence of long lasting enhanced energetic particle flux and/or kilometric type II radio bursts – of a driven shock were identified in half of the 12 events. The in situ (1 AU analyses using five different solar wind ejecta signatures and comparisons with the bidirectional flow of suprathermal particles and Forbush decreases result in indications of a strong solar wind ejecta signatures for 11 out of 12 cases. From the discussion of these results, combined with work by other authors for overlapping events, we conclude that good Sun-Earth connection candidates originate most likely from solar filament eruptions with at least one of its extremities located closer to the central meridian than ~ 30° E or ~ 35° W with a larger extension in latitudinal location possible. In seven of the twelve cases it appears that the encountered ejecta was driving a shock at 1 AU. Support for this interpretation is found on the approximately equal

  13. CHARACTERISTICS OF KINEMATICS OF A CORONAL MASS EJECTION DURING THE 2010 AUGUST 1 CME-CME INTERACTION EVENT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Temmer, Manuela; Rollett, Tanja; Bein, Bianca; Moestl, Christian; Veronig, Astrid M.; Flor, Olga [Kanzelhoehe Observatory-IGAM, Institute of Physics, University of Graz, Universitaetsplatz 5, A-8010 Graz (Austria); Vrsnak, Bojan; Zic, Tomislav [Hvar Observatory, Faculty of Geodesy, University of Zagreb, Kaciceva 26, HR-10000 Zagreb (Croatia); De Koning, Curt A. [NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States); Liu, Ying [Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Bosman, Eckhard [Space Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, A-8042 Graz (Austria); Davies, Jackie A.; Bothmer, Volker [Institut fuer Astrophysik, Goettingen University, Friedrich-Hund Platz 1, D-37077 Goettingen (Germany); Harrison, Richard [RAL Space, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Oxford, Didcot OX11 0QX (United Kingdom); Nitta, Nariaki [Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory, Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Centre, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1191 (United States); Bisi, Mario [Institute of Mathematics and Physics, Aberystwyth University, Ceredigion SY23 3BZ (United Kingdom); Eastwood, Jonathan; Forsyth, Robert [The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ (United Kingdom); Odstrcil, Dusan, E-mail: mat@igam.uni-graz.at [Computational and Data Sciences, George Mason University/NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Mail Code 674, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)

    2012-04-10

    We study the interaction of two successive coronal mass ejections (CMEs) during the 2010 August 1 events using STEREO/SECCHI COR and heliospheric imager (HI) data. We obtain the direction of motion for both CMEs by applying several independent reconstruction methods and find that the CMEs head in similar directions. This provides evidence that a full interaction takes place between the two CMEs that can be observed in the HI1 field of view. The full de-projected kinematics of the faster CME from Sun to Earth is derived by combining remote observations with in situ measurements of the CME at 1 AU. The speed profile of the faster CME (CME2; {approx}1200 km s{sup -1}) shows a strong deceleration over the distance range at which it reaches the slower, preceding CME (CME1; {approx}700 km s{sup -1}). By applying a drag-based model we are able to reproduce the kinematical profile of CME2, suggesting that CME1 represents a magnetohydrodynamic obstacle for CME2 and that, after the interaction, the merged entity propagates as a single structure in an ambient flow of speed and density typical for quiet solar wind conditions. Observational facts show that magnetic forces may contribute to the enhanced deceleration of CME2. We speculate that the increase in magnetic tension and pressure, when CME2 bends and compresses the magnetic field lines of CME1, increases the efficiency of drag.

  14. 3D Modeling of CMEs observed with STEREO

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bosman, E.; Bothmer, V.

    2012-04-01

    From January 2007 until end of 2010, 565 typical large-scale coronal mass ejections (CMEs) have been identified in the SECCHI/COR2 synoptic movies of the STEREO Mission. A subset comprising 114 CME events, selected based on the CME's brightness appearance in the SECCHI/COR2 images, has been modeled through the Graduated Cylindrical Shell (GCS) Model developed by Thernisien et al. (2006). This study presents an overview of the GCS forward-modeling results and an interpretation of the CME characteristics in relationship to their solar source region properties and solar cycle appearances.

  15. Cosmic ray investigation for the Voyager missions; energetic particle studies in the outer heliosphere - and beyond

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stone, E C; Vogt, R E [California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena (USA); McDonald, F B; Teegarden, B J; Trainor, J H [National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Greenbelt, Md. (USA). Goddard Space Flight Center; Jokipii, J R [Arizona Univ., Tucson (USA); Webber, W R [New Hampshire Univ., Durham (USA)

    1977-12-01

    A cosmic-ray detector system (CRS) has been developed for the Voyager mission which will measure the energy spectrum of electrons from approximately 3-110 MeV and the energy spectra and elemental comparison of all cosmic-ray nuclei from hydrogen through iron over an energy range from approximately 1-500 MeV.nuc. Isotopes of hydrogen through sulfur will be resolved from approximately 2-75 MeV/nuc. Studies with CRS data will provide information on the energy content, origin and acceleration process, life history, and dynamics of cosmic rays in the galaxy, and contribute to an understanding of the nucleosynthesis of elements in the cosmic-ray sources. Particular emphasis will be placed on low-energy phenomena that are expected to exist in interstellar space and are known to be present in the outer Solar System. This investigation will also add to our understanding of the transport of cosmic rays, Jovian electrons, and low-energy interplanetary particles over an extended region of interplanetary space. A major contribution to these areas of study will be the measurement of three-dimensional streaming patterns of nuclei from H through Fe and electrons over an extended energy range, with a precision that will allow determination of anisotropies down to 1%. The required combination of charge resolution, reliability and redundance has been achieved with systems consisting entirely of solid-state charged-particle detectors.

  16. Investigating Global Ion and Neutral Atom Populations with IBEX and Voyager

    Science.gov (United States)

    Florinski, Vladimir

    2016-01-01

    The main objective of this project was to investigate pickup ion (PUI) production in the solar wind and heliosheath (the region between the termination shock and the heliopause) and compute the distributed energetic neutral atom fluxes throughout the helioshpere. The simulations were constrained by comparing the model output against observations from Ulysses, New Horizons, Voyager 1 and 2, and IBEX space probes. As evidenced by the number of peer reviewed journal publications resulting from the project (13 plus three submitted) and their citation rate (156 citations over three years), the project has made a lasting contribution to the field. The outcome is a significant improvement of our understanding of the pickup ion production and distribution in the distant heliosphere. The team has accomplished the entire set of tasks A-H set forth in the proposal. Namely, the transport modeling framework has been augmented with two populations of pickup ions (PUIs), the boundary conditions for the plasma and interstellar neutral hydrogen were verified against Ulysses and New Horizons PUI and an optimal set of velocity diffusion parameters established. The multi-component fluxes of PUIs were computed and isotropic velocity distributions generated for each cell in the computer simulation that covered the heliosphere from 1.5 AU to the heliopause. The distributions were carefully compared with in situ measurements at 3 AU (Ulysses), 12 AU (New Horizons), and 80-90 AU (Voyager 1 and 2) as well as those inferred from ENA fluxes measured by Cassini and IBEX (Wu et al., 2016). Some examples of modeldata comparison are shown in Figure 1. We have used coupled MHD-plasma and kinetic-neutral code to investigate the likely range of plasma and magnetic field parameters in the local interstellar medium (LISM), based on the assumption that the shape of the IBEX ribbon could be used to determine the orientation of the interstellar magnetic field. While the magnetic field is believed to be

  17. An optical method to assess water clarity in coastal waters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kulshreshtha, Anuj; Shanmugam, Palanisamy

    2015-12-01

    Accurate estimation of water clarity in coastal regions is highly desired by various activities such as search and recovery operations, dredging and water quality monitoring. This study intends to develop a practical method for estimating water clarity based on a larger in situ dataset, which includes Secchi depth (Z sd ), turbidity, chlorophyll and optical properties from several field campaigns in turbid coastal waters. The Secchi depth parameter is found to closely vary with the concentration of suspended sediments, vertical diffuse attenuation coefficient K d (m(-1)) and beam attenuation coefficient c (m(-1)). The optical relationships obtained for the selected wavelengths (i.e. 520, 530 and 540 nm) exhibit an inverse relationship between Secchi depth and the length attenuation coefficient (1/(c + K d )). The variation in Secchi depth is expressed in terms of undetermined coupling coefficient which is composed of light penetration factor (expressed by z(1%)K d (λ)) and a correction factor (ξ) (essentially governed by turbidity of the water column). This method of estimating water clarity was validated using independent in situ data from turbid coastal waters, and its results were compared with those obtained from the existing methods. The statistical analysis of the measured and the estimated Z sd showed that the present method yields lower error when compared to the existing methods. The spatial structures of the measured and predicted Z sd are also highly consistent with in situ data, which indicates the potential of the present method for estimating the water clarity in turbid coastal and associated lagoon waters.

  18. Calibration of the kinematic method of studying solar wind disturbances on the basis of a one-dimensional MHD solution and a simulation study of the heliosphere disturbances between 22 November and 6 December 1977

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun, W.; Akasofu, S.-I.; Smith, Z.K.; Dryer, M.

    1985-01-01

    An empirical kinematic method developed by Hakamada and Akasofu (1982) is calibrated on the basis of a one-dimensional MHD solution. The calibrated results are used to simulate the stream-stream interaction and the background corotating structure in a simple situation and also during 22 November-6 December 1977. The solar wind disturbances caused by solar activities during this period are then introduced into the above background stream in simulating the heliospheric disturbance event which was observed by an aligned set of spacecraft at distances between 0.6 and 1.6 a.u. The observations and the simulated results are satisfactory, and a little more refinement in the simulation could reconstruct reasonably well the data by filling the data gaps in the solar wind speed, the density and the IMF magnitude. (author)

  19. On the source of the 5-55 keV Heliosphere ENAs measured with Cassini/INCA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dialynas, Konstantinos; Roelof, Edmond; Mitchell, Donald; Krimigis, Stamatios; Decker, Robert

    2016-07-01

    The Low Energy Charged Particle (LECP) in situ measurements from V1 and V2 have revealed a reservoir of ions and electrons that constitute the heliosheath (HS) after crossing the termination shock (TS) 35deg north and 32deg south of the ecliptic plane at 94 and 84 astronomical units (1 AU= 1.5 x10 ^{8} km), respectively. The outer Heliosphere boundary, the Heliopause (HP), has now been determined in the direction of V1 to be at ˜122 AU. The in situ measurements by each Voyager were placed in a global context by remote sensing images using ENA obtained with the Ion and Neutral Camera (INCA) onboard Cassini orbiting Saturn. The ENA images have revealed a 5.2-55 keV hydrogen (H) ENA region (Belt) that loops through the celestial sphere and contributes to balancing the pressure of the interstellar magnetic field (ISMF). Here we address one of the remaining and most important questions: Where do the 5-55 keV ENAs that INCA measures come from? We analyzed INCA all-sky maps from 2003 to 2015 and compare the solar cycle (SC) variation of the ENAs in both the nose (upstream) and anti-nose (downstream) directions with the intensities of > 30 keV ions (source of ENA through charge exchange-CE with H) measured in-situ by V1 and V2, in overlapping energy bands ˜30-55 keV. ENA intensities decrease during the declining phase of SC23 by ˜x3 from 2003 to 2011 but recover through 2014 (SC24); similarly, V1 and V2 ion intensities also decrease and then recover through 2014. The similarity of time profiles of remotely sensed ENA and locally measured ions are consistent with (a) ENA originating in the HS, and (b) the global HS responding promptly (within ˜1-1.5 years) to outward-propagating solar wind changes throughout the SC. Further, recovery of the Belt during SC24 precedes asymmetrically from south to north in the general direction of the nose. This may be related to the non-symmetric evolution of solar coronal holes during SC recovery.

  20. SOLAR ROTATION EFFECTS ON THE HELIOSHEATH FLOW NEAR SOLAR MINIMA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borovikov, Sergey N.; Pogorelov, Nikolai V.; Ebert, Robert W.

    2012-01-01

    The interaction between fast and slow solar wind (SW) due to the Sun's rotation creates corotating interaction regions (CIRs), which further interact with each other creating complex plasma structures at large heliospheric distances. We investigate the global influence of CIRs on the SW flow in the inner heliosheath between the heliospheric termination shock (TS) and the heliopause. The stream interaction model takes into account the major global effects due to slow-fast stream interaction near solar minima. The fast and slow wind parameters are derived from the Ulysses observations. We investigate the penetration of corotating structures through the TS and their further propagation through the heliosheath. It is shown that the heliosheath flow structure may experience substantial modifications, including local decreases in the radial velocity component observed by Voyager 1.

  1. Modeling and Observation of Interstellar He+ Pickup Ions in the Inner Heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Junhong

    Interstellar pickup ions constitute a charged particle population that originates from interstellar neutrals inside the heliosphere. They are produced by photoionization, charge exchange with solar wind ions, and electron impact ionization (EI). Once ionized, they are picked up by the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and rapidly swept outward with the solar wind. Typically, pickup ion distributions have been described in terms of a velocity distribution function that evolves through fast pitch angle scattering followed by adiabatic cooling during radial transport in the reference frame of the solar wind [e.g., Vasyliunas & Siscoe, 1976, VS76 hereafter]. In the VS76 model, the slope of the isotropic velocity distributions is controlled by the combination of the ionization rate and the cooling process. Thus far, for the cooling index that relates the slope of the velocity distribution to the radial transport and expansion of the pickup ions a constant value of 3/2 has been widely used. The implicit assumptions to arrive at this value are immediate PUI isotropization due to pitch angle scattering and solar wind expansion with the square of the distance from the Sun. Any experimental determination of the cooling index depends on the knowledge of the ionization rate and its spatial variation, as well as solar wind and interplanetary conditions. In this thesis, we study their influences on the PUI cooling index and separate them by making use of the two complementary helium PUI data sets from SWICS instrument on the ACE spacecraft, and PLASTIC instrument on STEREO spacecraft. We use the pickup ion observations from ACE SIWCS in the last solar cycle to determine the cooling index, and the possible effects of the electron impact ionization on the determination of the cooling index. With pickup ion observations from STEREO PLASTIC, we determine how solar wind expansion patterns affect the cooling index. We find that the cooling index varies substantially with solar

  2. NEW Fe IX LINE IDENTIFICATIONS USING SOLAR AND HELIOSPHERIC OBSERVATORY/SOLAR ULTRAVIOLET MEASUREMENT OF EMITTED RADIATION AND HINODE/EIS JOINT OBSERVATIONS OF THE QUIET SUN

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Landi, E.; Young, P. R.

    2009-01-01

    In this work, we study joint observations of Hinode/EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) and Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/Solar Ultraviolet Measurement of Emitted Radiation of Fe IX lines emitted by the same level of the high energy configuration 3s 2 3p 5 4p. The intensity ratios of these lines are dependent on atomic physics parameters only and not on the physical parameters of the emitting plasma, so that they are excellent tools to verify the relative intensity calibration of high-resolution spectrometers that work in the 170-200 A and 700-850 A wavelength ranges. We carry out extensive atomic physics calculations to improve the accuracy of the predicted intensity ratio, and compare the results with simultaneous EIS-SUMER observations of an off-disk quiet Sun region. We were able to identify two ultraviolet lines in the SUMER spectrum that are emitted by the same level that emits one bright line in the EIS wavelength range. Comparison between predicted and measured intensity ratios, wavelengths and energy separation of Fe IX levels confirms the identifications we make. Blending and calibration uncertainties are discussed. The results of this work are important for cross-calibrating EIS and SUMER, as well as future instrumentation.

  3. Laboratory space physics: Investigating the physics of space plasmas in the laboratory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howes, Gregory G.

    2018-05-01

    Laboratory experiments provide a valuable complement to explore the fundamental physics of space plasmas without the limitations inherent to spacecraft measurements. Specifically, experiments overcome the restriction that spacecraft measurements are made at only one (or a few) points in space, enable greater control of the plasma conditions and applied perturbations, can be reproducible, and are orders of magnitude less expensive than launching spacecraft. Here, I highlight key open questions about the physics of space plasmas and identify the aspects of these problems that can potentially be tackled in laboratory experiments. Several past successes in laboratory space physics provide concrete examples of how complementary experiments can contribute to our understanding of physical processes at play in the solar corona, solar wind, planetary magnetospheres, and the outer boundary of the heliosphere. I present developments on the horizon of laboratory space physics, identifying velocity space as a key new frontier, highlighting new and enhanced experimental facilities, and showcasing anticipated developments to produce improved diagnostics and innovative analysis methods. A strategy for future laboratory space physics investigations will be outlined, with explicit connections to specific fundamental plasma phenomena of interest.

  4. Multi-spacecraft observations and transport simulations of solar energetic particles for the May 17th 2012 event

    Science.gov (United States)

    Battarbee, M.; Guo, J.; Dalla, S.; Wimmer-Schweingruber, R.; Swalwell, B.; Lawrence, D. J.

    2018-05-01

    Context. The injection, propagation and arrival of solar energetic particles (SEPs) during eruptive solar events is an important and current research topic of heliospheric physics. During the largest solar events, particles may have energies up to a few GeVs and sometimes even trigger ground-level enhancements (GLEs) at Earth. These large SEP events are best investigated through multi-spacecraft observations. Aims: We aim to study the first GLE-event of solar cycle 24, from 17th May 2012, using data from multiple spacecraft (SOHO, GOES, MSL, STEREO-A, STEREO-B and MESSENGER). These spacecraft are located throughout the inner heliosphere, at heliocentric distances between 0.34 and 1.5 astronomical units (au), covering nearly the whole range of heliospheric longitudes. Methods: We present and investigate sub-GeV proton time profiles for the event at several energy channels, obtained via different instruments aboard the above spacecraft. We investigated issues caused by magnetic connectivity, and present results of three-dimensional SEP propagation simulations. We gathered virtual time profiles and perform qualitative and quantitative comparisons with observations, assessed longitudinal injection and transport effects as well as peak intensities. Results: We distinguish different time profile shapes for well-connected and weakly connected observers, and find our onset time analysis to agree with this distinction. At select observers, we identify an additional low-energy component of Energetic Storm Particles (ESPs). Using well-connected observers for normalisation, our simulations are able to accurately recreate both time profile shapes and peak intensities at multiple observer locations. Conclusions: This synergetic approach combining numerical modelling with multi-spacecraft observations is crucial for understanding the propagation of SEPs within the interplanetary magnetic field. Our novel analysis provides valuable proof of the ability to simulate SEP propagation

  5. Evaluating suitability of MODIS-Terra images for reproducing historic sediment concentrations in water bodies: Lake Tana, Ethiopia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaba, Essayas; Philpot, William; Steenhuis, Tammo

    2014-02-01

    Government and NGO funded conservation programs are being implemented in developing countries with the potential benefit of reduced sediment inflow into fresh water lakes. However, these claims are difficult to verify due to limited historical sediment concentration data in lakes and rivers. Remote sensing can potentially aid in monitoring sediment concentration. With almost daily availability over the past ten years and consistent atmospheric correction applied to the images, Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) 250 meter images are potential resources capable of monitoring future concentrations and reconstructing historical sediment concentration records. In this paper, site-specific relationships are developed between reflectance in near-infrared (NIR) images and three factors: total suspended solids (TSS), turbidity and Secchi depth for Lake Tana near the mouth of the Gumara River. The first two sampling campaigns on November 27, 2010 and May 13, 2011 are used in calibration. Reflectance in the NIR varies linearly with turbidity (R2 = 0.89) and TSS (R2 = 0.95). Secchi depth fit best to an exponential relation with R2 of 0.74. The relationships are validated using a third sample set collected on November 7, 2011 with RMSE of 11 Nephelometric Turbidity Units (NTU) for Turbidity, 16.5 mg l-1 for TSS and 0.12 meters for Secchi depth. The MAE was 10% for TSS, 14% for turbidity and 0.1% for Secchi depth. Using the relationship for TSS, a 10-year time series of sediment concentration in Lake Tana near the Gumara River was plotted. It was found that after the severe drought of 2002 and 2003 the concentration in the lake increased significantly. The results showed that MODIS images are potential cost effective tools to monitor suspended sediment concentration and obtain a past history of concentration for evaluating the effect of best management practices.

  6. Suprathermal ions in the solar wind from the Voyager spacecraft: Instrument modeling and background analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Randol, B M; Christian, E R

    2015-01-01

    Using publicly available data from the Voyager Low Energy Charged Particle (LECP) instruments, we investigate the form of the solar wind ion suprathermal tail in the outer heliosphere inside the termination shock. This tail has a commonly observed form in the inner heliosphere, that is, a power law with a particular spectral index. The Voyager spacecraft have taken data beyond 100 AU, farther than any other spacecraft. However, during extended periods of time, the data appears to be mostly background. We have developed a technique to self-consistently estimate the background seen by LECP due to cosmic rays using data from the Voyager cosmic ray instruments and a simple, semi-analytical model of the LECP instruments

  7. Overview of the HELCATS project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harrison, Richard; Davies, Jackie; Perry, Chris; Moestl, Christian; Rouillard, Alexis; Bothmer, Volker; Rodriguez, Luciano; Eastwood, Jonathan; Kilpua, Emilia; Gallagher, Peter; Odstrcil, Dusan

    2017-04-01

    Understanding solar wind evolution is fundamental to advancing our knowledge of energy and mass transport in the solar system, whilst also being crucial to space weather and its prediction. The advent of truly wide-angle heliospheric imaging has revolutionised the study of solar wind evolution, by enabling direct and continuous observation of both transient and background components of the solar wind as they propagate from the Sun to 1 AU and beyond. The EU-funded FP7 Heliospheric Cataloguing, Analysis and Techniques Service (HELCATS) project combines European expertise in heliospheric imaging, built up over the last decade in particular through lead involvement in NASA's STEREO mission, with expertise in solar and coronal imaging as well as the interpretation of in-situ and radio diagnostic measurements of solar wind phenomena. HELCATS involves: (1) cataloguing of transient (coronal mass ejections) and background (stream/corotating interaction regions) solar wind structures observed by the STEREO/Heliospheric Imagers, including estimates of their kinematic properties based on a variety of modelling techniques; (2) verifying these kinematic properties through comparison with solar source observations and in-situ measurements at multiple points throughout the heliosphere; (3) assessing the potential for initialising numerical models based on the derived kinematic properties of transient and background solar wind components; (4) assessing the complementarity of radio observations (Type II radio bursts and interplanetary scintillation) in the detection and analysis of heliospheric structure in combination with heliospheric imaging observations. We provide an overview of the achievements of the HELCATS project, as it reaches its conclusion, and present selected results that seek to illustrate the value and legacy of this unprecedented, coordinated study of structures in the heliosphere.

  8. STRUCTURE, PROPAGATION, AND EXPANSION OF A CME-DRIVEN SHOCK IN THE HELIOSPHERE: A REVISIT OF THE 2012 JULY 23 EXTREME STORM

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Ying D.; Hu, Huidong; Zhu, Bei [State Key Laboratory of Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Luhmann, Janet G. [Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Vourlidas, Angelos, E-mail: liuxying@spaceweather.ac.cn [The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20732 (United States)

    2017-01-10

    We examine the structure, propagation, and expansion of the shock associated with the 2012 July 23 extreme coronal mass ejection. Characteristics of the shock determined from multi-point imaging observations are compared to in situ measurements at different locations and a complex radio type II burst, which according to our definition has multiple branches that may not all be fundamental-harmonic related. The white-light shock signature can be modeled reasonably well by a spherical structure and was expanding backward even on the opposite side of the Sun. The expansion of the shock, which was roughly self-similar after the first ∼1.5 hr from launch, largely dominated over the translation of the shock center for the time period of interest. Our study also suggests a bow-shock morphology around the nose at later times due to the outward motion in combination with the expansion of the ejecta. The shock decayed and failed to reach Mercury in the backward direction and the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory B ( STEREO B ) and Venus in the lateral directions, as indicated by the imaging and in situ observations. The shock in the nose direction, however, may have persisted to the far outer heliosphere, with predicted impact on Dawn around 06:00 UT on July 25 and on Jupiter around 23:30 UT on July 27 by a magnetohydrodynamic model. The type II burst shows properties generally consistent with the spatial/temporal variations of the shock deduced from imaging and in situ observations. In particular, the low-frequency bands agree well with the in situ measurements of a very low density ahead of the shock at STEREO A .

  9. The Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe - A Mission to Discover the Origin of Particle Acceleration and its Fundamental Connection to the Global Interstellar Interaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwadron, N.

    2017-12-01

    Our piece of cosmic real-estate, the heliosphere, is the domain of all human existence - an astrophysical case-history of the successful evolution of life in a habitable system. The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) was the first mission to explore the global heliosphere and in concert with Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 is discovering a fundamentally new and uncharted physical domain of the outer heliosphere. In parallel, Cassini/INCA maps the global heliosphere at energies ( 5-55 keV) above those measured by IBEX. The enigmatic IBEX ribbon and the INCA belt were unanticipated discoveries demonstrating that much of what we know or think we understand about the outer heliosphere needs to be revised. The global structure of the heliosphere is highly complex and influenced by competing factors ranging from the local interstellar magnetic field, suprathermal populations both within and beyond the heliopause, and the detailed flow properties of the LISM. Global heliospheric structure and microphysics in turn influences the acceleration of energetic particles and creates feedbacks that modify the interstellar interaction as a whole. The next quantum leap enabled by IMAP will open new windows on the frontier of Heliophysics and probe the acceleration of suprathermal and higher energy particles at a time when the space environment is rapidly evolving. IMAP ultimately connects the acceleration processes observed directly at 1 AU with unprecedented sensitivity and temporal resolution with the global structure of our heliosphere. The remarkable synergy between IMAP, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 will remain for at least the next decade as Voyager 1 pushes further into the interstellar domain and Voyager 2 moves through the heliosheath. IMAP, like ACE before it, will be a keystone of the Heliophysics System Observatory by providing comprehensive energetic particle, pickup ion, suprathermal ion, neutral atom, solar wind, solar wind heavy ion, and magnetic field observations to diagnose

  10. SMALL-SCALE MAGNETIC ISLANDS IN THE SOLAR WIND AND THEIR ROLE IN PARTICLE ACCELERATION. I. DYNAMICS OF MAGNETIC ISLANDS NEAR THE HELIOSPHERIC CURRENT SHEET

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Khabarova, O. [Heliophysical Laboratory, Pushkov Institute of Terrestrial Magnetism, Ionosphere and Radiowave Propagation RAS (IZMIRAN), Troitsk, Moscow 142190 (Russian Federation); Zank, G. P.; Li, G.; Roux, J. A. le; Webb, G. M.; Dosch, A. [Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research (CSPAR), University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35805 (United States); Malandraki, O. E. [IAASARS, National Observatory of Athens, GR-15236 Penteli (Greece)

    2015-08-01

    Increases of ion fluxes in the keV–MeV range are sometimes observed near the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) during periods when other sources are absent. These resemble solar energetic particle events, but the events are weaker and apparently local. Conventional explanations based on either shock acceleration of charged particles or particle acceleration due to magnetic reconnection at interplanetary current sheets (CSs) are not persuasive. We suggest instead that recurrent magnetic reconnection occurs at the HCS and smaller CSs in the solar wind, a consequence of which is particle energization by the dynamically evolving secondary CSs and magnetic islands. The effectiveness of the trapping and acceleration process associated with magnetic islands depends in part on the topology of the HCS. We show that the HCS possesses ripples superimposed on the large-scale flat or wavy structure. We conjecture that the ripples can efficiently confine plasma and provide tokamak-like conditions that are favorable for the appearance of small-scale magnetic islands that merge and/or contract. Particles trapped in the vicinity of merging islands and experiencing multiple small-scale reconnection events are accelerated by the induced electric field and experience first-order Fermi acceleration in contracting magnetic islands according to the transport theory of Zank et al. We present multi-spacecraft observations of magnetic island merging and particle energization in the absence of other sources, providing support for theory and simulations that show particle energization by reconnection related processes of magnetic island merging and contraction.

  11. Investigating the Wave Nature of the Outer Envelope of Halo Coronal Mass Ejections

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kwon, Ryun-Young [College of Science, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030 (United States); Vourlidas, Angelos, E-mail: rkwon@gmu.edu [The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723 (United States)

    2017-02-20

    We investigate the nature of the outer envelope of halo coronal mass ejections (H-CMEs) using multi-viewpoint observations from the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory-A , -B , and SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory coronagraphs. The 3D structure and kinematics of the halo envelopes and the driving CMEs are derived separately using a forward modeling method. We analyze three H-CMEs with peak speeds from 1355 to 2157 km s{sup −1}; sufficiently fast to drive shocks in the corona. We find that the angular widths of the halos range from 192° to 252°, while those of the flux ropes range between only 58° and 91°, indicating that the halos are waves propagating away from the CMEs. The halo widths are in agreement with widths of Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) waves in the low corona further demonstrating the common origin of these structures. To further investigate the wave nature of the halos, we model their 3D kinematic properties with a linear fast magnetosonic wave model. The model is able to reproduce the position of the halo flanks with realistic coronal medium assumptions but fails closer to the CME nose. The CME halo envelope seems to arise from a driven wave (or shock) close to the CME nose, but it is gradually becoming a freely propagating fast magnetosonic wave at the flanks. This interpretation provides a simple unifying picture for CME halos, EUV waves, and the large longitudinal spread of solar energetic particles.

  12. Biases in ocean color over a Secchi disk

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pitarch, J.

    2017-01-01

    The oldest record of ocean color measurements consists of visual comparisonsto a standardized color scale, the Forel-Ule scale (FU). Analysis of FU archived dataallows the construction of a century-long time series. In situ protocols of FUmeasurements require the perceived color to be estimated over

  13. Jovian electrons as an instrument of investigation of the interplanetary medium structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Daibog, E; Lazutin, L; Logachev, Yu; Kecskemety, K

    2016-01-01

    Electrons accelerated in the Jupiter magnetosphere are usually registered by near-earth spacecraft under optimal magnetic connection between the Earth and Jupiter, taking place once in 13 months (Earth- Jupiter synodic period). During the period of minimal solar activity between 23 and 24 cycles in 2007-2009 electrons of MeV energies were observed practically at each of 14 solar rotations (more than a year), which requires extremely long quasistationary state of inner heliosphere with constant Earth- Jupiter connection. To explain this situation the model with long living magnetic trap, co-rotating with the Sun, was suggested. Passing by the Jupiter this trap captures electrons, which then are registered by subsequent passing of the trap by the Earth. (paper)

  14. Evolution of cosmic ray fluxes during the rising phase of solar cycle 23: ULYSSES EPAC and COSPIN/KET observations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heber, B.; Keppler, E.; Blake, J.B.; Fraenz, M.; Kunow, H.

    2000-01-01

    Galactic cosmic rays are entering the heliosphere from the interstellar medium, while anomalous cosmic rays are believed to be pickup ions accelerated at the heliospheric termination shock. Both particle species are modulated by the solar wind and the heliospheric magnetic field. Since 1997 solar activity increased and as a consequence the flux of galactic and anomalous cosmic ray decreased. In this paper we will discuss the variation of low energy anomalous cosmic rays as measured by the Ulysses Energetic Particle Composition Experiment (EPAC) and the Kiel Electron Telescope (KET) on board Ulysses. Specifically we are addressing the question: Are there differences in the modulation of galactic and anomalous cosmic rays and what are possible implication for the modulation of cosmic rays in the heliosphere?

  15. Cloud amount/frequency, NITRATE and other data from VOLNA, AKADEMIK VERNADSKIY and other platforms from 1976-05-20 to 1977-10-02 (NODC Accession 7900258)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Current speed/direction, depth and other data were collected using meteorological sensors, secchi disk, buoy, and bottle casts casts from multiple ships from...

  16. Temperature profile data collected using bottle casts from the THOMAS G. THOMPSON and other platforms from the Pacific Ocean during the Thermal Structure Monitoring Program in the Pacific (TRANSPAC) project, 1985-03-30 to 1985-06-03 (NODC Accession 8700228)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Oceanographic Station Data and temperature, depth, and other data were collected using meteorological sensors, secchi disks, and bottle casts from THOMAS G. THOMPSON...

  17. Temperature profile and other data collected using bottle casts from the MOANA WAVE and other platforms from the Pacific Ocean during the International Decade of Ocean Exploration / North Pacific Experiment (IDOE/NORPAX) project, 20 February to 1975-05-27 (NODC Accession 8700066)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Oceanographic Station Data and temperature profile, and other data were collected using meteorological sensors, secchi disks, and bottle casts from MOANA WAVE and...

  18. Temperature profile data collected using bottle casts from the GYRE and WECOMA from the NE Pacific Ocean during the International Decade of ocean Exploration / North Pacific Experiment / Hawaii-Tahiti Shuttle (IDOE/NORPAX/HITIS) project, 1979-02-08 to 1980-06-14 (NODC Accession 8600359)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Oceanographic Station Data and temperature, depth, and other data were collected using meteorological sensors, secchi disks, and bottle casts from GYRE and WECOMA in...

  19. Physical and chemical characteristics of water in selected locations

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    need for comprehensive data and information on water quality. ... Dunn's Multiple Comparison Tests (Zar. 1984). RESULTS ..... Furthermore, lower secchi depth observed at ... Rainfall during this period .... main lake and satellite lakes of Lake.

  20. LIGHT TRANSMISSION and Other Data from MULTIPLE SHIPS From Great Australian Bight from 19660119 to 19941123 (NODC Accession 9500086)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The secchi disk data were collected from multiple ships in Great Australian Bight between January 1966 and November 1994 by Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial...

  1. Landsat Thematic Mapper monitoring of turbid inland water quality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lathrop, Richard G., Jr.

    1992-01-01

    This study reports on an investigation of water quality calibration algorithms under turbid inland water conditions using Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) multispectral digital data. TM data and water quality observations (total suspended solids and Secchi disk depth) were obtained near-simultaneously and related using linear regression techniques. The relationships between reflectance and water quality for Green Bay and Lake Michigan were compared with results for Yellowstone and Jackson Lakes, Wyoming. Results show similarities in the water quality-reflectance relationships, however, the algorithms derived for Green Bay - Lake Michigan cannot be extrapolated to Yellowstone and Jackson Lake conditions.

  2. (AJST) SOME ASPECTS OF WATER QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Secchi disk depth is, therefore, a good indicator of environmental ... some aquatic ecosystems can display variability in their pH .... ashes and tuffs which are highly vulnerable to erosion ...... coastal sea interaction and human dimensions.

  3. The Evolution of the Surface of Symmetry of the Interplanetary Dust from 24° to 5° Elongation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stenborg, Guillermo; Howard, Russell A.

    2017-10-01

    The white-light STEREO/SECCHI images include light scattered by dust in orbit about the Sun (the F-corona). We analyzed the evolution of the symmetry axis of the F-corona between 2007 and 2012 in the elongation range covered by the STEREO-A/HI-1 instrument (4°-24° elongation) to characterize the plane of symmetry of the zodiacal dust cloud. The symmetry axes both above and below the ecliptic plane were derived separately without assuming any particular functional form. No noticeable time dependence was observed. However, we did find an evolution with elongation of both the inclination I and the ascending node {{{Ω }}}A of the inferred plane of symmetry. Both parameters appeared fairly constant in the outer half of the elongation range studied (I=˜ 3\\buildrel{\\circ}\\over{.} 7,{{{Ω }}}A=˜ 83^\\circ ; values close to those of Venus’s orbit). Then, they start to evolve, becoming I=˜ 6^\\circ (I.e., a trend toward the solar equatorial plane) and {{{Ω }}}A=˜ 57^\\circ at about 5° elongation. This variation indicates that the zodiacal dust cloud exhibits a warped plane of symmetry, with an estimated center of symmetry at about 0.5 {R}⊙ from the Sun’s center on the side of the heliosphere containing Jupiter. We found a marginal difference between the inclination of the axes below and above the ecliptic. This is suggestive of an increased dust density distribution at certain fixed longitudes, which could be explained by the dust deposition of Kreutz Sun-grazing comets. We conjecture that the circumsolar dust is mainly affected by gravitational forces, other forces becoming dominant only where the more rapid changes occur.

  4. Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2016-01-27

    Jan 27, 2016 ... In the present study, we investigate the possible relationship of IP parameters of solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field with ground-based geomagnetic indices. To carry out the study, we take all the IP shock events listed by Proton Monitor onboard Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) during ...

  5. The Potential of Satellite Imagery to Estimate Chlorophyll-a and Water Clarity Data For the Assessment of Lake Water Quality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shrift, M.; Weathers, K. C.; Norouzi, H.; Ewing, H. A.

    2017-12-01

    Lake water quality is declining nationwide and has become a tremendous point of interest. Remote sensing (RS) data have provided the ability to efficiently study oceans and terrestrial systems over space and time. However, fresh water systems, especially small, nutrient poor lakes have only recently been assessed using remote sensing technology. Prior research suggests that there is poor satellite sensitivity to lakes with low chlorophyll a (chl a) values. This study focuses on the potential to utilize Landsat 8 satellite imagery to predict chl a and Secchi disk transparency values from Lake Auburn, Maine, an oligo-mesotrophic lake that is the primary source of drinking water for the cities of Lewiston and Auburn and has had an increasing number of algal blooms. A total of 28 Landsat scenes from 2013-2017 within 4 days of in-lake measurements were collected for band value extraction and radiometric correction. Band combinations were explored and analyzed to obtain the most reliable prediction of in-lake chl a and Secchi disk values. A nonlinear combination of bands 5 and 4 for chl a, and bands 3 and 2 for Secchi disk transparency show the most promising algorithms, with correlations coefficients of 0.57 and 0.74, respectively. The resultant algorithms show promise for utilizing RS data to estimate water quality for a large array of low-nutrient lakes in northern North America, and thereby to gain a better understanding of water quality of our vital fresh water resources.

  6. Characterization of the radiation environment of the inner heliosphere using LRO/CRaTER and EMMREM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joyce, Colin J.

    2016-08-01

    I provide a characterization of the radiation environment of the inner heliosphere from mid-2009 to present using measurements made by the Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER) aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and modelling provided by the Earth-Moon-Mars Radiation Environment Module (EMMREM). In the course of this study, I analyze solar energetic particle (SEP) radiation in the form of four major solar events that occurred during this time range as well as the evolution of galactic cosmic ray (GCR) modulation over a period in which relatively calm solar conditions have resulted in the highest GCR fluxes measured in the space age. Using CRaTER measurements taken during three major solar events that occurred in 2012, I demonstrate a validation of the online PREDICCS system (Predictions of radiation from REleASE, EMMREM, and Data Incorporating CRaTER, COSTEP, and other SEP measurements), which uses EMMREM to provide near real-time radiation modelling at the Earth, Moon and Mars, finding PREDICCS to be quite accurate in modelling the peak dose rates and total accumulated doses for major solar events. Having demonstrated the accuracy of PREDICCS/EMMREM in modelling SEP events, EMMREM is used to provide an analysis of the potential radiation hazard of the extreme solar event observed by STEREO A on 23 July 2012, an event which has drawn comparisons to the historic Carrington event due to the exceptional size and record speed of the interplanetary coronal mass ejection associated with it. Such an event might be viewed as something like a worst case scenario in terms of the threat of SEP radiation to astronauts, however the evidence shown here suggests that, with the benefit of heavy protective shielding, astronauts would not have been exposed to levels of radiation that approach NASA's permissible exposure limits. These findings add to a mounting set of evidence which suggests that, contrary to conventional wisdom, the largest radiation

  7. RADIAL DEPENDENCE OF THE FREQUENCY BREAK BETWEEN FLUID AND KINETIC SCALES IN THE SOLAR WIND FLUCTUATIONS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bruno, R.; Trenchi, L., E-mail: roberto.bruno@iaps.inaf.it [INAF-IAPS Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma (Italy)

    2014-06-01

    We investigate the radial dependence of the spectral break separating the inertial from the dissipation range in power density spectra of interplanetary magnetic field fluctuations, between 0.42 and 5.3 AU, during radial alignments between MESSENGER and WIND for the inner heliosphere and between WIND and ULYSSES for the outer heliosphere. We found that the spectral break moves to higher and higher frequencies as the heliocentric distance decreases. The radial dependence of the corresponding wavenumber is of the kind κ {sub b} ∼ R {sup –1.08}, in good agreement with that of the wavenumber derived from the linear resonance condition for proton cyclotron damping. These results support conclusions from previous studies which suggest that a cyclotron-resonant dissipation mechanism must participate in the spectral cascade together with other possible kinetic noncyclotron-resonant mechanisms.

  8. Visualizing the Heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bridgman, William T.; Shirah, Greg W.; Mitchell, Horace G.

    2008-01-01

    Today, scientific data and models can combine with modern animation tools to produce compelling visualizations to inform and educate. The Scientific Visualization Studio at Goddard Space Flight Center merges these techniques from the very different worlds of entertainment and science to enable scientists and the general public to 'see the unseeable' in new ways.

  9. Investigating Systematic Errors of the Interstellar Flow Longitude Derived from the Pickup Ion Cutoff

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taut, A.; Berger, L.; Drews, C.; Bower, J.; Keilbach, D.; Lee, M. A.; Moebius, E.; Wimmer-Schweingruber, R. F.

    2017-12-01

    Complementary to the direct neutral particle measurements performed by e.g. IBEX, the measurement of PickUp Ions (PUIs) constitutes a diagnostic tool to investigate the local interstellar medium. PUIs are former neutral particles that have been ionized in the inner heliosphere. Subsequently, they are picked up by the solar wind and its frozen-in magnetic field. Due to this process, a characteristic Velocity Distribution Function (VDF) with a sharp cutoff evolves, which carries information about the PUI's injection speed and thus the former neutral particle velocity. The symmetry of the injection speed about the interstellar flow vector is used to derive the interstellar flow longitude from PUI measurements. Using He PUI data obtained by the PLASTIC sensor on STEREO A, we investigate how this concept may be affected by systematic errors. The PUI VDF strongly depends on the orientation of the local interplanetary magnetic field. Recently injected PUIs with speeds just below the cutoff speed typically form a highly anisotropic torus distribution in velocity space, which leads to a longitudinal transport for certain magnetic field orientation. Therefore, we investigate how the selection of magnetic field configurations in the data affects the result for the interstellar flow longitude that we derive from the PUI cutoff. Indeed, we find that the results follow a systematic trend with the filtered magnetic field angles that can lead to a shift of the result up to 5°. In turn, this means that every value for the interstellar flow longitude derived from the PUI cutoff is affected by a systematic error depending on the utilized magnetic field orientations. Here, we present our observations, discuss possible reasons for the systematic trend we discovered, and indicate selections that may minimize the systematic errors.

  10. The aquatic optics of Lake Tahoe, California-Nevada

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swift, Theodore John

    The causes of visual clarity decline and variability in Lake Tahoe, USA, were investigated within the framework of hydrologic optics theory. Ultra-oligotrophic subalpine (1898 m elevation) Lake Tahoe is among the world's clearest, deepest (499 m) and largest (500 km2), representing a unique environmental and economic resource. University of California Davis has documented a ˜0.3 m y-1 trend of decreasing Secchi depth, with ˜3 m interannual variations. Previous work strongly suggested two seasonal modes due to independent processes: A June minimum is due primarily to tributary sediment discharge during snowmelt. A December minimum is due to the deepening mixed layer bringing up phytoplankton and other particles that form a deep particle maximum (DCM) well below the summer mixed layer and Secchi depth stratum. SEM and elemental analysis confirmed as much as 60 percent of near-surface suspended particles were of terrestrial inorganic origin in summer, with inorganic particles minimal (˜20 percent) in winter. Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) light absorption in Tahoe is extremely low, comparable to pelagic marine waters, and plays a minor role in clarity loss in Tahoe. However, CDOM reduces ultraviolet light penetration. Mean absorption is 0.040 +/- 0.003 m-1 at 400 nm with 0.023 +/- 0.004 nm-1 exponential slope. The CDOM appears to be autochthonous (phytoplankton), rather than allocthonous (terrestrial humic substances). Chlorophyll-specific particulate absorption is similar to that found for temperate oceans, implying that ocean color models can be successfully applied to Lake Tahoe. Chlorophyll-specific diffuse attenuation along with increased scattering by sediments has caused an upward shift of the DCM from 60--90 m (early 1970s) to 40--70 m recently. Increased attenuation will reduce benthic relative to pelagic primary production. Since measurements in 1971, the lake's color has shifted slightly from blue towards green, though more seasonal

  11. Solar Sentinels: Report of the Science and Technology Definition Team

    Science.gov (United States)

    2006-01-01

    The goal of NASA s Living With a Star (LWS) program is to develop the scientific understanding necessary to effectively address those aspects of the connected Sun Earth system that directly affect life and society. Along with the other elements of LWS, Solar Sentinels aims to discover, understand, and model the heliospheric initiation, propagation, and solar connection of those energetic phenomena that adversely affect space exploration and life and society here on Earth. The Solar Sentinels mission will address the following questions: (1) How, where, and under what circumstances are solar energetic particles (SEPs) accelerated to high energies and how do they propagate through the heliosphere? And (2) How are solar wind structures associated with these SEPs, like CMEs, shocks, and high-speed streams, initiated, propagate, evolve, and interact in the inner heliosphere? The Sentinels STDT recommends implementing this mission in two portions, one optimized for inner heliospheric in-situ measurements and the other for solar remote observations. Sentinels will greatly enhance the overall LWS science return.

  12. The impact of a hydroelectric power plant on the sediment load in downstream water bodies, Svartisen, northern Norway.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bogen, J; Bønsnes, T E

    2001-02-05

    When the Svartisen hydroelectric power plant was put into operation, extensive sediment pollution was observed in the downstream fjord area. This paper discusses the impact of the power plant and the contribution from various sources of sediment. Computation of the sediment load was based on samples collected one to four times per day. Grain size distribution analyses of suspended sediments were carried out and used as input in a routing model to study the movement of sediments through the system. Suspended sediment delivered to the fjord before the power station was constructed was measured as 8360 metric tons as an annual mean for a 12-year period. During the years 1995-1996 when the power plant was operating, the total suspended load through the power station was measured as 32609 and 30254 metric tons, respectively. Grain size distribution analyses indicate a major change in the composition of the sediments from 9% clay before the power plant was operative to 50-60% clay afterwards. This change, together with the increase in sediment load, is believed to be one of the main causes of the drastic reduction in secchi depths in the fjord. The effect of the suspended sediment load on the fjord water turbidity was evaluated by co-plotting secchi depth and power station water discharge. Measurements during 1995 and 1996 showed that at the innermost of these locations the water failed to attain the minimum requirement of 2 m secchi depth. In later years secchi depths were above the specified level. In 1997 and 1998 the conditions improved. At the more distal locality, the conditions were acceptable with only a few exceptions. A routing model was applied to data acquired at a location 2 km from the power station in order to calculate the contributions from various sediment sources. This model indicated that the contribution from reservoir bed erosion dominated in 1994 but decreased significantly in 1995. Future operation of the power station will mostly take place with

  13. Reduced cover of drifting macroalgae following nutrient reduction in Danish coastald waters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Jonas Ribergaard; Dromph, Karsten Mikael; Göke, Cordula

    2015-01-01

    conditions and environmental characteristics. The cover of drifting algae was positively related to total nitrogen concentration and Secchi depth but negatively related to exposure, salinity and mean summer temperature. The cover of drifting macroalgae showed significant declines over the past two decades...

  14. Double radio sources and the new approach to cosmical plasma physics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alfven, H.

    1978-01-01

    The methodology of cosmic plasma physics is discussed. It is hazardous to try to describe plasma phenomena by theories which have not been carefully tested experimentally. One present approach is to rely on laboratory measurements and in situ measurements in the magnetosphere and heliosphere, and to approach galactic phenomena by scaling up the wellknown phenomena to galactic dimensions. A summary is given of laboratory investigations of electric double layers, a phenomenon which is known to be very important in laboratory discharges. A summary is also given of the in situ measurements in the magnetosphere by which the importance of electric double layers in the Earth's surrounding is established. The scaling laws between laboratory and magnetospheric double layers are studied. The successful scaling between laboratory and magnetospheric phenomena encourages an extrapolation to heliospheric phenomena. A further extrapolation to galactic phenomena leads to a theory of double radio sources. In analogy with the Sun which, acting as a homopolar inductor, energizes the heliospheric current system, a rotating magnetized galaxy should produce a similar current system. From analogy with laboratory and magnetospheric current systems it is argued that the galactic current might produce double layers where a large energy dissipation takes place. This leads to a theory of the double radio sources which, within the necessary wide limits of uncertainty, is quantitatively reconcilable with observations. (Auth.)

  15. UPDATED ANALYSIS OF THE UPWIND INTERPLANETARY HYDROGEN VELOCITY AS OBSERVED BY THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE DURING SOLAR CYCLE 23

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vincent, Frederic E.; Ben-Jaffel, Lotfi; Harris, Walter M.

    2011-01-01

    The interplanetary hydrogen (IPH), a population of neutrals that fill the space between planets inside the heliosphere, carries the signature of the interstellar medium (ISM) and the heliospheric interface. As the incoming ISM-ionized component deflects at the heliopause, charge exchange reactions decelerate the bulk motion of the neutrals that penetrate the heliosphere. Inside the heliosphere, the IPH bulk velocity is further affected by solar gravity, radiation pressure, and ionization processes, with the latter two processes dependent on solar activity. Solar cycle 23 provided the first partial temporal map of the IPH velocity, including measurements from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) spectrometers (Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS) and Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS)) and the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/Solar Wind ANisotropies (SWAN) instrument. We present an updated analysis of IPH velocity measurements from GHRS and STIS and compare these results with those of SWAN and two different time-dependent models. Our reanalysis of STIS data reveals a significant change in IPH velocity relative to earlier reports, because of the contamination by geocoronal oxygen that was not accounted for. While current models of the heliospheric interface predict the observed IPH velocity for solar maximum, they are not consistent with data covering solar minimum. With updates to the HST data points, we now find that all data can be fit by the existing models to within 1σ, with the exception of SWAN observations taken at solar minimum (1997/1998). We conclude that the current data lack the temporal coverage and/or precision necessary to determine the detailed characteristics of the solar cycle dependence. Hence, new observations are merited.

  16. The Integrated Science Investigation of the Sun (ISIS): Energetic Particle Measurements for the Solar Probe Plus Mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    McComas, D. J.; Christian, E. R.; Wiedenbeck, M. E.; McNutt, R. L.; Cummings, A. C.; Desai, M. I.; Giacalone, J.; Hill, M. E.; Mewaldt, R. A.; Krimigis, SA. M.; hide

    2011-01-01

    One of the major goals of NASA's Solar Probe Plus (SPP) mission is to determine the mechanisms that accelerate and transport high-energy particles from the solar atmosphere out into the heliosphere. Processes such as coronal mass ejections and solar flares, which peak roughly every 11 years around solar maximum, release huge quantities of energized matter, magnetic fields and electromagnetic radiation into space. The high-energy particles, known as solar energetic particles or SEPs, present a serious radiation threat to human explorers living and working outside low-Earth orbit and to technological assets such as communications and scientific satellites in space. This talk describes the Integrated Science Investigation of the Sun (ISIS) - Energetic Particle Instrument suite. ISIS measures key properties such as intensities, energy spectra, composition, and angular distributions of the low-energy suprathermal source populations, as well as the more hazardous, higher energy particles ejected from the Sun. By making the first-ever direct measurements of the near-Sun regions where the acceleration takes place, ISIS will provide the critical measurements that, when integrated with other SPP instruments and with solar and interplanetary observations, will lead to a revolutionary new understanding of the Sun and major drivers of solar system space weather.

  17. The interplanetary magnetic field observed by Juno enroute to Jupiter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gruesbeck, Jacob R.; Gershman, Daniel J.; Espley, Jared R.; Connerney, John E. P.

    2017-06-01

    The Juno spacecraft was launched on 5 August 2011 and spent nearly 5 years traveling through the inner heliosphere on its way to Jupiter. The Magnetic Field Investigation was powered on shortly after launch and obtained vector measurements of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) at sample rates from 1 to 64 samples/second. The evolution of the magnetic field with radial distance from the Sun is compared to similar observations obtained by Voyager 1 and 2 and the Ulysses spacecraft, allowing a comparison of the radial evolution between prior solar cycles and the current depressed one. During the current solar cycle, the strength of the IMF has decreased throughout the inner heliosphere. A comparison of the variance of the normal component of the magnetic field shows that near Earth the variability of the IMF is similar during all three solar cycles but may be less at greater radial distances.

  18. The Interplanetary Magnetic Field Observed by Juno Enroute to Jupiter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gruesbeck, Jacob R.; Gershman, Daniel J.; Espley, Jared R.; Connerney, John E. P.

    2017-01-01

    The Juno spacecraft was launched on 5 August 2011 and spent nearly 5 years traveling through the inner heliosphere on its way to Jupiter. The Magnetic Field Investigation was powered on shortly after launch and obtained vector measurements of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) at sample rates from 1 to 64 samples/second. The evolution of the magnetic field with radial distance from the Sun is compared to similar observations obtained by Voyager 1 and 2 and the Ulysses spacecraft, allowing a comparison of the radial evolution between prior solar cycles and the current depressed one. During the current solar cycle, the strength of the IMF has decreased throughout the inner heliosphere. A comparison of the variance of the normal component of the magnetic field shows that near Earth the variability of the IMF is similar during all three solar cycles but may be less at greater radial distances.

  19. Limnological studies on the Pretoria Salt Pan, a hypersaline maar lake

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Ashton, PJ

    1983-01-01

    Full Text Available The Pretoria Salt pan is shallow and alkaline with pronounced mesothermy at a depth of between 0.55 and 0.7 metres. Secchi disc transparencies ranged from 7 to 19 cm. Endorheic or closed drainage basins are widely distributed in many climate...

  20. Historical changes in optical properties of Roskilde Fjord, during a period of decreasing nutrient load

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Troels Møller; Nielsen, Søren Laurentius; Jensen, Kaj Sand

    attenuation of 34% is observed along with deceases in Chl a and POM concentrations of 71% and 84%, respectively. Analysis of simultaneous changes in light attenuation and secchi depth indicates that changes in scatter-toabsorption ratio accompanied the nutrient and Chl a reductions implying reduction...

  1. Model Insensitive and Calibration Independent Method for Determination of the Downstream Neutral Hydrogen Density Through Ly-alpha Glow Observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gangopadhyay, P.; Judge, D. L.

    1996-01-01

    Our knowledge of the various heliospheric phenomena (location of the solar wind termination shock, heliopause configuration and very local interstellar medium parameters) is limited by uncertainties in the available heliospheric plasma models and by calibration uncertainties in the observing instruments. There is, thus, a strong motivation to develop model insensitive and calibration independent methods to reduce the uncertainties in the relevant heliospheric parameters. We have developed such a method to constrain the downstream neutral hydrogen density inside the heliospheric tail. In our approach we have taken advantage of the relative insensitivity of the downstream neutral hydrogen density profile to the specific plasma model adopted. We have also used the fact that the presence of an asymmetric neutral hydrogen cavity surrounding the sun, characteristic of all neutral densities models, results in a higher multiple scattering contribution to the observed glow in the downstream region than in the upstream region. This allows us to approximate the actual density profile with one which is spatially uniform for the purpose of calculating the downstream backscattered glow. Using different spatially constant density profiles, radiative transfer calculations are performed, and the radial dependence of the predicted glow is compared with the observed I/R dependence of Pioneer 10 UV data. Such a comparison bounds the large distance heliospheric neutral hydrogen density in the downstream direction to a value between 0.05 and 0.1/cc.

  2. Muon Excess at Sea Level during the Progress of a Geomagnetic Storm and High-Speed Stream Impact Near the Time of Earth's Heliospheric Sheet Crossing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Augusto, C. R. A.; Navia, C. E.; de Oliveira, M. N.; Nepomuceno, A. A.; Kopenkin, V.; Sinzi, T.

    2017-08-01

    In this article we present results of studying the association between the muon flux variation at ground level, registered by the New-Tupi muon telescopes (22° 53'00'' S, 43° 06'13' W; 3 m above sea level), and the geomagnetic storm on 25 - 29 August 2015 that has raged for several days as a result of a coronal mass ejection (CME) impact on Earth's magnetosphere. A sequence of events started with an M3.5 X-ray class flare on 22 August 2015 at 21:19 UTC. The New-Tupi muon telescopes observed a Forbush decrease (FD) triggered by this geomagnetic storm, which began on 26 August 2015. After Earth crossed the heliospheric current sheet (HCS), an increase in particle flux was observed on 28 August 2015 by spacecraft and ground-level detectors. The observed peak was in temporal coincidence with the impact of a high-speed stream (HSS). We study this increase, which has been observed with a significance above 1.5% by ground-level detectors in different rigidity regimes. We also estimate the lower limit of the energy fluence injected on Earth. In addition, we consider the origin of this increase, such as acceleration of particles by shock waves at the front of the HSS and the focusing effect of the HCS crossing. Our results show possible evidence of a prolonged energetic (up to GeV energies) particle injection within the Earth atmosphere system, driven by the HSS. In most cases, these injected particles are directed to the polar regions. However, the particles from the high-energy tail of the spectrum can reach mid-latitudes, and this could have consequences for the atmospheric chemistry. For instance, the creation of NOx species may be enhanced, and this can lead to increased ozone depletion. This topic requires further study.

  3. Use of Landsat data to predict the trophic state of Minnesota lakes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lillesand, T. M.; Johnson, W. L.; Deuell, R. L.; Lindstrom, O. M.; Meisner, D. E.

    1983-01-01

    Near-concurrent Landsat Multispectral Scanner (MSS) and ground data were obtained for 60 lakes distributed in two Landsat scene areas. The ground data included measurement of secchi disk depth, chlorophyll-a, total phosphorous, turbidity, color, and total nitrogen, as well as Carlson Trophic State Index (TSI) values derived from the first three parameters. The Landsat data best correlated with the TSI values. Prediction models were developed to classify some 100 'test' lakes appearing in the two analysis scenes on the basis of TSI estimates. Clouds, wind, poor image data, small lake size, and shallow lake depth caused some problems in lake TSI prediction. Overall, however, the Landsat-predicted TSI estimates were judged to be very reliable for the secchi-derived TSI estimation, moderately reliable for prediction of the chlorophyll-a TSI, and unreliable for the phosphorous value. Numerous Landsat data extraction procedures were compared, and the success of the Landsat TSI prediction models was a strong function of the procedure employed.

  4. Kerr Reservoir LANDSAT experiment analysis for March 1981

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lecroy, S. R. (Principal Investigator)

    1982-01-01

    LANDSAT radiance data were used in an experiment conducted on the waters of Kerr Reservoir to determine if reliable algorithms could be developed that relate water quality parameters to remotely sensed data. A mix of different types of algorithms using the LANDSAT bands was generated to provide a thorough understanding of the relationships among the data involved. Except for secchi depth, the study demonstrated that for the ranges measured, the algorithms that satisfactorily represented the data encompass a mix of linear and nonlinear forms using only one LANDSAT band. Ratioing techniques did not improve the results since the initial design of the experiment minimized the errors against which this procedure is effective. Good correlations were found for total suspended solids, iron, turbidity, and secchi depth. Marginal correlations were discovered for nitrate and tannin + lignin. Quantification maps of Kerr Reservoir are presented for many of the water quality parameters using the developed algorithms.

  5. Radial and latitudinal dependencies of discontinuities in the solar wind between 0.3 and 19 AU and −80° and +10°

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Söding

    2001-07-01

    Full Text Available Directional discontinuities (DD from 5 missions at 7 different locations between 0.3 and 19 AU and −80° and +10° in the 3D heliosphere are investigated during minimum solar activity. The data are surveyed using the identification criteria of Burlaga (1969 (B and Tsurutani and Smith (1979 (TS. The rate of occurrence depends linearly on the solar wind velocity caused by the geometric effect of investigating a larger plasma volume if the solar wind velocity νsw increases. The radial dependence is proportional to r–0.78 (TS criterion and r–1.28 (B criterion, respectively. This dependence is not only due to an increasing miss rate with increasing distance. The DDs must be unstable or some other physical effect must exist. After normalization of the daily rates to 400 km/s and 1 AU, no dependence on heliographic latitude or on solar wind structures is observable. This means that the DDs are uniformly distributed on a spherical shell. Normalized 64 DD per day are identified with both criteria. But large variations of the daily rate still occur, indicating that other influences must exist. The ratio of the rates of rotational (RDs and tangential discontinuities (TDs depends on the solar wind structures. In high speed streams, relatively more RDs exist than in low speed streams. In the inner heliosphere (r < 10 AU, no radial or latitudinal dependence of the portions of the DD types occur. 55% clear RDs, 10% clear TDs and 33% EDs (either discontinuities are observed, but the portions differ with regard to the criteria used. In the middle heliosphere (10 AU< r < 40 AU, the DD types are more uniformly distributed. The distribution of the directional change ω over the transition evolves to an increase of smaller ω with increasing distance from the sun. The evolution is yielded by the anisotropic RDs with small ω. The spatial thickness dkm in kilometers increases with distance. The thickness drg normalized to the proton gyro radius decreases by a

  6. Physical analysis of multivariate measurements in the Atmospheric high-energy physics experiments within ADEI platform

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Avakyan, K.; Chilingarian, A.; Karapetyan, T.; Chilingaryan, S.

    2017-01-01

    To make transformational scientific progress in Space science and geophysics, the Sun, heliosphere, magnetosphere and different layers of the atmosphere must be studied as a coupled system. Presented paper describes how information on complicated physical processes on Sun, in the heliosphere, magnetosphere and atmosphere can be made immediately assessable for researchers via advanced multivariate visualization system with simple statistical analysis package. Research of the high-energy phenomena in the atmosphere and the atmospheric discharges is of special importance. The relationship between thundercloud electrification, lightning activity, wideband radio emission and particle fluxes have not been yet unambiguously established. One of most intriguing opportunities opening by observation of the high-energy processes in the atmosphere is their relation to lightning initiation. Investigations of the accelerated structures in the geospace plasmas can as well shed light on particle acceleration up to much higher energies in the similar structures of space plasmas in the distant objects of the Universe. (author)

  7. Remote measurement of water color in coastal waters. [spectral radiance data used to obtain quantitative values for chlorophyll and turbidity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weldon, J. W.

    1973-01-01

    An investigation was conducted to develop procedure to obtain quantitative values for chlorophyll and turbidity in coastal waters by observing the changes in spectral radiance of the backscattered spectrum. The technique under consideration consists of Examining Exotech model 20-D spectral radiometer data and determining which radiance ratios best correlated with chlorophyll and turbidity measurements as obtained from analyses of water samples and sechi visibility readings. Preliminary results indicate that there is a correlation between backscattered light and chlorophyll concentration and secchi visibility. The tests were conducted with the spectrometer mounted in a light aircraft over the Mississippi Sound at altitudes of 2.5K, 2.8K and 10K feet.

  8. THE THOMSON SURFACE. I. REALITY AND MYTH

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Howard, T. A.; DeForest, C. E.

    2012-01-01

    The solar corona and heliosphere are visible via sunlight that is Thomson-scattered off free electrons and detected by coronagraphs and heliospheric imagers. It is well known that these instruments are most responsive to material at the 'Thomson surface', the sphere with a diameter passing through both the observer and the Sun. It is less well known that in fact the Thomson scattering efficiency is minimized on the Thomson surface. Unpolarized heliospheric imagers such as STEREO/HI are thus approximately equally responsive to material over more than a 90° range of solar exit angles at each given position in the image plane. We call this range of angles the 'Thomson plateau'. We observe that heliospheric imagers are actually more sensitive to material far from the Thomson surface than close to it, at a fixed radius from the Sun. We review the theory of Thomson scattering as applied to heliospheric imaging, feature detection in the presence of background noise, geometry inference, and feature mass measurement. We show that feature detection is primarily limited by observing geometry and field of view, that the highest sensitivity for detection of density features is to objects close to the observer, that electron surface density inference is independent of geometry across the Thomson plateau, and that mass inference varies with observer distance in all geometries. We demonstrate the sensitivity results with a few examples of features detected by STEREO, far from the Thomson surface.

  9. Visibility of St Lawrence belugas to aerial photography, estimated by direct observation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael CS Kingsley

    2002-07-01

    Full Text Available The depleted population of belugas (Delphinapterus leucas inhabiting the St Lawrence estuary, Canada, was monitored by periodic photographic aerial surveys. In order to correct counts made on aerial survey film and to obtain an estimate of the true size of the population, the diving behaviour and the visibility from the air of these animals was studied. A Secchi-disk turbidity survey in the belugas’ summer range showed that water clarity varied between 1.5 m and 11.6 m. By studying aerial photographs of sheet-plastic models of belugas that had been sunk to different depths below the surface, we found that models of white adults could be seen down to about the same depth as a Secchi disk, but no deeper. Smaller models of dark-grey juveniles could only be seen down to about 50% of Secchi-disk depth. By observing groups of belugas from a hovering helicopter and recording their disappearances and re-appearances, it was found that they were visible for 44.3% of the time, and that an appropriate correction for single photographs would be to multiply the photographic count by about 222% (SE 20%. For surveys in which there was overlap between adjacent frames, the estimated correction would be 209% (SE 16%. This correction factor was slightly conservative and gave an estimate of the true size of the population, based on a single survey, of 1,202 belugas (SE 189 in 1997. An estimate for 1997 based on smoothing 5 surveys 1988–1997 was 1,238 (SE 119.

  10. First Asia-Pacific Regional School of the International Heliophysical Year (IHY) 2007 program

    CERN Document Server

    Gopalswamy, Natchimuthuk; Ambastha, Ashok; Heliophysical Processes

    2010-01-01

    An outgrowth of the first Asia-Pacific Regional School on the International Heliophysical Year (IHY), this volume contains a collection of review articles describing the universal physical processes in the heliospace influenced by solar electromagnetic and mass emissions. The Sun affects the heliosphere in the short term (space weather) and in the long term (space climate) through numerous physical processes that exhibit similarities in various spatial domains of the heliosphere. The articles take into account various aspects of the Sun-heliosphere connection under a systems approach. This volume will serve as a ready reference work for research in the emerging field of heliophysics, which describes the physical processes taking place in the physical space controlled by the Sun out to the local interstellar medium.

  11. Lake restoration by fish removal: Short and Long-term effects in 36 Danish lakes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Søndergaard, Martin; Liboriussen, Lone; Pedersen, Asger Roer

    2008-01-01

    a (Chla), total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), and suspended solids (SS) decreased to 50-70% of the level prior to removal. The most significant and long-lasting effects were found for SS and Secchi depth, whereas the most modest effects were seen for Chla. This probably reflects an efficient...

  12. MODELING THE SOLAR WIND AT THE ULYSSES , VOYAGER , AND NEW HORIZONS SPACECRAFT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, T. K.; Pogorelov, N. V.; Zank, G. P. [Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35805 (United States); Elliott, H. A.; McComas, D. J. [Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78238 (United States)

    2016-11-20

    The outer heliosphere is a dynamic region shaped largely by the interaction between the solar wind and the interstellar medium. While interplanetary magnetic field and plasma observations by the Voyager spacecraft have significantly improved our understanding of this vast region, modeling the outer heliosphere still remains a challenge. We simulate the three-dimensional, time-dependent solar wind flow from 1 to 80 astronomical units (au), where the solar wind is assumed to be supersonic, using a two-fluid model in which protons and interstellar neutral hydrogen atoms are treated as separate fluids. We use 1 day averages of the solar wind parameters from the OMNI data set as inner boundary conditions to reproduce time-dependent effects in a simplified manner which involves interpolation in both space and time. Our model generally agrees with Ulysses data in the inner heliosphere and Voyager data in the outer heliosphere. Ultimately, we present the model solar wind parameters extracted along the trajectory of the New Horizons spacecraft. We compare our results with in situ plasma data taken between 11 and 33 au and at the closest approach to Pluto on 2015 July 14.

  13. Modeling the Solar Wind at the Ulysses, Voyager, and New Horizons Spacecraft

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, T. K.; Pogorelov, N. V.; Zank, G. P.; Elliott, H. A.; McComas, D. J.

    2016-11-01

    The outer heliosphere is a dynamic region shaped largely by the interaction between the solar wind and the interstellar medium. While interplanetary magnetic field and plasma observations by the Voyager spacecraft have significantly improved our understanding of this vast region, modeling the outer heliosphere still remains a challenge. We simulate the three-dimensional, time-dependent solar wind flow from 1 to 80 astronomical units (au), where the solar wind is assumed to be supersonic, using a two-fluid model in which protons and interstellar neutral hydrogen atoms are treated as separate fluids. We use 1 day averages of the solar wind parameters from the OMNI data set as inner boundary conditions to reproduce time-dependent effects in a simplified manner which involves interpolation in both space and time. Our model generally agrees with Ulysses data in the inner heliosphere and Voyager data in the outer heliosphere. Ultimately, we present the model solar wind parameters extracted along the trajectory of the New Horizons spacecraft. We compare our results with in situ plasma data taken between 11 and 33 au and at the closest approach to Pluto on 2015 July 14.

  14. MODELING THE SOLAR WIND AT THE ULYSSES , VOYAGER , AND NEW HORIZONS SPACECRAFT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, T. K.; Pogorelov, N. V.; Zank, G. P.; Elliott, H. A.; McComas, D. J.

    2016-01-01

    The outer heliosphere is a dynamic region shaped largely by the interaction between the solar wind and the interstellar medium. While interplanetary magnetic field and plasma observations by the Voyager spacecraft have significantly improved our understanding of this vast region, modeling the outer heliosphere still remains a challenge. We simulate the three-dimensional, time-dependent solar wind flow from 1 to 80 astronomical units (au), where the solar wind is assumed to be supersonic, using a two-fluid model in which protons and interstellar neutral hydrogen atoms are treated as separate fluids. We use 1 day averages of the solar wind parameters from the OMNI data set as inner boundary conditions to reproduce time-dependent effects in a simplified manner which involves interpolation in both space and time. Our model generally agrees with Ulysses data in the inner heliosphere and Voyager data in the outer heliosphere. Ultimately, we present the model solar wind parameters extracted along the trajectory of the New Horizons spacecraft. We compare our results with in situ plasma data taken between 11 and 33 au and at the closest approach to Pluto on 2015 July 14.

  15. A Model for the Sources of the Slow Solar Wind

    Science.gov (United States)

    Antiochos, S. K.; Mikić, Z.; Titov, V. S.; Lionello, R.; Linker, J. A.

    2011-04-01

    Models for the origin of the slow solar wind must account for two seemingly contradictory observations: the slow wind has the composition of the closed-field corona, implying that it originates from the continuous opening and closing of flux at the boundary between open and closed field. On the other hand, the slow wind also has large angular width, up to ~60°, suggesting that its source extends far from the open-closed boundary. We propose a model that can explain both observations. The key idea is that the source of the slow wind at the Sun is a network of narrow (possibly singular) open-field corridors that map to a web of separatrices and quasi-separatrix layers in the heliosphere. We compute analytically the topology of an open-field corridor and show that it produces a quasi-separatrix layer in the heliosphere that extends to angles far from the heliospheric current sheet. We then use an MHD code and MDI/SOHO observations of the photospheric magnetic field to calculate numerically, with high spatial resolution, the quasi-steady solar wind, and magnetic field for a time period preceding the 2008 August 1 total solar eclipse. Our numerical results imply that, at least for this time period, a web of separatrices (which we term an S-web) forms with sufficient density and extent in the heliosphere to account for the observed properties of the slow wind. We discuss the implications of our S-web model for the structure and dynamics of the corona and heliosphere and propose further tests of the model.

  16. SECONDARY POPULATION OF INTERSTELLAR NEUTRALS seems deflected to the side

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakagawa, H.; Bzowski, M.; Yamazaki, A.; Fukunishi, H.; Watanabe, S.; Takahashi, Y.; Taguchi, M.

    Recently the neutral hydrogen flow in the inner heliosphere was found to be deflected relative to the helium flow by about 4 degrees Lallement et al 2005 The explanation of this delfection offered was a distortion of the heliosphere under the action of an ambient interstellar magnetic field In a separate study a number of data sets pertaining to interstellar neutral atoms obtained with various techniques were compiled and interpreted as due to an inflow of interstellar gas from an ecliptic longitude shifted by 10 - 40 degrees from the canonical upstream interstellar neutral flow direction at 254 degrees Collier et al 2004 The origin and properties of such a flow is still under debate We have performed a cross-experiment analysis of the heliospheric hydrogen and helium photometric observations performed simltaneously by the Nozomi spacecraft between the Earth and Mars orbit and explored possible deflection of hydrogen and helium flows with respect to the canonical upwind direction For the interpretation we used predictions of a state of the art 3D and fully time-dependent model of the neutral gas in the heliosphere with the boundary conditions ionization rates and radiation pressure taken from literature The model includes two populations of the thermal interstellar hydrogen predicted by the highly-reputed Moscow Monte Carlo model of the heliosphere The agreement between the data and simulations is not satifactory when one assumes that the upwind direction is the same for both populations and identical with the direction derived from inerstellar helium

  17. THE EFFECT OF A DYNAMIC INNER HELIOSHEATH THICKNESS ON COSMIC-RAY MODULATION

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Manuel, R.; Ferreira, S. E. S.; Potgieter, M. S.

    2015-01-01

    The time-dependent modulation of galactic cosmic rays in the heliosphere is studied over different polarity cycles by computing 2.5 GV proton intensities using a two-dimensional, time-dependent modulation model. By incorporating recent theoretical advances in the relevant transport parameters in the model, we showed in previous work that this approach gave realistic computed intensities over a solar cycle. New in this work is that a time dependence of the solar wind termination shock (TS) position is implemented in our model to study the effect of a dynamic inner heliosheath thickness (the region between the TS and heliopause) on the solar modulation of galactic cosmic rays. The study reveals that changes in the inner heliosheath thickness, arising from a time-dependent shock position, does affect cosmic-ray intensities everywhere in the heliosphere over a solar cycle, with the smallest effect in the innermost heliosphere. A time-dependent TS position causes a phase difference between the solar activity periods and the corresponding intensity periods. The maximum intensities in response to a solar minimum activity period are found to be dependent on the time-dependent TS profile. It is found that changing the width of the inner heliosheath with time over a solar cycle can shift the time of when the maximum or minimum cosmic-ray intensities occur at various distances throughout the heliosphere, but more significantly in the outer heliosphere. The time-dependent extent of the inner heliosheath, as affected by solar activity conditions, is thus an additional time-dependent factor to be considered in the long-term modulation of cosmic rays

  18. Properties of the Plasma Surrounding the Global Heliosphere Determined with Voyager 1&2 ions and ENA/INCA Observations at E > 5 keV

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krimigis, S. M.; Dialynas, K.; Mitchell, D. G.; Decker, R. B.; Roelof, E. C.

    2016-12-01

    The basic goal of the proposed Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) is detailed scientific understanding of the Heliosheath (HS) and beyond, a region of space explored in situ by Voyager 1 (V1) since 2004, Voyager 2 (V2) since 2007, and remotely via energetic neutral atoms (ENA) by the Cassini/INCA (5.2-55 keV) since 2003 and IBEX (0.3-6 keV) since 2009. The partial overlap in energies (28 5 keV, the rest residing below that range, resulting in a beta (particle/magnetic pressure) always > 1, typically >10. (2) Based on the ENA-derived hot ion pressures, the interstellar magnetic field (ISMF) was predicted to be more than twice that expected in the literature i.e. similar to what was measured by V1 after crossing the heliopause (B 0.5 nT). (3) The width of the HS in the direction of V1 is 30 AU (predicted by INCA before the V1 HP crossing), but is thought to be larger (40-70 AU) in the southern ecliptic where V2, now 30 AU into the HS, currently travels. We address here the key question of the source of 5-55 keV ENAs that INCA measures. The analysis of INCA all-sky maps from 2003 to 2014 show that the decrease and recovery of ENA in the global heliosphere during this period (declining phase of SC23 and rise of SC24) is similar to that of the ions at V1/V2, consistent with the HS ions being the source of ENA. The close correspondence between ENA and ion spectra (despite the 140 AU distance between V1 and V2) as well as the similarity of ENA spectra over the nose and anti-nose directions, together with the recent V1 measurement of a BISMF 0.5nT, suggest that the global distributions of >5 keV ions in the heliosheath resembles a diamagnetic bubble with no significant tail-like feature (the alternative Parker 1961 model), also consistent with some recent MHD simulations and models.

  19. On the Theory of Sunspots Proposed by Signor Kirchoff

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Secchi A.

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Eileen Reeves (Department of Comparative Literature, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, 08544 and Mary Posani (Department of French and Italian, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 43221 provide a translation of Father Pietro Angelo Secchi’s classic work “ Secchi A. Sulla Teoria Delle Macchie Solari: Proposta dal sig. Kirchoff” as it appeared in Bullettino Meteorologico dell’ Osservatorio del Collegio Romano , 31 January 1864, v.3(4, 1–4. This was the first treatise to propose a partic- ulate photosphere floating on the gaseous body of the Sun. The idea would dominate astrophysical thought for the next 50 years. Secchi appears to have drafted the article, as a response to Gustav Kirchhoff’s proposal, echoing early Galilean ideas, that sunspots represented clouds which floated above the photosphere. Other than presenting a new solar model, noteworthy aspects of this work include Secchi’s appropriate insistence that materials do not emit the same light at the same temperature and his gentle rebuke of Kirchhoff relative to commenting on questions of astronomy.

  20. A Model fot the Sources of the Slow Solar Wind

    Science.gov (United States)

    Antiochos, S. K.; Mikic, Z.; Titov, V. S.; Lionello, R.; Linker, J. A.

    2011-01-01

    Models for the origin of the slow solar wind must account for two seemingly contradictory observations: the slow wind has the composition of the closed-field corona, implying that it originates from the continuous opening and closing of flux at the boundary between open and closed field. On the other hand, the slow wind also has large angular width, up to approx.60deg, suggesting that its source extends far from the open-closed boundary. We propose a model that can explain both observations. The key idea is that the source of the slow wind at the Sun is a network of narrow (possibly singular) open-field corridors that map to a web of separatrices and quasi-separatrix layers in the heliosphere. We compute analytically the topology of an open-field corridor and show that it produces a quasi-separatrix layer in the heliosphere that extends to angles far from the heliospheric current sheet. We then use an MHD code and MDI/SOHO observations of the photospheric magnetic field to calculate numerically, with high spatial resolution, the quasi-steady solar wind, and magnetic field for a time period preceding the 2008 August 1 total solar eclipse. Our numerical results imply that, at least for this time period, a web of separatrices (which we term an S-web) forms with sufficient density and extent in the heliosphere to account for the observed properties of the slow wind. We discuss the implications of our S-web model for the structure and dynamics of the corona and heliosphere and propose further tests of the model. Key words: solar wind - Sun: corona - Sun: magnetic topology

  1. Response times of Cassini/INCA > 5.2 keV ENAs and Voyager ions in the heliosheath over the solar cycle

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dialynas, K.; Krimigis, S. M.; Mitchell, D. G.; Decker, R. B.; Roelof, E. C.

    2017-09-01

    Both a magnetosphere-like tail and a bubble model of the heliosphere were posited by E. N. Parker in 1961. Recently, we showed that heliosheath ions are the source of > 5.2 keV Energetic Neutral Atoms (ENA), whose images of the heliosphere exhibit a rough nose to anti-nose (tail) global symmetry that resembles a diamagnetic bubble. The comparison between energetic neutral atom (ENA) global images of the helioshphere obtained with the Ion and Neutral Camera (INCA) on board Cassini and ions measured in-situ by the Low Energy Charged Particle experiment (LECP) on board Voyager 1 and 2 (V1/V2) in overlapping energy bands over an 11-year period shows that the heliosphere responds promptly, within ∼2-3 years, to outward propagating solar wind changes in both the nose and tail directions. Here we focus on the recovery of solar cycle 24 and the response times of > 5.2 keV ENAs to show that this ∼2-3-year time delay is consistent with a “tail” of ∼80-120 AU. This preliminary rough calculation is generally consistent with lower energy ENA data (E < 6 keV, from the IBEX-Lo and IBEX-Hi) and is supported by recent modelling of the heliosphere.

  2. Badhwar - O'Neill 2014 Galactic Cosmic Ray Flux Model Description

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Neill, P. M.; Golge, S.; Slaba, T. C.

    2014-01-01

    The Badhwar-O'Neill (BON) Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) model is based on GCR measurements from particle detectors. The model has mainly been used by NASA to certify microelectronic systems and the analysis of radiation health risks to astronauts in space missions. The BON14 model numerically solves the Fokker-Planck differential equation to account for particle transport in the heliosphere due to diffusion, convection, and adiabatic deceleration under the assumption of a spherically symmetric heliosphere. The model also incorporates an empirical time delay function to account for the lag of the solar activity to reach the boundary of the heliosphere. This technical paper describes the most recent improvements in parameter fits to the BON model (BON14). Using a comprehensive measurement database, it is shown that BON14 is significantly improved over the previous version, BON11.

  3. SOLAR ENERGETIC PARTICLE EVENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE 2012 JULY 23 EXTREME SOLAR STORM

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhu, Bei; Liu, Ying D.; Hu, Huidong; Wang, Rui; Yang, Zhongwei [State Key Laboratory of Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Luhmann, Janet G., E-mail: liuxying@spaceweather.ac.cn [Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)

    2016-08-20

    We study the solar energetic particle (SEP) event associated with the 2012 July 23 extreme solar storm, for which Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) and the spacecraft at L1 provide multi-point remote sensing and in situ observations. The extreme solar storm, with a superfast shock and extremely enhanced ejecta magnetic fields observed near 1 au at STEREO A , was caused by the combination of successive coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Meanwhile, energetic particles were observed by STEREO and near-Earth spacecraft such as the Advanced Composition Explorer and SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory , suggesting a wide longitudinal spread of the particles at 1 au. Combining the SEP observations with in situ plasma and magnetic field measurements, we investigate the longitudinal distribution of the SEP event in connection with the associated shock and CMEs. Our results underscore the complex magnetic configuration of the inner heliosphere formed by solar eruptions. Examination of particle intensities, proton anisotropy distributions, element abundance ratios, magnetic connectivity, and spectra also gives important clues for particle acceleration, transport, and distribution.

  4. Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwadron, N. A.; Moebius, E.; Spence, H. E.; Opher, M.; Kasper, J.; Zurbuchen, T. H.; Mewaldt, R.

    2016-01-01

    Our piece of cosmic real estate, the heliosphere, is the domain of all human existence – an astrophysical case history of the successful evolution of life in a habitable system. By exploring our global heliosphere and its myriad interactions, we develop key physical knowledge of the interstellar interactions that influence exoplanetary habitability as well as the distant history and destiny of our solar system and world. IBEX is the first mission to explore the global heliosphere and in concert with Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 is discovering a fundamentally new and uncharted physical domain of the outer heliosphere. In parallel, Cassini/INCA maps the global heliosphere at energies (∼5-55 keV) above those measured by IBEX. The enigmatic IBEX ribbon and the INCA belt were unanticipated discoveries demonstrating that much of what we know or think we understand about the outer heliosphere needs to be revised. This paper summarizes the next quantum leap enabled by IMAP that will open new windows on the frontier of Heliophysics at a time when the space environment is rapidly evolving. IMAP with 100 times the combined resolution and sensitivity of IBEX and INCA will discover the substructure of the IBEX ribbon and will reveal, with unprecedented resolution, global maps of our heliosphere. The remarkable synergy between IMAP, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 will remain for at least the next decade as Voyager 1 pushes further into the interstellar domain and Voyager 2 moves through the heliosheath. Voyager 2 moves outward in the same region of sky covered by a portion of the IBEX ribbon. Voyager 2’s plasma measurements will create singular opportunities for discovery in the context of IMAP's global measurements. IMAP, like ACE before, will be a keystone of the Heliophysics System Observatory by providing comprehensive measurements of interstellar neutral atoms and pickup ions, the solar wind distribution, composition, and magnetic field, as well as suprathermal ion

  5. Solar magnetic field - 1976 through 1985: an atlas of photospheric magnetic field observations and computed coronal magnetic fields from the John M. Wilcox Solar Observatory at Stanford, 1976-1985

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoeksema, J.T.; Scherrer, P.H.

    1986-01-01

    Daily magnetogram observations of the large-scale photospheric magnetic field have been made at the John M. Wilcox Solar Observatory at Stanford since May of 1976. These measurements provide a homogeneous record of the changing solar field through most of Solar Cycle 21. Using the photospheric data, the configuration of the coronal and heliospheric fields can be calculated using a Potential Field -- Source Surface model. This provides a 3-dimensional picture of the heliospheric field-evolution during the solar cycle. In this report the authors present the complete set of synoptic charts of the measured photospheric magnetic field, the computed field at the source surface, and the coefficients of the multipole expansion of the coronal field. The general underlying structure of the solar and heliospheric fields, which determine the environment for solar - terrestrial relations and provide the context within which solar-activity-related events occur, can be approximated from these data

  6. Solar Energetic Particle Composition over Two Solar Cycles as Observed by the Ulysses/HISCALE and ACE/EPAM Pulse Height Analyzers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patterson, J. D.; Madanian, H.; Manweiler, J. W.; Lanzerotti, L. J.

    2017-12-01

    We present the compositional variation in the Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) population in the inner heliosphere over two solar cycles using data from the Ulysses Heliospheric Instrument for Spectra, Composition, and Anisotropy at Low Energies (HISCALE) and Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) Electron Proton Alpha Monitor (EPAM). The Ulysses mission was active from late 1990 to mid-2009 in a heliopolar orbit inclined by 80° with a perihelion of 1.3 AU and an aphelion of 5.4 AU. The ACE mission has been active since its launch in late 1997 and is in a halo orbit about L1. These two missions provide a total of 27 years of continuous observation in the inner heliosphere with twelve years of simultaneous observation. HISCALE and EPAM data provide species-resolved differential flux and density of SEP between 0.5-5 MeV/nuc. Several ion species (He, C, O, Ne, Si, Fe) are identified using the Pulse Height Analyzer (PHA) system of the Composition Aperture for both instruments. The He density shows a noticeable increase at high solar activity followed by a moderate drop at the quiet time of the solar minimum between cycles 23 and 24. The density of heavier ions (i.e. O and Fe) change minimally with respect to the F10.7 index variations however, certain energy-specific count rates decrease during solar minimum. With Ulysses and ACE observing in different regions of the inner heliosphere, there are significant latitudinal differences in how the O/He ratios vary with the solar cycle. At solar minimum, there is reasonable agreement between the observations from both instruments. At solar max 23, the differences in composition over the course of the solar cycle, and as observed at different heliospheric locations can provide insight to the origins of and acceleration processes differentially affecting solar energetic ions.

  7. Challenges in the determination of the interstellar flow longitude from the pickup ion cutoff

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taut, A.; Berger, L.; Möbius, E.; Drews, C.; Heidrich-Meisner, V.; Keilbach, D.; Lee, M. A.; Wimmer-Schweingruber, R. F.

    2018-03-01

    Context. The interstellar flow longitude corresponds to the Sun's direction of movement relative to the local interstellar medium. Thus, it constitutes a fundamental parameter for our understanding of the heliosphere and, in particular, its interaction with its surroundings, which is currently investigated by the Interstellar Boundary EXplorer (IBEX). One possibility to derive this parameter is based on pickup ions (PUIs) that are former neutral ions that have been ionized in the inner heliosphere. The neutrals enter the heliosphere as an interstellar wind from the direction of the Sun's movement against the partially ionized interstellar medium. PUIs carry information about the spatial variation of their neutral parent population (density and flow vector field) in their velocity distribution function. From the symmetry of the longitudinal flow velocity distribution, the interstellar flow longitude can be derived. Aim. The aim of this paper is to identify and eliminate systematic errors that are connected to this approach of measuring the interstellar flow longitude; we want to minimize any systematic influences on the result of this analysis and give a reasonable estimate for the uncertainty. Methods: We use He+ data measured by the PLAsma and SupraThermal Ion Composition (PLASTIC) sensor on the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory Ahead (STEREO A) spacecraft. We analyze a recent approach, identify sources of systematic errors, and propose solutions to eliminate them. Furthermore, a method is introduced to estimate the error associated with this approach. Additionally, we investigate how the selection of interplanetary magnetic field angles, which is closely connected to the pickup ion velocity distribution function, affects the result for the interstellar flow longitude. Results: We find that the revised analysis used to address part of the expected systematic effects obtains significantly different results than presented in the previous study. In particular

  8. Back-tracking of primary particle trajectories for muons detected at the Earth surface

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shutenko, V. V.

    2017-01-01

    Investigations of cosmic rays on the surface of the Earth allow to derive information of applied character on the conditions of the interplanetary magnetic field and of the geomagnetic field. For this purpose, it is necessary to collate trajectories of particles detected in the ground-based detector to trajectories of primary cosmic rays in the heliosphere. This problem is solved by means of various back-tracking methods. In this work, one of such methods is presented.

  9. Back-tracking of primary particle trajectories for muons detected at the Earth surface

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shutenko, V V

    2017-01-01

    Investigations of cosmic rays on the surface of the Earth allow to derive information of applied character on the conditions of the interplanetary magnetic field and of the geomagnetic field. For this purpose, it is necessary to collate trajectories of particles detected in the ground-based detector to trajectories of primary cosmic rays in the heliosphere. This problem is solved by means of various back-tracking methods. In this work, one of such methods is presented. (paper)

  10. Pioneer 10/11 data analysis of the trapped radiation experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fillius, W.

    1982-01-01

    The data handling operations and the database produced by the Trapped Radiation Experiment on the NASA Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecraft are outlined. In situ measurements of trapped radiation at both Jupiter and Saturn, the extension of cosmic ray observations to the outer heliosphere, the presence of Jovian electrons in interplanetary space, analyses of the interaction between planetary satellites and the trapped radiation that engulfs them, and further investigations of the radiation enviroments of both planets are reported.

  11. Análisis espectral del Lago de Guadalupe, mediante imágenes de satélite y datos in situ

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raúl Aguirre Gómez

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available El Lago de Guadalupe es un embalse localizado en los alrededores de la Ciudad de México, y recibe un volume considerable de aguas residuales. En este trabajo se presenta un análisis espectral del Lago de Guadalupe utilizando imágenes SPOT y datos colectados in situ. Las mediciones fueron realizadas en los meses de febrero y septiembre de 2006. Las variables medidas incluyen temperatura, pH, clorofila a, transparencia Secchi y datos satelitales, cuasisimultáneos, obtenidos de imágenes SPOT. Este cuerpo de agua es eutrófico, con valores básicos de pH (6.8 – 11.3 y altas concentraciones de clorofila-a (6.9-112.4 μg l-1 y valores bajos de transparencia Secchi. Térmicamente, el lago es cálido monomíctico. Los resultados indican un alto grado de eutrofización, debida principalmente a la presencia de fitoplancton, vegetación sumergida y flotante. La distribución de la vegetación es cuasi-homogénea en el embalse a excepción de un punto de muestreo.

  12. ELECTRON THERMAL CONDUCTION AS A POSSIBLE PHYSICAL MECHANISM TO MAKE THE INNER HELIOSHEATH THINNER

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Izmodenov, V. V.; Alexashov, D. B.; Ruderman, M. S.

    2014-01-01

    We show that electron thermal conductivity may strongly affect the heliosheath plasma flow and the global pattern of the solar wind's interaction with the local interstellar medium. In particular, it leads to strong reduction of the inner heliosheath thickness, which makes it possible to explain (qualitatively) why Voyager 1 (V1) has crossed the heliopause at an unexpectedly small heliocentric distance of 122 AU. To estimate the effect of thermal conductivity, we consider a limiting case when thermal conduction is very effective. To do that, we assume the plasma flow in the entire heliosphere is nearly isothermal. Due to this effect, the heliospheric distance of the termination shock has increased by about 15 AU in the V1 direction compared with the adiabatic case with γ = 5/3. The heliospheric distance of the heliopause has decreased by about 27 AU. As a result, the thickness of the inner heliosheath in the model has decreased by about 42 AU and has become equal to 32 AU

  13. 3D Visualization of Solar Data: Preparing for Solar Orbiter and Parker Solar Probe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mueller, D.; Nicula, B.; Felix, S.; Verstringe, F.; Bourgoignie, B.; Csillaghy, A.; Berghmans, D.; Jiggens, P.; Ireland, J.; Fleck, B.

    2017-12-01

    Solar Orbiter and Parker Solar Probe will focus on exploring the linkage between the Sun and the heliosphere. These new missions will collect unique data that will allow us to study, e.g., the coupling between macroscopic physical processes to those on kinetic scales, the generation of solar energetic particles and their propagation into the heliosphere and the origin and acceleration of solar wind plasma. Combined with the several petabytes of data from NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, the scientific community will soon have access to multi­dimensional remote-sensing and complex in-situ observations from different vantage points, complemented by petabytes of simulation data. Answering overarching science questions like "How do solar transients drive heliospheric variability and space weather?" will only be possible if the community has the necessary tools at hand. In this contribution, we will present recent progress in visualizing the Sun and its magnetic field in 3D using the open-source JHelioviewer framework, which is part of the ESA/NASA Helioviewer Project.

  14. ULYSSES comes full circle, before revisiting the Sun's poles

    Science.gov (United States)

    1998-04-01

    Ulysses discovered unusually strong magnetic waves in the polar regions. Another surprise concerns unexpected connections between the polar and equatorial regions. Rhythmic variations in the intensity of energetic particles and cosmic rays, recorded by Ulysses at high latitudes, originate in effects of the Sun's rotation much closer to the equator. Scientists are debating how their picture of the magnetic field in the heliosphere must change, to make sense of the Ulysses observations. Without this new knowledge of the solar wind's behaviour, and its widespread effects, shocks felt in the Earth's vicinity would remain incomprehensible. For two centuries, sketchy links between sunspots, auroras and magnetic storms have puzzled scientists. Results from Ulysses and other solar spacecraft, including ESA's SOHO and Cluster II, are expected to transform human understanding of solar-terrestrial events. The task is urgent because astronauts and technological systems are becoming ever more vulnerable to the stormy Sun. After the quiet Sun, a peak of activity When Ulysses conducted the first-ever investigation of the high-latitude heliosphere, the Sun was quiet, being near the minimum of solar activity. As scientists expected, the circumstances were ideal for revealing the underlying structure of the Sun's atmosphere and the solar wind, in their simplest form. With the first phase of the voyage safely and very productively completed, Ulysses faces a new challenge, as it continues along its unique path. Obeying a cycle of roughly eleven years, the Sun is once again becoming restless as sunspot activity builds towards the next peak around 2000. When Ulysses revisits the polar regions at that time it will encounter conditions vastly different from those of 1994-95. The international mission of exploration has already given a new and thought-provoking view of the heliosphere. Its findings at solar maximum are guaranteed to do the same, and to give new insights into the gusts and shocks

  15. On the Structure of the Solar Photosphere

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Secchi A.

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Mary Posani (Department of French and Italian, The Ohio State University, Colum- bus, Ohio, 43221 and Eileen Reeves (Department of Comparative Literature, Prince- ton University, Princeton, New Jersey, 08544 provide a translation of Father Pietro Angelo Secchi’s classic work “ Sulla Struttura della Fotosfera Solare ” as it appeared in Bullettino Meteorologico dell’ Osservatorio del Collegio Romano , 30 November 1864, v.3(11, 1–3. Secchi’s paper was immediately translated into French by l’Abb ́ e Franc ̧ois Moigno appearing on December 22nd, 1864 ( Sur la structure de la photosph`ere du soleil. Les Mondes , 1864, v.6, 703–707. Moigno’s translation prompted significant interest in the nature of the Sun throughout Europe, with rapid claims of simultaneous discovery by Harv ́ e Faye (Faye H. Sur la constitution physique du soleil — premiere parti . Les Mondes, v.7, 293–306 and others. In this article, Secchi reiterated that the photosphere was composed of solid corpuscles floating on the transparent atmosphere of the Sun. Secchi concluded that the body of the Sun was gaseous based on his vi- sualization of solar granules or “ willow leaves ” described by Nasmyth (Nasmyth J. On the Structure of the Luminous Envelope of the Sun — In a letter to Joseph Sidebotham . Memoirs of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Manchester , 1862, 3rd Series, v.I, 407–411. Secchi also referred to Magnus’ work on solid particles in the gaseous flame (Magnus G. Notiz ̈uber die Bescha enheit der Sonne. Poggendorff’s Annalen der Physik und Chemie , 1864, v.121, 510–512; also in French Notice sur la constitution du soleil . Archives des science physique et naturelles (Gen`eve , 1864, v.20, 171–175. The works by Sechhi, Nasmyth, Magnus, and Faye would dominate astrophysical thought for the next 50 years.

  16. Space physics strategy-implementation study. Volume 1: Goals, objectives, strategy. A report to the Space Physics Subcommittee of the Space Science and Applications Advisory Committee

    Science.gov (United States)

    1991-01-01

    Space physics is defined as the study of the heliosphere as one system; that is, of the Sun and solar wind, and their interactions with the upper atmospheres, ionospheres, and magnetospheres of the planets and comets, with energetic particles, and with the interstellar medium. This report contains a number of reports by different panels on the major topics in the space physics program including: (1) the cosmic and heliospheric physics program for the years 1995 to 2010; (2) ionosphere, thermosphere, and mesosphere studies; (3) magnetospheric physics; (4) solar physics; and (5) space physics theory.

  17. Analysis of selected microflares observed by SphinX over the last minimum of solar activity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siarkowski, Marek; Sylwester, Janusz; Sylwester, Barbara; Gryciuk, Magdalena

    The Solar Photometer in X-rays (SphinX) was designed to observe soft X-ray solar emission in the energy range between 1 keV and 15 keV with the resolution better than 0.5 keV. The instrument operated from February until November 2009 aboard CORONAS-Photon satellite, during the phase of exceptionally low minimum of solar activity. Here we use SphinX data for analysis of selected microflare-class events. We selected events of unusual lightcurves or location. Our study involves determination of temporal characteristics (times of start, maximum and end of flares) and analysis of physical conditions in flaring plasma (temperature, emission measure). Dedicated method has been used in order to remove emission not related to flare. Supplementary information about morphology and evolution of investigated events has been derived from the analysis of XRT/Hinode and SECCHI /STEREO images.

  18. Image compression software for the SOHO LASCO and EIT experiments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grunes, Mitchell R.; Howard, Russell A.; Hoppel, Karl; Mango, Stephen A.; Wang, Dennis

    1994-01-01

    This paper describes the lossless and lossy image compression algorithms to be used on board the Solar Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) in conjunction with the Large Angle Spectrometric Coronograph and Extreme Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope experiments. It also shows preliminary results obtained using similar prior imagery and discusses the lossy compression artifacts which will result. This paper is in part intended for the use of SOHO investigators who need to understand the results of SOHO compression in order to better allocate the transmission bits which they have been allocated.

  19. PRESSURE EQUILIBRIUM BETWEEN THE LOCAL INTERSTELLAR CLOUDS AND THE LOCAL HOT BUBBLE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Snowden, S. L.; Chiao, M.; Collier, M. R.; Porter, F. S.; Thomas, N. E. [NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Cravens, T.; Robertson, I. P. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Kansas, 1251 Wescoe Hall Drive, Lawrence, KS 66045 (United States); Galeazzi, M.; Uprety, Y.; Ursino, E. [Department of Physics, University of Miami, 1320 Campo Sano Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146 (United States); Koutroumpa, D. [Université Versailles St-Quentin, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, CNRS/INSU, LATMOS-IPSL, 11 Boulevard d' Alembert, F-78280 Guyancourt (France); Kuntz, K. D. [The Henry A. Rowland Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Lallement, R.; Puspitarini, L. [GEPI, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS UMR8111, Université Paris Diderot, 5 Place Jules Janssen, F-92190 Meudon (France); Lepri, S. T. [University of Michigan, 2455 Hayward Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); McCammon, D.; Morgan, K. [Department of Physics, University of Wisconsin, 1150 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706 (United States); Walsh, B. M., E-mail: steven.l.snowden@nasa.gov [Space Sciences Laboratory, 7 Gauss Way, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)

    2014-08-10

    Three recent results related to the heliosphere and the local interstellar medium (ISM) have provided an improved insight into the distribution and conditions of material in the solar neighborhood. These are the measurement of the magnetic field outside of the heliosphere by Voyager 1, the improved mapping of the three-dimensional structure of neutral material surrounding the Local Cavity using extensive ISM absorption line and reddening data, and a sounding rocket flight which observed the heliospheric helium focusing cone in X-rays and provided a robust estimate of the contribution of solar wind charge exchange emission to the ROSAT All-Sky Survey 1/4 keV band data. Combining these disparate results, we show that the thermal pressure of the plasma in the Local Hot Bubble (LHB) is P/k = 10, 700 cm{sup –3} K. If the LHB is relatively free of a global magnetic field, it can easily be in pressure (thermal plus magnetic field) equilibrium with the local interstellar clouds, eliminating a long-standing discrepancy in models of the local ISM.

  20. Understanding the usage of the Helioviewer Project clients and services

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ireland, J.; Zahniy, S.; Mueller, D.; Nicula, B.; Verstringe, F.; Bourgoignie, B.; Buchlin, E.; Alingery, P.

    2017-12-01

    The Helioviewer Project enables visual exploration of the Sun and the inner heliosphere for everyone, everywhere via intuitive interfaces and novel technology. The project mainly develops two clients, helioviewer.org and JHelioviewer, and the server-side capabilities accessed via those clients. Images from many different ground and space-based sources are currently available from multiple servers. Solar and heliospheric feature and event information, magnetic field extrapolations and important time-series can also be browsed and visualized using Helioviewer Project clients. Users of the Helioviewer Project have made over two million movies and many millions of screenshots since detailed (and anonymous) logging of Helioviewer Project usage was implemented in February 2011. These usage logs are analyzed to give a detailed breakdown on user interaction with solar and heliospheric data via Helioviewer Project clients and services. We present summary statistics on how our users are using our clients and services, which data they are interested in, and how they choose to interact with different data sources. At the poster presentation we will also be soliciting ideas from the community to improve our clients and services.

  1. Deciphering the Local Interstellar Spectra of Primary Cosmic-Ray Species with HELMOD

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boschini, M. J.; Della Torre, S.; Gervasi, M.; Grandi, D.; Jóhannesson, G.; La Vacca, G.; Masi, N.; Moskalenko, I. V.; Pensotti, S.; Porter, T. A.; Quadrani, L.; Rancoita, P. G.; Rozza, D.; Tacconi, M.

    2018-05-01

    Local interstellar spectra (LIS) of primary cosmic ray (CR) nuclei, such as helium, oxygen, and mostly primary carbon are derived for the rigidity range from 10 MV to ∼200 TV using the most recent experimental results combined with the state-of-the-art models for CR propagation in the Galaxy and in the heliosphere. Two propagation packages, GALPROP and HELMOD, are combined into a single framework that is used to reproduce direct measurements of CR species at different modulation levels, and at both polarities of the solar magnetic field. The developed iterative maximum-likelihood method uses GALPROP-predicted LIS as input to HELMOD, which provides the modulated spectra for specific time periods of the selected experiments for model–data comparison. The interstellar and heliospheric propagation parameters derived in this study are consistent with our prior analyses using the same methodology for propagation of CR protons, helium, antiprotons, and electrons. The resulting LIS accommodate a variety of measurements made in the local interstellar space (Voyager 1) and deep inside the heliosphere at low (ACE/CRIS, HEAO-3) and high energies (PAMELA, AMS-02).

  2. A NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF COSMIC RAY MODULATION NEAR THE HELIOPAUSE. II. SOME PHYSICAL INSIGHTS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luo, Xi; Feng, Xueshang; Potgieter, Marius S.; Du Toit Strauss, R.; Zhang, Ming; Pogorelov, Nikolai V.

    2016-01-01

    Cosmic ray (CR) transport near the heliopause (HP) is studied using a hybrid transport model, with the parameters constrained by observations from the Voyager 1 spacecraft. We simulate the CR radial flux along different directions in the heliosphere. There is no well-defined thin layer between the solar wind region and the interstellar region along the tail and polar directions of the heliosphere. By analyzing the radial flux curve along the direction of Voyager 2 , together with its trajectory information, the crossing time of the HP by Voyager 2 is predicted to be in 2017.14. We simulate the CR radial flux for different energy values along the direction of Voyager 1 . We find that there is only a modest modulation region of about 10 au wide beyond the HP, so that Voyager 1 observing the Local Interstellar Spectra is justified in numerical modeling. We analyze the heliospheric exit information of pseudo-particles in our stochastic numerical (time-backward) method, conjecturing that they represent the behavior of CR particles, and we find that pseudo-particles that have been traced from the nose region exit in the tail region. This implies that many CR particles diffuse directly from the heliospheric tail region to the nose region near the HP. In addition, when pseudo-particles were traced from the Local Interstellar Medium (LISM), it is found that their exit location (entrance for real particles) from the simulation domain is along the prescribed Interstellar Magnetic Field direction. This indicates that parallel diffusion dominates CR particle transport in the LISM.

  3. High Time-Resolved Kinetic Temperatures of Solar Wind Minor Ions Measured with SOHO/CELIAS/CTOF

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janitzek, N. P.; Berger, L.; Drews, C.; Wimmer-Schweingruber, R. F.

    2017-12-01

    Solar wind heavy ions with an atomic number Z > 2 are referred to as minor ions since they represent a fraction of less than one percent of all solar wind ions. They can be therefore regarded as test particles, only reacting to but not driving the dynamics of the solar wind plasma, which makes them a unique diagnostic tool for plasma wave phenomena both in the solar atmosphere and the extended heliosphere. In the past, several studies have investigated the kinetic temperatures of minor ions, but due to low counting statistics these studies are based on ion velocity distribution functions (VDFs) recorded over time periods of several hours. The Charge Time-Of-Flight (CTOF) mass spectrometer as part of the Charge, ELement and Isotope Analysis System (CELIAS) onboard the SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) provides solar wind heavy ion 1D radial VDFs with excellent charge state separation, an unprecedented cadence of 5 minutes and very high counting statistics, exceeding similar state-of-the-art instruments by a factor of ten. In our study, based on CTOF measurements at Langrangian point L1 between DOY 150 and DOY 220 in 1996, we investigate systematically the influence of the VDF time resolution on the derived kinetic temperatures for solar wind silicon and iron ions. The selected ion set spans a wide range of mass-per-charge from 3 amu/e heavy ions with ion-cyclotron waves.

  4. The Helium Warm Breeze in IBEX Observations As a Result of Charge-exchange Collisions in the Outer Heliosheath

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bzowski, Maciej; Kubiak, Marzena A.; Czechowski, Andrzej; Grygorczuk, Jolanta, E-mail: bzowski@cbk.waw.pl [Space Research Centre PAS (CBK PAN) Bartycka 18A 00-716 Warsaw (Poland)

    2017-08-10

    We simulated the signal due to neutral He atoms, observed by the Interstellar Boundary Explorer ( IBEX ), assuming that charge-exchange collisions between neutral He atoms and He{sup +} ions operate everywhere between the heliopause and a distant source region in the local interstellar cloud, where the neutral and charged components are in thermal equilibrium. We simulated several test cases of the plasma flow within the outer heliosheath (OHS) and investigated the signal generation for plasma flows both in the absence and in the presence of the interstellar magnetic field (ISMF). We found that a signal in the portion of IBEX data identified as being due to the Warm Breeze (WB) does not arise when a homogeneous plasma flow in front of the heliopause is assumed, but it appears immediately when any reasonable disturbance in its flow due to the presence of the heliosphere is assumed. We obtained a good qualitative agreement between the data selected for comparison and the simulations for a model flow with the velocity vector of the unperturbed gas and the direction and intensity of magnetic field adopted from recent determinations. We conclude that direct-sampling observations of neutral He atoms at 1 au from the Sun are a sensitive tool for investigating the flow of interstellar matter in the OHS, that the WB is indeed the secondary population of interstellar helium, which was hypothesized earlier, and that the WB signal is consistent with the heliosphere distorted from axial symmetry by the ISMF.

  5. ON SUN-TO-EARTH PROPAGATION OF CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Ying D.; Luhmann, Janet G.; Möstl, Christian; Bale, Stuart D.; Lin, Robert P.; Lugaz, Noé; Davies, Jackie A.

    2013-01-01

    We investigate how coronal mass ejections (CMEs) propagate through, and interact with, the inner heliosphere between the Sun and Earth, a key question in CME research and space weather forecasting. CME Sun-to-Earth kinematics are constrained by combining wide-angle heliospheric imaging observations, interplanetary radio type II bursts, and in situ measurements from multiple vantage points. We select three events for this study, the 2012 January 19, 23, and March 7 CMEs. Different from previous event studies, this work attempts to create a general picture for CME Sun-to-Earth propagation and compare different techniques for determining CME interplanetary kinematics. Key results are obtained concerning CME Sun-to-Earth propagation: (1) the Sun-to-Earth propagation of fast CMEs can be approximately formulated into three phases: an impulsive acceleration, then a rapid deceleration, and finally a nearly constant speed propagation (or gradual deceleration); (2) the CMEs studied here are still accelerating even after the flare maximum, so energy must be continuously fed into the CME even after the time of the maximum heating and radiation has elapsed in the corona; (3) the rapid deceleration, presumably due to interactions with the ambient medium, mainly occurs over a relatively short timescale following the acceleration phase; and (4) CME-CME interactions seem a common phenomenon close to solar maximum. Our comparison between different techniques (and data sets) has important implications for CME observations and their interpretations: (1) for the current cases, triangulation assuming a compact CME geometry is more reliable than triangulation assuming a spherical front attached to the Sun for distances below 50-70 solar radii from the Sun, but beyond about 100 solar radii we would trust the latter more; (2) a proper treatment of CME geometry must be performed in determining CME Sun-to-Earth kinematics, especially when the CME propagation direction is far away from the

  6. Numerical analysis of three-dimensional MHD shock interactions in an inhomogeneous medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prndergast, M.; Wu, S.T.

    1987-01-01

    Study of the formation and propagation of solar-originated shock waves in heliospheric space has attracted significant attention in the past decade. This attention is important because the propagation of shocks in heliospheric space has been thought of as one of the major physical processes for solar wind and cosmic ray modulations and their subsequent influence on the earth's environment. A version of the two step Lax-Wendroff difference method is used to seek solutions of the unsteady magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations for the study of a solar flare generated shock wave propagating through an inhomogeneous medium. 8 references

  7. Species composition, abundance and distribution of zooplankton in a tropical eutrophic lake: Lake Catemaco, México

    OpenAIRE

    Roberto E. Torres-Orozco B.; Sandra A. Zanatta

    1998-01-01

    From April 1992 to May 1993, zooplankton samples were collected monthly by means of horizontal tows in nine sites of the lake. Prior to the towing, temperature of surface water, transparency (Secchi), pH and dissolved oxygen were evaluated. A total of 31 zooplankton forms, including 14 species of rotifers, three copepods, five cladocerans and one ostracod, as well as protozoans (mainly vorticellids and ciliates), were detected. Rotifers were the dominant organisms, mainly Brachionus havanaens...

  8. Water-quality data for Smith and Bybee Lakes, Portland, Oregon, June to November, 1982

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clifton, Daphne G.

    1983-01-01

    Water-quality monitoring at Smith and Bybee Lakes included measurement of water temperature, dissolved oxygen concentration and percent saturation, pH, specific conductance, lake depth, alkalinity, dissolved carbon, total dissolved solids, secchi disk light transparency, nutrients, and chlorophyll a and b. In addition, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and benthic invertebrate populations were identified and enumerated. Lakebed sediment was analyzed for particle size, volatile solids, immediate oxygen demand, trace metals, total organic carbon, nutrients, and organic constituents. (USGS)

  9. Tres Marias Reservoir, Minas Gerais State: Study of the dispersion of suspended sediments in surface waters using orbital images

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dejesusparada, N. (Principal Investigator); Sausen, T. M.

    1980-01-01

    Computer compatible tapes from LANDSAT were used to compartmentalize the Ires Marias reservoir according to respective grey level spectral response. Interactive and automatic, supervised classification, was executed from the IMAGE-100 system. From the simple correlation analysis and graphic representation, it is shown that grey tone levels are inversely proportional to Secchi Depth values. It is further shown that the most favorable period to conduct an analysis of this type is during the rainy season.

  10. Strobe Light Testing and Kokanee Population Monitoring : Dworshak Dam Impacts Assessment and Fisheries Investigation Project, 97-99 : annual Progress Report for 1998.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maiolie, Melo A.; Harryman, Bill; Ament, William J.

    1999-12-01

    We tested the response of kokanee Oncorhynchus nerka to strobe lights. Testing was conducted on wild, free-ranging fish in their natural environment (i.e., the pelagic region of two large Idaho lakes). Split-beam hydroacoustics were used to record the distance kokanee moved away from the lights as well as the density of kokanee in the area near the lights. In control tests, where the strobe lights were lowered into the lake but kept turned off, kokanee remained within a few meters of the lights. Once the lights began flashing, kokanee quickly moved away from the light source. Kokanee were found to move an average of 30 to 136 m away from the lights in waters with Secchi transparencies from 2.8 to 17.5 m (p=0.00 to p=0.04). Kokanee densities near the lights were significantly lower (p=0.00 to p=0.07) when the lights were turned on than in control samples with no lights flashing. Flash rates of 300, 360, and 450 flashes/min elicited strong avoidance responses from the fish. Kokanee remained at least 24 m away from the lights during our longest test that lasted for 5 h 50 min. Kokanee appeared to be responding to flashes that were well less than 0.00016 lux above background lighting.

  11. Cosmic Ray Modulation and Radiation Dose of Aircrews During Possible Grand Minimum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miyake, S.; Kataoka, R.; Sato, T.; Imada, S.; Miyahara, H.; Shiota, D.; Matsumoto, T.; Ueno, H.

    2017-12-01

    The Sun is exhibiting low solar activity levels since the descending phase of the last solar cycle, and it is likely to be continued as well as in the case of the past grand solar minima. The cosmic-ray modulation, which is the variation of the galactic cosmic ray (GCR) spectrum caused by the heliospheric environmental change, is basically anti-correlated with the solar activity. In the recent weak solar cycle, we thus expect that the flux of GCRs is getting higher than that in the previous solar cycles, leading to the increase in the radiation exposure in the space and atmosphere. In order to quantitatively evaluate the possible solar modulation of GCRs and resultant radiation exposure at flight altitude, we have developed the time-dependent and three-dimensional model of the cosmic-ray modulation. Our model can give the flux of GCRs anywhere in the heliosphere by assuming the variation of the solar wind speed, the strength of the heliospheric magnetic field (HMF), and its tilt angle. We solve the gradient-curvature drift motion of GCRs in the HMF, and therefore reproduce the 22-year variation of the cosmic-ray modulation. We also calculate the neutron monitor counting rate and the radiation dose of aircrews at flight altitude, by the air-shower simulation performed by PHITS (Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System). In our previous study [1], we calculated the radiation dose at a flight altitude during the coming solar cycle by assuming the variation of the solar wind speed and the strength of the HMF expressed by sinusoidal curve, and obtained that an annual radiation dose of aircrews in 5 years around the next solar minimum will be up to 19% higher than that at the last cycle. In this study, we predict the new model of the heliospheric environmental change on the basis of a prediction model for the sunspot number. The quantitative predictions of the cosmic-ray modulation and the radiation dose at a flight altitude during possible Grand Minimum considering

  12. Latest Observations of Interstellar Plasma Waves, Radio Emissions, and Dust Impacts from the Voyager 1 Plasma Wave Instrument

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gurnett, D. A.

    2017-12-01

    Voyager 1, which is now 140 AU (Astronomical Units) from the Sun, crossed the heliopause into interstellar space in 2012 at a heliospheric radial distance of 121 AU. Since crossing the heliopause the plasma wave instrument has on several occasions detected plasma oscillations and radio emissions at or near the electron plasma frequency. The most notable of these events occurred in Oct.-Nov. 2012, April-May 2013, Feb.-Nov. 2014, and Sept.-Nov. 2015. Most recently, a very weak emission has been observed at or near the electron plasma frequency through most of 2016. These emissions are all believed to be produced by shock waves propagating into the interstellar medium from energetic solar events. The oscillation frequency of the plasma indicates that the electron density in the interstellar plasma has gradually increased from about 0.06 cm-3 near the heliopause to about 0.12 cm-3 in the most recent data. The plasma wave instrument also continues to detect impacts of what are believed to be interstellar dust grains at an impact rate of a few per year. Comparisons with Ulysses observations of similar interstellar dust near 5 AU suggest that the dust grains have sizes in the range from about 0.1 to 1 micrometer. Although the statistics are poor due to the low count rate, the dust flux observed in the outer heliosphere appears to be as much as a factor of two greater than that observed in the interstellar medium. Since the dust particles are likely to be charged, this increase in the heliosphere suggests that there may be a significant electrodynamic interaction of the dust particles with the heliospheric magnetic field.

  13. NANODUST DETECTION BETWEEN 1 AND 5 AU USING CASSINI WAVE MEASUREMENTS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schippers, P.; Vernet, N. Meyer-; Lecacheux, A.; Belheouane, S.; Moncuquet, M. [LESIA—CNRS—Observatoire de Paris, 5 place Jules Janssen, F-92195 Meudon (France); Kurth, W. S. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (United States); Mann, I. [EISCAT Scientific Association, Kiruna, Sweden and Department of Physics Umeå University (Sweden); Mitchell, D. G. [Applied Physics Laboratory, John Hopkins University, Laurel, MD (United States); André, N. [IRAP, 9 Avenue du Colonel Roche, F-31028 Toulouse (France)

    2015-06-10

    The solar system contains solids of all sizes, ranging from kilometer-sized bodies to nano-sized particles. Nanograins have been detected in situ in the Earth's atmosphere, near cometary and giant planet environments, and more recently in the solar wind at 1 AU. The latter nanograins are thought to be formed in the inner solar system dust cloud, mainly through the collisional break-up of larger grains, and are then picked up and accelerated by the magnetized solar wind because of their large charge-to-mass ratio. In the present paper, we analyze the low frequency bursty noise identified in the Cassini radio and plasma wave data during the spacecraft cruise phase inside Jupiter's orbit. The magnitude, spectral shape, and waveform of this broadband noise are consistent with the signatures of the nano particles that traveled at solar wind speed and impinged on the spacecraft surface. Nanoparticles were observed whenever the radio instrument was turned on and able to detect them at different heliocentric distances between Earth and Jupiter, suggesting their ubiquitous presence in the heliosphere. We analyzed the radial dependence of the nanodust flux with heliospheric distance and found that it is consistent with the dynamics of nanodust originating from the inner heliosphere and picked up by the solar wind. The contribution of the nanodust produced in the asteroid belt appears to be negligible compared to the trapping region in the inner heliosphere. In contrast, further out, nanodust is mainly produced by the volcanism of active moons such as Io and Enceladus.

  14. The Ulysses mission: An introduction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marsden, R.G.

    1996-01-01

    On 30 September 1995, Ulysses completed its initial, highly successful, survey of the polar regions of the heliosphere in both southern and northern hemispheres, thereby fulfilling its prime mission. The results obtained to date are leading to a revision of many earlier ideas concerning the solar wind and the heliosphere. Now embarking on the second phase of the mission, Ulysses will continue along its out-of-ecliptic flight path for another complete orbit of the Sun. In contrast to the high-latitude phase of the prime mission, which occurred near solar minimum, the next polar passes (in 2000 and 2001) will take place when the Sun is at its most active

  15. Coordinated science with the Solar Orbiter, Solar Probe Plus, Interhelioprobe and SPORT missions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maksimovic, Milan; Vourlidas, Angelos; Zimovets, Ivan; Velli, Marco; Zhukov, Andrei; Kuznetsov, Vladimir; Liu, Ying; Bale, Stuart; Ming, Xiong

    The concurrent science operations of the ESA Solar Orbiter (SO), NASA Solar Probe Plus (SPP), Russian Interhelioprobe (IHP) and Chinese SPORT missions will offer a truly unique epoch in heliospheric science. While each mission will achieve its own important science objectives, taken together the four missions will be capable of doing the multi-point measurements required to address many problems in Heliophysics such as the coronal origin of the solar wind plasma and magnetic field or the way the Solar transients drive the heliospheric variability. In this presentation, we discuss the capabilities of the four missions and the Science synergy that will be realized by concurrent operations

  16. 3D Embedded Reconfigurable SoC for Expediting Magnetometric Space Missions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dekoulis, George

    2016-07-01

    This paper describes the development of a state-of-the-art three-dimensional embedded reconfigurable System-on-Chip (SoC) for accelerating the design of future magnetometric space missions. This involves measurements of planetary magnetic fields or measurements of heliospheric physics events' signatures superimposed on the aggregate measurements of the stronger planetary fields. The functionality of the embedded core is fully customizable, therefore, its operation is independent of the magnetic sensor being used. Standard calibration procedures still apply for setting the magnetometer measurements to the desired initial state and removing any seriatim interference inferred by the adjacent environment. The system acts as a pathfinder for future high-resolution heliospheric space missions.

  17. PARTICLE SCATTERING OFF OF RIGHT-HANDED DISPERSIVE WAVES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schreiner, C.; Kilian, P.; Spanier, F., E-mail: cschreiner@astro.uni-wuerzburg.de [Centre for Space Research, North-West University, 2520 Potchefstroom (South Africa)

    2017-01-10

    Resonant scattering of fast particles off low frequency plasma waves is a major process determining transport characteristics of energetic particles in the heliosphere and contributing to their acceleration. Usually, only Alfvén waves are considered for this process, although dispersive waves are also present throughout the heliosphere. We investigate resonant interaction of energetic electrons with dispersive, right-handed waves. For the interaction of particles and a single wave a variable transformation into the rest frame of the wave can be performed. Here, well-established analytic models derived in the framework of magnetostatic quasi-linear theory can be used as a reference to validate simulation results. However, this approach fails as soon as several dispersive waves are involved. Based on analytic solutions modeling the scattering amplitude in the magnetostatic limit, we present an approach to modify these equations for use in the plasma frame. Thereby we aim at a description of particle scattering in the presence of several waves. A particle-in-cell code is employed to study wave–particle scattering on a micro-physically correct level and to test the modified model equations. We investigate the interactions of electrons at different energies (from 1 keV to 1 MeV) and right-handed waves with various amplitudes. Differences between model and simulation arise in the case of high amplitudes or several waves. Analyzing the trajectories of single particles we find no microscopic diffusion in the case of a single plasma wave, although a broadening of the particle distribution can be observed.

  18. Tracking Streamer Blobs Into the Heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-05-20

    SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT Same as Report (SAR) 18. NUMBER OF PAGES 10 19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON a. REPORT...NASA/GSFC (US), RAL (UK), UB- HAM (UK), MPS (Germany), CSL (Belgium), IOTA (France), and IAS (France). In the US, funding was provided by NASA, in the

  19. Ion Mass Spectrometer for Heliospheric Missions

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — We are developing and IMS that can be used to measure the solar wind ion composition and measure interstellar pick up ions. This instrument will support a future...

  20. Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vondrak, Richard R. (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics (LEP) performs experimental and theoretical research on the heliosphere, the interstellar medium, and the magnetospheres and upper atmospheres of the planets, including Earth. LEP space scientists investigate the structure and dynamics of the magnetospheres of the planets including Earth. Their research programs encompass the magnetic fields intrinsic to many planetary bodies as well as their charged-particle environments and plasma-wave emissions. The LEP also conducts research into the nature of planetary ionospheres and their coupling to both the upper atmospheres and their magnetospheres. Finally, the LEP carries out a broad-based research program in heliospheric physics covering the origins of the solar wind, its propagation outward through the solar system all the way to its termination where it encounters the local interstellar medium. Special emphasis is placed on the study of solar coronal mass ejections (CME's), shock waves, and the structure and properties of the fast and slow solar wind. LEP planetary scientists study the chemistry and physics of planetary stratospheres and tropospheres and of solar system bodies including meteorites, asteroids, comets, and planets. The LEP conducts a focused program in astronomy, particularly in the infrared and in short as well as very long radio wavelengths. We also perform an extensive program of laboratory research, including spectroscopy and physical chemistry related to astronomical objects. The Laboratory proposes, develops, fabricates, and integrates experiments on Earth-orbiting, planetary, and heliospheric spacecraft to measure the characteristics of planetary atmospheres and magnetic fields, and electromagnetic fields and plasmas in space. We design and develop spectrometric instrumentation for continuum and spectral line observations in the x-ray, gamma-ray, infrared, and radio regimes; these are flown on spacecraft to study

  1. Anisotropic Behaviour of Magnetic Power Spectra in Solar Wind Turbulence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banerjee, S.; Saur, J.; Gerick, F.; von Papen, M.

    2017-12-01

    Introduction:High altitude fast solar wind turbulence (SWT) shows different spectral properties as a function of the angle between the flow direction and the scale dependent mean magnetic field (Horbury et al., PRL, 2008). The average magnetic power contained in the near perpendicular direction (80º-90º) was found to be approximately 5 times larger than the average power in the parallel direction (0º- 10º). In addition, the parallel power spectra was found to give a steeper (-2) power law than the perpendicular power spectral density (PSD) which followed a near Kolmogorov slope (-5/3). Similar anisotropic behaviour has also been observed (Chen et al., MNRAS, 2011) for slow solar wind (SSW), but using a different method exploiting multi-spacecraft data of Cluster. Purpose:In the current study, using Ulysses data, we investigate (i) the anisotropic behaviour of near ecliptic slow solar wind using the same methodology (described below) as that of Horbury et al. (2008) and (ii) the dependence of the anisotropic behaviour of SWT as a function of the heliospheric latitude.Method:We apply the wavelet method to calculate the turbulent power spectra of the magnetic field fluctuations parallel and perpendicular to the local mean magnetic field (LMF). According to Horbury et al., LMF for a given scale (or size) is obtained using an envelope of the envelope of that size. Results:(i) SSW intervals always show near -5/3 perpendicular spectra. Unlike the fast solar wind (FSW) intervals, for SSW, we often find intervals where power parallel to the mean field is not observed. For a few intervals with sufficient power in parallel direction, slow wind turbulence also exhibit -2 parallel spectra similar to FSW.(ii) The behaviours of parallel and perpendicular power spectra are found to be independent of the heliospheric latitude. Conclusion:In the current study we do not find significant influence of the heliospheric latitude on the spectral slopes of parallel and perpendicular

  2. Assessing the ecological effects of human impacts on coral reefs in Bocas del Toro, Panama.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seemann, Janina; González, Cindy T; Carballo-Bolaños, Rodrigo; Berry, Kathryn; Heiss, Georg A; Struck, Ulrich; Leinfelder, Reinhold R

    2014-03-01

    Environmental and biological reef monitoring was conducted in Almirante Bay (Bahía Almirante) in Bocas del Toro, Panama, to assess impacts from anthropogenic developments. An integrated monitoring investigated how seasonal temperature stress, turbidity, eutrophication and physical impacts threatened reef health and biodiversity throughout the region. Environmental parameters such as total suspended solids [TSS], carbon isotopes (δ(13)C), C/N ratios, chlorophyll a, irradiance, secchi depth, size fractions of the sediments and isotope composition of dissolved inorganic carbon [DIC] of the water were measured throughout the years 2010 and 2011 and were analysed in order to identify different impact sources. Compared to data from Collin et al. (Smithsonian Contributions to the Marine Sciences 38:324-334, 2009) chlorophyll a has doubled at sites close to the city and the port Almirante (from 0.46-0.49 to 0.78-0.97 μg l(-1)) and suspension load increased, visible by a decrease in secchi depth values. Visibility decreased from 9-13 m down to 4 m at the bay inlet Boca del Drago, which is strongly exposed to river run off and dredging for the shipping traffic. Eutrophication and turbidity levels seemed to be the determining factor for the loss of hard coral diversity, most significant at chlorophyll a levels higher than 0.5 μg l(-1) and TSS levels higher than 4.7 mg l(-1). Hard coral cover within the bay has also declined, at some sites down to turbidity and eutrophication compared to other hard coral species in the bay. Serious overfishing was detected in the region by a lack of adult and carnivorous fish species, such as grunts, snappers and groupers. Study sites less impacted by anthropogenic activities and/or those with local protection showed a higher hard coral cover and fish abundance; however, an overall loss of hard coral diversity was observed.

  3. Spatial modelling of marine organisms in Forsmark and Oskarshamn. Including calculation of physical predictor variables

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Carlen, Ida; Nikolopoulos, Anna; Isaeus, Martin (AquaBiota Water Research, Stockholm (SE))

    2007-06-15

    GIS grids (maps) of marine parameters were created using point data from previous site investigations in the Forsmark and Oskarshamn areas. The proportion of global radiation reaching the sea bottom in Forsmark and Oskarshamn was calculated in ArcView, using Secchi depth measurements and the digital elevation models for the respective area. The number of days per year when the incoming light exceeds 5 MJ/m2 at the bottom was then calculated using the result of the previous calculations together with measured global radiation. Existing modelled grid-point data on bottom and pelagic temperature for Forsmark were interpolated to create surface covering grids. Bottom and pelagic temperature grids for Oskarshamn were calculated using point measurements to achieve yearly averages for a few points and then using regressions with existing grids to create new maps. Phytoplankton primary production in Forsmark was calculated using point measurements of chlorophyll and irradiance, and a regression with a modelled grid of Secchi depth. Distribution of biomass of macrophyte communities in Forsmark and Oskarshamn was calculated using spatial modelling in GRASP, based on field data from previous surveys. Physical parameters such as those described above were used as predictor variables. Distribution of biomass of different functional groups of fish in Forsmark was calculated using spatial modelling based on previous surveys and with predictor variables such as physical parameters and results from macrophyte modelling. All results are presented as maps in the report. The quality of the modelled predictions varies as a consequence of the quality and amount of the input data, the ecology and knowledge of the predicted phenomena, and by the modelling technique used. A substantial part of the variation is not described by the models, which should be expected for biological modelling. Therefore, the resulting grids should be used with caution and with this uncertainty kept in mind. All

  4. Spatial modelling of marine organisms in Forsmark and Oskarshamn. Including calculation of physical predictor variables

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carlen, Ida; Nikolopoulos, Anna; Isaeus, Martin

    2007-06-01

    GIS grids (maps) of marine parameters were created using point data from previous site investigations in the Forsmark and Oskarshamn areas. The proportion of global radiation reaching the sea bottom in Forsmark and Oskarshamn was calculated in ArcView, using Secchi depth measurements and the digital elevation models for the respective area. The number of days per year when the incoming light exceeds 5 MJ/m2 at the bottom was then calculated using the result of the previous calculations together with measured global radiation. Existing modelled grid-point data on bottom and pelagic temperature for Forsmark were interpolated to create surface covering grids. Bottom and pelagic temperature grids for Oskarshamn were calculated using point measurements to achieve yearly averages for a few points and then using regressions with existing grids to create new maps. Phytoplankton primary production in Forsmark was calculated using point measurements of chlorophyll and irradiance, and a regression with a modelled grid of Secchi depth. Distribution of biomass of macrophyte communities in Forsmark and Oskarshamn was calculated using spatial modelling in GRASP, based on field data from previous surveys. Physical parameters such as those described above were used as predictor variables. Distribution of biomass of different functional groups of fish in Forsmark was calculated using spatial modelling based on previous surveys and with predictor variables such as physical parameters and results from macrophyte modelling. All results are presented as maps in the report. The quality of the modelled predictions varies as a consequence of the quality and amount of the input data, the ecology and knowledge of the predicted phenomena, and by the modelling technique used. A substantial part of the variation is not described by the models, which should be expected for biological modelling. Therefore, the resulting grids should be used with caution and with this uncertainty kept in mind. All

  5. Effect of substrate on periphyton communities and relationships among food web components in shallow hypertrophic lake

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomasz Mieczan

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available We studied the role of natural (common reed and artificial substrata (bamboo in structuring the abundance and taxonomic composition of periphyton assemblages. Investigations were conducted in a shallow, hypertrophic lake situated in the area of Polesie Lubelskie (Eastern Poland. Periphyton communities (algae, ciliates, small metazoa and chironomids on both types of substratum were sampled monthly, from May to November of 2007. Water samples for chemical analysis were collected together with biological samples. We selected the group of ten environmental variables which are the most important in determining the habitat conditions in highly eutrophic lakes: temperature, Secchi disc visibility, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, periphytic chlorophyll-a, N-NO3, N-NH4, TP, P-PO4 and total organic carbon (TOC. The abundances of periphytic algae, ciliates, metazoa and chironomids were significantly affected by season and substrate. On natural substrata, in all studied months, periphyton communities showed higher abundances. The results of PCA analysis confirmed the distinction between periphyton communities on natural and artificial substrata. The Monte Carlo permutation test showed that the periphyton communities on common reed were the most significantly affected by temperature, N-NO3, Secchi disc visibility and TOC. The communities on artificial substrata were significantly influenced by temperature, P-PO4 and TOC. On natural substrata biomass of periphytic algae was significantly negatively correlated with abundances of all groups of potential grazers (ciliates, metazoa, chironomids. On artificial substrata the relations between components of periphytic food web were stronger; correlation coefficients between algae, protists and chironomids were significant at P<0.01. The results of analysis indicate that periphytic algae can play an important role as food source for higher trophic levels. These interactions are less significant on natural (reed

  6. Enhanced Spectral Analysis of SEP Reservoir Events by OMNIWeb Multi-Source Browse Services of the Space Physics Data Facility and the Virtual Energetic Particle Observatory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooper, John F.; Papitashvili, Natalia E.; Johnson, Rita C.; McGuire, Robert

    2015-04-01

    The NASA Space Physics Data Facility and Virtual Energetic Particle Observatory (VEPO) have jointly upgraded the highly used OMNIWeb services for heliospheric solar wind data to also include energetic electron, proton, and heavier ion data in a variety of graphical browse formats. The underlying OMNI and VEPO data now span just over a half century from 1963 to the present. The new services include overlay of differential flux spectra from multiple instruments and spacecraft, scatter plots of fluxes from two user-selected energy channels, distribution function histograms of selected parameters, and spectrograms of flux vs. energy and time. Users can also overlay directional flux spectra from different angular channels. Data from most current and some past (Helios 1&2, Pioneer 10&11) heliospheric spacecraft and instruments are wholly or partially covered by these evolving new services. The traditional OMNI service of correlating magnetic field and plasma data from L1 to 1 AU solar wind sources is also being extended for other spacecraft, e.g. Voyager 1 and 2, to correlations with energetic particle channels. The user capability is, for example, demonstrated to rapidly scan through particle flux spectra from consecutive time periods for so-called “reservoir” events, in which solar energetic particle flux spectra converge in shape and amplitude from multiple spacecraft sources within the inner heliosphere. Such events are important for understanding spectral evolution of global heliospheric events and for intercalibration of flux data from multiple instruments of the same and different spacecraft. These services are accessible at http://omniweb.gsfc.nasa.gov/. SPDF and VEPO are separately accessible at http://spdf.gsfc.nasa.gov/ and http://vepo.gsfc.nasa.gov/.In the future we will propose to extend OMNIWeb particle flux data coverage to the plasma and suprathermal energy range.

  7. Anisotropies in TeV Cosmic Rays Related to the Local Interstellar Magnetic Field from the IBEX Ribbon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schwadron, N A; Moebius, E; Adams, F C; Christian, E; Desiati, P; Frisch, P; Funsten, H O; Jokipii, J R; McComas, D J; Zank, G P

    2015-01-01

    The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) observes enhanced Energetic Neutral Atoms (ENAs) emission in the keV energy range from a narrow (∼20° wide) ''ribbon'' in the sky that appears to be centered on the direction of the local interstellar (LIS) magnetic field. The Milagro collaboration, the Asγ collaboration and the IceCube observatory have recently made global maps of cosmic ray fluxes in the TeV energy range, revealing anisotropic structures ordered in part by the local interstellar magnetic field and the interstellar flow. This paper following from a recent publication in Science makes the link between these disparate observations by developing a simple model of the magnetic structure surrounding the heliosphere in the Local Interstellar Medium (LISM) that is consistent with both IBEX ENA fluxes and TeV cosmic ray anisotropies. The model also employs the revised velocity direction of the LIC derived from neutral He observations by IBEX. By modeling the propagation of cosmic rays through this magnetic field structure, we specifically show that (1) the large-scale TeV anisotropy provides a roughly consistent orientation for the local interstellar magnetic field at the center of the IBEX Ribbon and corroborates the ∼ 3 μG magnitude of the local interstellar magnetic field derived from IBEX observations of the global heliosphere; (2) and small-scale structures in cosmic rays (over < 30° angular scales) are influenced by the interstellar field interaction with the heliosphere at energies < 10 TeV. Thus, we provide a link between IBEX ENA observations, IBEX neutral observations of interstellar He, and TeV cosmic ray anisotropies, which are strongly influenced by the interactions between the local interstellar magnetic field, the flow of the local interstellar plasma, and the global heliosphere

  8. Development and Transition of the Radiation, Interplanetary Shocks, and Coronal Sources (RISCS) Toolset

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spann, James F.; Zank, G.

    2014-01-01

    We outline a plan to develop and transition a physics based predictive toolset called The Radiation, Interplanetary Shocks, and Coronal Sources (RISCS) to describe the interplanetary energetic particle and radiation environment throughout the inner heliosphere, including at the Earth. To forecast and "nowcast" the radiation environment requires the fusing of three components: 1) the ability to provide probabilities for incipient solar activity; 2) the use of these probabilities and daily coronal and solar wind observations to model the 3D spatial and temporal heliosphere, including magnetic field structure and transients, within 10 Astronomical Units; and 3) the ability to model the acceleration and transport of energetic particles based on current and anticipated coronal and heliospheric conditions. We describe how to address 1) - 3) based on our existing, well developed, and validated codes and models. The goal of RISCS toolset is to provide an operational forecast and "nowcast" capability that will a) predict solar energetic particle (SEP) intensities; b) spectra for protons and heavy ions; c) predict maximum energies and their duration; d) SEP composition; e) cosmic ray intensities, and f) plasma parameters, including shock arrival times, strength and obliquity at any given heliospheric location and time. The toolset would have a 72 hour predicative capability, with associated probabilistic bounds, that would be updated hourly thereafter to improve the predicted event(s) and reduce the associated probability bounds. The RISCS toolset would be highly adaptable and portable, capable of running on a variety of platforms to accommodate various operational needs and requirements. The described transition plan is based on a well established approach developed in the Earth Science discipline that ensures that the customer has a tool that meets their needs

  9. Relationships between colored dissolved organic matter and dissolved organic carbon in different coastal gradients of the Baltic Sea

    OpenAIRE

    Harvey, E. Therese; Kratzer, Susanne; Andersson, Agneta

    2015-01-01

    Due to high terrestrial runoff, the Baltic Sea is rich in dissolved organic carbon (DOC), the light-absorbing fraction of which is referred to as colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM). Inputs of DOC and CDOM are predicted to increase with climate change, affecting coastal ecosystems. We found that the relationships between DOC, CDOM, salinity, and Secchi depth all differed between the two coastal areas studied; the W Gulf of Bothnia with high terrestrial input and the NW Baltic Proper with ...

  10. Tales of the City. Storytelling as a contemporary tool of urban planning and design

    OpenAIRE

    Mager, Christophe; Matthey, Laurent

    2015-01-01

    Almost thirty years ago, as the social sciences underwent their ‘discursive turn’, Bernardo Secchi (1984) drew, in what he called the ‘urban planning narrative’, the attention of planners to the production of myths, turning an activity often seen as primarily technical into one centred around the production of images and ideas. This conception of planning practice gave rise to a powerful current of research in English-speaking countries. Efforts were made to both combine the urban planning na...

  11. Optimizing Global Coronal Magnetic Field Models Using Image-Based Constraints

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones-Mecholsky, Shaela I.; Davila, Joseph M.; Uritskiy, Vadim

    2016-01-01

    The coronal magnetic field directly or indirectly affects a majority of the phenomena studied in the heliosphere. It provides energy for coronal heating, controls the release of coronal mass ejections, and drives heliospheric and magnetospheric activity, yet the coronal magnetic field itself has proven difficult to measure. This difficulty has prompted a decades-long effort to develop accurate, timely, models of the field, an effort that continues today. We have developed a method for improving global coronal magnetic field models by incorporating the type of morphological constraints that could be derived from coronal images. Here we report promising initial tests of this approach on two theoretical problems, and discuss opportunities for application.

  12. The Effect of Ambient Water Quality on Lakefront Property Values: Evidence from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liao, H.

    2015-12-01

    Climate warming is causing water temperatures to increase and subsequent changes in water quality. To develop innovative approaches for mitigating the possible negative social consequences of such changes, more research efforts are needed to investigate how people perceive and respond to ambient water quality. This research examines the amenity value of water quality in the areas centered on Lake Coeur d'Alene of Northern Idaho. Through a hedonic analysis, we find that two important water-quality variables have had significant effects on lakefront property values, including Secchi disc reading, a technical measure of water clarity, and the presence of Eurasian watermilfoil, an aquatic invasive species. We further explore the spatial heterogeneity of water-quality benefits along the urban-rural gradient and find that access to urban amenities has strengthened the water-quality benefits in the lakefront housing market. Our findings could be used to incentivize private property owners and stakeholders to commit time and funding to cope with the potential degradation of water quality under climate change.

  13. Modelling cosmic ray intensities along the Ulysses trajectory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. C. Ndiitwani

    2005-03-01

    Full Text Available Time dependent cosmic ray modulation in the inner heliosphere is studied by comparing results from a 2-D, time-dependent cosmic ray transport model with Ulysses observations. A compound approach, which combines the effects of the global changes in the heliospheric magnetic field magnitude with drifts to establish a realistic time-dependence, in the diffusion and drift coefficients, are used. We show that this model results in realistic cosmic ray modulation from the Ulysses launch (1990 until recently (2004 when compared to 2.5-GV electron and proton and 1.2-GV electron and Helium observations from this spacecraft. This approach is also applied to compute radial gradients present in 2.5-GV cosmic ray electron and protons in the inner heliosphere. The observed latitude dependence for both positive and negative charged particles during both the fast latitude scan periods, corresponding to different solar activity conditions, could also be realistically computed. For this an additional reduction in particle drifts (compared to diffusion toward solar maximum is needed. This results in a realistic charge-sign dependent modulation at solar maximum and the model is also applied to predict charge-sign dependent modulation up to the next expected solar minimum.

  14. A Data-driven Model of the Solar Wind, Interstellar Pickup Ions, and Turbulence Throughout the Interplanetary Space

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, T. K.; Kryukov, I.; Pogorelov, N. V.; Elliott, H. A.; Zank, G. P.

    2017-12-01

    The outer heliosphere is an interesting region characterized by the interaction between the solar wind and the interstellar neutral atoms. Having accomplished the mission to Pluto in 2015 and currently on the way to the Kuiper Belt, the New Horizons spacecraft is following the footsteps of the two Voyager spacecraft that previously explored this region lying roughly beyond 30 AU from the Sun. We model the three-dimensional, time-dependent solar wind plasma flow to the outer heliosphere using our own software Multi-Scale Fluid-Kinetic Simulation Suite (MS-FLUKSS), which, in addition to the thermal solar wind plasma, takes into account charge exchange of the solar wind protons with interstellar neutral atoms and treats nonthermal ions (i.e., pickup ions) born during this process as a separate fluid. Additionally, MS-FLUKSS allows us to model turbulence generated by pickup ions. We use MS-FLUKSS to investigate the evolution of plasma and turbulent fluctuations along the trajectory of the New Horizons spacecraft using plasma and turbulence parameters from OMNI data as time-dependent boundary conditions at 1 AU for the Reynolds-averaged MHD equations. We compare the model with in situ plasma observations by New Horizons, Voyager 2, and Ulysses. We also compare the model pickup proton parameters with those derived from the Ulysses-SWICS data.

  15. Time Variations of the Spectral Indices of the Suprathermal Distribution as observed by WIND/STICS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gruesbeck, J. R.; Christian, E. R.; Lepri, S. T.; Thomas, J.; Zurbuchen, T.; Gloeckler, G.

    2011-12-01

    Suprathermal particle spectra, measured in various regions of the heliosphere and heliosheath by Ulysses, ACE and Voyager, have recently been reported. In many cases long accumulation times had to be used to obtain sufficient statistical accuracy, and corrections were necessary, since only a fraction of phase space was measured. The SupraThermal Ion Composition Spectrometer (STICS), onboard Wind, enables observations of the suprathermal plasma in the solar wind at much higher time resolution. In addition, the STICS samples nearly full three-dimensional phase space, enabling measurements of anisotropies. We present a multi-year investigation of the spectral index of the suprathermal distribution, accumulated over 1 day and less, where we see significant time variation. An average lower bound value of the spectral index is at ~ -5, however, there are time periods during which the observed distributions steepen. We will also present an analysis of time and spatial variations of the suprathermal particle fluxes, observed by STICS and other instruments. In particular, we will compare the observed variability with predictions from a model by Bochsler and Moebius, based on data of the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX), who postulated that energetic neutral atoms, from outside of the heliosheath, which then penetrate the inner heliosphere and are finally ionized, could be a source of the very suprathermal populations we observe.

  16. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE HEAVY NEUTRAL ATOMS MEASURED BY IBEX

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Jeewoo; Kucharek, Harald; Möbius, Eberhard; Galli, André; Livadiotis, George; Fuselier, Steve A.; McComas, David J.

    2015-01-01

    We investigate the directional distribution of heavy neutral atoms in the heliosphere by using heavy neutral maps generated with the IBEX-Lo instrument over three years from 2009 to 2011. The interstellar neutral (ISN) O and Ne gas flow was found in the first-year heavy neutral map at 601 keV and its flow direction and temperature were studied. However, due to the low counting statistics, researchers have not treated the full sky maps in detail. The main goal of this study is to evaluate the statistical significance of each pixel in the heavy neutral maps to get a better understanding of the directional distribution of heavy neutral atoms in the heliosphere. Here, we examine three statistical analysis methods: the signal-to-noise filter, the confidence limit method, and the cluster analysis method. These methods allow us to exclude background from areas where the heavy neutral signal is statistically significant. These methods also allow the consistent detection of heavy neutral atom structures. The main emission feature expands toward lower longitude and higher latitude from the observational peak of the ISN O and Ne gas flow. We call this emission the extended tail. It may be an imprint of the secondary oxygen atoms generated by charge exchange between ISN hydrogen atoms and oxygen ions in the outer heliosheath

  17. Strobe Light Testing and Kokanee Population Monitoring : Dworshak Dam Impacts Assessment and Fisheries Investigation Project, 87-99 : Annual Progress Report.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maiolie, Melo A.; Harryman, Bill; Ament, Willaim J.

    1999-11-01

    We tested the response of kokanee Oncorhynchus nerka to strobe lights. Testing was conducted on wild, free-ranging fish in their natural environment (i.e., the pelagic region of two large Idaho lakes). Split-beam hydroacoustics were used to record the distance kokanee moved away from the lights, as well as the density of kokanee in the area near the lights. In control tests, where strobe lights were lowered into the lake but kept turned off, kokanee remained within a few meters of the lights. Once the lights began flashing, kokanee quickly moved away from the light source. Kokanee moved 20 to 40 m away from the lights in waters with Secchi transparencies from 3 to 5 m. Kokanee densities near the lights were significantly lower (p=0.07 to p=0.00) when the lights were turned on than in control samples with no lights flashing. Flash rates of 300, 360, and 450 flashes/min elicited strong avoidance responses from the fish. Kokanee remained at least 24 m from the lights during our longest test that lasted for 5 h 50 min. We also continued annual monitoring of the kokanee population in Dworshak Reservoir. Spawner counts in four tributary streams that were used as an index of the adult population reached a record low of 144 spawners. No age-1 or age-2 kokanee were caught in 15 trawl hauls used to make population estimates. The population estimate of fry was 65,000 fish, {+-} 76% (90% C.I.). Flooding during the spring of 1996 was responsible for the low kokanee population.

  18. Pike ( Esox lucius L.) stocking as a biomanipulation tool .1. Effects on the fish population in Lake Lyng, Denmark

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Berg, Søren; Jeppesen, E.; Søndergaard, M.

    1997-01-01

    significantly by 64 to 97%. In 1991 ruffe disappeared completely. The pike stocking did not affect the density of perch significantly. The growth of pike was high and also the growth of perch increased significantly from 1990 to 1991 (p ... of the piscivorous perch increased due to increased Secchi depth and a continuous high density of 0+ planktivores in the pelagic zone of the lake during the years of pike stocking, possibly caused by behaviourial changes and the forcing of the 0+ planktivores into the pelagic zone...

  19. Analytical solutions of a fractional diffusion-advection equation for solar cosmic-ray transport

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Litvinenko, Yuri E.; Effenberger, Frederic

    2014-01-01

    Motivated by recent applications of superdiffusive transport models to shock-accelerated particle distributions in the heliosphere, we analytically solve a one-dimensional fractional diffusion-advection equation for the particle density. We derive an exact Fourier transform solution, simplify it in a weak diffusion approximation, and compare the new solution with previously available analytical results and with a semi-numerical solution based on a Fourier series expansion. We apply the results to the problem of describing the transport of energetic particles, accelerated at a traveling heliospheric shock. Our analysis shows that significant errors may result from assuming an infinite initial distance between the shock and the observer. We argue that the shock travel time should be a parameter of a realistic superdiffusive transport model.

  20. ON THE GEOMETRY OF THE IBEX RIBBON

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sylla, Adama; Fichtner, Horst [Institut für Theoretische Physik IV, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, D-44780 Bochum (Germany)

    2015-10-01

    The Energetic Neutral Atom (ENA) full-sky maps obtained with the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) show an unexpected bright narrow band of increased intensity. This so-called ENA ribbon results from charge exchange of interstellar neutral atoms with protons in the outer heliosphere or beyond. Among other hypotheses it has been argued that this ribbon may be related to a neutral density enhancement, or H-wave, in the local interstellar medium. Here we quantitatively demonstrate, on the basis of an analytical model of the principal large-scale heliospheric structure, that this scenario for the ribbon formation leads to results that are fully consistent with the observed location of the ribbon in the full-sky maps at all energies detected with high-energy sensor IBEX-Hi.

  1. The Three-Dimensional EIT Wave

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, B. J.; Biesecker, D. A.; Gilbert, H. R.; Lawrence, G. R.; Ofman, L.; Wu, S. T.; Warmuth, A.; Fisher, Richard R. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    An EIT wave is an impulsive disturbance which has been observed in the EUV, Soft X-ray and white light corona, with corresponding observations in the chromosphere. The effects of these disturbances can be observed across the entire solar disk of the Sun, and throughout the inner heliosphere as well. However, the picture is not complete; observations alone do not establish a complete understanding of the nature of this three-dimensional phenomenon. A number of associated phenomena have been documented, though in most cases causality has not determined. Additionally, it is unclear which factors govern the impulse's ability to affect regions of the corona and heliosphere. We discuss the various observations and the models which provided links between the associated phenomena.

  2. Spatially Localized Particle Energization by Landau Damping in Current Sheets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howes, G. G.; Klein, K. G.; McCubbin, A. J.

    2017-12-01

    Understanding the mechanisms of particle energization through the removal of energy from turbulent fluctuations in heliospheric plasmas is a grand challenge problem in heliophysics. Under the weakly collisional conditions typical of heliospheric plasma, kinetic mechanisms must be responsible for this energization, but the nature of those mechanisms remains elusive. In recent years, the spatial localization of plasma heating near current sheets in the solar wind and numerical simulations has gained much attention. Here we show, using the innovative and new field-particle correlation technique, that the spatially localized particle energization occurring in a nonlinear gyrokinetic simulation has the velocity space signature of Landau damping, suggesting that this well-known collisionless damping mechanism indeed actively leads to spatially localized heating in the vicinity of current sheets.

  3. Development of a Full Ice-cream Cone Model for Halo Coronal Mass Ejections

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Na, Hyeonock; Moon, Y.-J.; Lee, Harim, E-mail: nho0512@khu.ac.kr, E-mail: moonyj@khu.ac.kr [School of Space Research, Kyung Hee University, Yongin (Korea, Republic of)

    2017-04-20

    It is essential to determine three-dimensional parameters (e.g., radial speed, angular width, and source location) of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) for the space weather forecast. In this study, we investigate which cone type represents a halo CME morphology using 29 CMEs (12 Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) /Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) halo CMEs and 17 Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory ( STEREO )/Sun–Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation COR2 halo CMEs) from 2010 December to 2011 June. These CMEs are identified as halo CMEs by one spacecraft ( SOHO or one of STEREO A and B ) and limb ones by the other spacecraft (One of STEREO A and B or SOHO ). From cone shape parameters of these CMEs, such as their front curvature, we find that the CME observational structures are much closer to a full ice-cream cone type than a shallow ice-cream cone type. Thus, we develop a full ice-cream cone model based on a new methodology that the full ice-cream cone consists of many flat cones with different heights and angular widths to estimate the three-dimensional parameters of the halo CMEs. This model is constructed by carrying out the following steps: (1) construct a cone for a given height and angular width, (2) project the cone onto the sky plane, (3) select points comprising the outer boundary, and (4) minimize the difference between the estimated projection speeds with the observed ones. By applying this model to 12 SOHO /LASCO halo CMEs, we find that 3D parameters from our method are similar to those from other stereoscopic methods (i.e., a triangulation method and a Graduated Cylindrical Shell model).

  4. Development of a Full Ice-cream Cone Model for Halo Coronal Mass Ejections

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Na, Hyeonock; Moon, Y.-J.; Lee, Harim

    2017-01-01

    It is essential to determine three-dimensional parameters (e.g., radial speed, angular width, and source location) of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) for the space weather forecast. In this study, we investigate which cone type represents a halo CME morphology using 29 CMEs (12 Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) /Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) halo CMEs and 17 Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory ( STEREO )/Sun–Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation COR2 halo CMEs) from 2010 December to 2011 June. These CMEs are identified as halo CMEs by one spacecraft ( SOHO or one of STEREO A and B ) and limb ones by the other spacecraft (One of STEREO A and B or SOHO ). From cone shape parameters of these CMEs, such as their front curvature, we find that the CME observational structures are much closer to a full ice-cream cone type than a shallow ice-cream cone type. Thus, we develop a full ice-cream cone model based on a new methodology that the full ice-cream cone consists of many flat cones with different heights and angular widths to estimate the three-dimensional parameters of the halo CMEs. This model is constructed by carrying out the following steps: (1) construct a cone for a given height and angular width, (2) project the cone onto the sky plane, (3) select points comprising the outer boundary, and (4) minimize the difference between the estimated projection speeds with the observed ones. By applying this model to 12 SOHO /LASCO halo CMEs, we find that 3D parameters from our method are similar to those from other stereoscopic methods (i.e., a triangulation method and a Graduated Cylindrical Shell model).

  5. Development of a Full Ice-cream Cone Model for Halo Coronal Mass Ejections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Na, Hyeonock; Moon, Y.-J.; Lee, Harim

    2017-04-01

    It is essential to determine three-dimensional parameters (e.g., radial speed, angular width, and source location) of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) for the space weather forecast. In this study, we investigate which cone type represents a halo CME morphology using 29 CMEs (12 Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)/Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph (LASCO) halo CMEs and 17 Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO)/Sun-Earth Connection Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation COR2 halo CMEs) from 2010 December to 2011 June. These CMEs are identified as halo CMEs by one spacecraft (SOHO or one of STEREO A and B) and limb ones by the other spacecraft (One of STEREO A and B or SOHO). From cone shape parameters of these CMEs, such as their front curvature, we find that the CME observational structures are much closer to a full ice-cream cone type than a shallow ice-cream cone type. Thus, we develop a full ice-cream cone model based on a new methodology that the full ice-cream cone consists of many flat cones with different heights and angular widths to estimate the three-dimensional parameters of the halo CMEs. This model is constructed by carrying out the following steps: (1) construct a cone for a given height and angular width, (2) project the cone onto the sky plane, (3) select points comprising the outer boundary, and (4) minimize the difference between the estimated projection speeds with the observed ones. By applying this model to 12 SOHO/LASCO halo CMEs, we find that 3D parameters from our method are similar to those from other stereoscopic methods (I.e., a triangulation method and a Graduated Cylindrical Shell model).

  6. Modeling the Variable Heliopause Location

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hensley, Kerry

    2018-03-01

    In 2012, Voyager 1 zipped across the heliopause. Five and a half years later, Voyager 2 still hasnt followed its twin into interstellar space. Can models of the heliopause location help determine why?How Far to the Heliopause?Artists conception of the heliosphere with the important structures and boundaries labeled. [NASA/Goddard/Walt Feimer]As our solar system travels through the galaxy, the solar outflow pushes against the surrounding interstellar medium, forming a bubble called the heliosphere. The edge of this bubble, the heliopause, is the outermost boundary of our solar system, where the solar wind and the interstellar medium meet. Since the solar outflow is highly variable, the heliopause is constantly moving with the motion driven by changes inthe Sun.NASAs twin Voyager spacecraft were poisedto cross the heliopause after completingtheir tour of the outer planets in the 1980s. In 2012, Voyager 1 registered a sharp increase in the density of interstellar particles, indicating that the spacecraft had passed out of the heliosphere and into the interstellar medium. The slower-moving Voyager 2 was set to pierce the heliopause along a different trajectory, but so far no measurements have shown that the spacecraft has bid farewell to oursolar system.In a recent study, ateam of scientists led by Haruichi Washimi (Kyushu University, Japan and CSPAR, University of Alabama-Huntsville) argues that models of the heliosphere can help explain this behavior. Because the heliopause location is controlled by factors that vary on many spatial and temporal scales, Washimiand collaborators turn to three-dimensional, time-dependent magnetohydrodynamics simulations of the heliosphere. In particular, they investigate how the position of the heliopause along the trajectories of Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 changes over time.Modeled location of the heliopause along the paths of Voyagers 1 (blue) and 2 (orange). Click for a closer look. The red star indicates the location at which Voyager

  7. Assessment of Reservoir Water Quality Using Multivariate Statistical Techniques: A Case Study of Qiandao Lake, China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Qing Gu

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Qiandao Lake (Xin’an Jiang reservoir plays a significant role in drinking water supply for eastern China, and it is an attractive tourist destination. Three multivariate statistical methods were comprehensively applied to assess the spatial and temporal variations in water quality as well as potential pollution sources in Qiandao Lake. Data sets of nine parameters from 12 monitoring sites during 2010–2013 were obtained for analysis. Cluster analysis (CA was applied to classify the 12 sampling sites into three groups (Groups A, B and C and the 12 monitoring months into two clusters (April-July, and the remaining months. Discriminant analysis (DA identified Secchi disc depth, dissolved oxygen, permanganate index and total phosphorus as the significant variables for distinguishing variations of different years, with 79.9% correct assignments. Dissolved oxygen, pH and chlorophyll-a were determined to discriminate between the two sampling periods classified by CA, with 87.8% correct assignments. For spatial variation, DA identified Secchi disc depth and ammonia nitrogen as the significant discriminating parameters, with 81.6% correct assignments. Principal component analysis (PCA identified organic pollution, nutrient pollution, domestic sewage, and agricultural and surface runoff as the primary pollution sources, explaining 84.58%, 81.61% and 78.68% of the total variance in Groups A, B and C, respectively. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of integrated use of CA, DA and PCA for reservoir water quality evaluation and could assist managers in improving water resources management.

  8. A Note on the Constitution of the Sun

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magnus H. G.

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Patrice Robitaille (TAV College, Montreal, Canada provides a translation of Heinrich Gustav Magnus’ classic work Notiz ̈uber die Beschaffenheit der Sonne , as it appeared in March 1864 within Poggendorff’s Annalen der Physik und Chemie ,1864, v.131, 510– 512. The article had previously been translated into French: Notice sur la constitution du soleil. Archives des science physique et naturelles (Gen`eve , 1864, v.20, 171–175. This work formed the basis of the present translation. Heinrich Gustav Magnus (May 2, 1802 – April 4, 1870 was a professor at the University of Berlin and had studied in Paris under Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac. He would count amongst his students Wil- helm Beetz, Hermann Helmholtz, Gustav Wiedemann, John Tyndall, Rudolph Weber, and Adolph W ̈ ullner (Heinrich Gustav Magnus, Platinum Metals Review , 1976, v.20(1, 21–24. In his Notiz , Magnus demonstrated that the addition of sodium hydroxide to the gaseous flame resulted in a tremendous increase in luminosity. Magnus’ work would inspire Father Secchi to propose that the Sun was a gaseous globe whose photosphere contained condensed particulate matter (Secchi A. Sulla Struttura della Fotosfera So- lare. Bulletino Meteorologico dell’ Osservatorio del Collegio Romano , 1864, v.3(11, 1–3; English translation in Progr. Phys. , 2011, v.3, 30–32. Magnus’ report on the constitution of the Sun would continue to impact solar physics for two generations.

  9. NASA Tech Briefs, September 2012

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Optomechanical Resonator; Vision-Aided Autonomous Landing and Ingress of Micro Aerial Vehicles; Self-Sealing Wet Chemistry Cell for Field Analysis; General MACOS Interface for Modeling and Analysis for Controlled Optical Systems; Mars Technology Rover with Arm-Mounted Percussive Coring Tool, Microimager, and Sample-Handling Encapsulation Containerization Subsystem; Fault-Tolerant, Real-Time, Multi-Core Computer System; Water Detection Based on Object Reflections; SATPLOT for Analysis of SECCHI Heliospheric Imager Data; Plug-in Plan Tool v3.0.3.1; Frequency Correction for MIRO Chirp Transformation Spectroscopy Spectrum; Nonlinear Estimation Approach to Real-Time Georegistration from Aerial Images; Optimal Force Control of Vibro-Impact Systems for Autonomous Drilling Applications; Low-Cost Telemetry System for Small/Micro Satellites; Operator Interface and Control Software for the Reconfigurable Surface System Tri-ATHLETE; and Algorithms for Determining Physical Responses of Structures Under Load.

  10. Recent Observations of Energetic Particles from the Voyager Spacecraft

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cummings, A. C.; Stone, E. C.; Heikkila, B.; Lal, N.; Webber, W. R.

    2013-05-01

    The Voyager spacecraft have been exploring the heliosheath since their crossings of the solar wind termination shock on December 2004 (Voyager 1) and August 2007 (Voyager 2). Starting on 7 May 2012, dramatic short-term changes in the intensities of heliospheric particles and galactic cosmic rays have been occurring periodically at Voyager 1. In July, a series of encounters with a heliospheric depletion region occurred, culminating on 25 August 2012 with the durable entry into the region by Voyager 1 (durable at least through the time of this writing in early February 2012). This depletion region is characterized by the disappearance of particles accelerated in the heliosphere, the anomalous cosmic rays and termination shock particles, and the increased intensity of galactic cosmic ray nuclei and electrons. The result is that the low-energy part of the galactic cosmic ray spectra is being revealed for the first time. Data from the magnetometer experiment on Voyager 1 implies that the spacecraft is not yet in the interstellar medium, but it apparently has a good connection path to it. At Voyager 2, dramatic changes haven't occurred but there are longer-term trends in the intensities that are different from what were observed on Voyager 1. We will report on the recent observations of energetic particles from both spacecraft. This work was supported by NASA under contract NNN12AA012.

  11. The Sun Radio Imaging Space Experiment (SunRISE) Mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kasper, J. C.; Lazio, J.; Alibay, F.; Amiri, N.; Bastian, T.; Cohen, C.; Landi, E.; Hegedus, A. M.; Maksimovic, M.; Manchester, W.; Reinard, A.; Schwadron, N.; Cecconi, B.; Hallinan, G.; Krupar, V.

    2017-12-01

    Radio emission from coronal mass ejections (CMEs) is a direct tracer of particle acceleration in the inner heliosphere and potential magnetic connections from the lower solar corona to the larger heliosphere. Energized electrons excite Langmuir waves, which then convert into intense radio emission at the local plasma frequency, with the most intense acceleration thought to occur within 20 R_S. The radio emission from CMEs is quite strong such that only a relatively small number of antennas is required to detect and map it, but many aspects of this particle acceleration and transport remain poorly constrained. Ground-based arrays would be quite capable of tracking the radio emission associated with CMEs, but absorption by the Earth's ionosphere limits the frequency coverage of ground-based arrays (nu > 15 MHz), which in turn limits the range of solar distances over which they can track the radio emission (concept: A constellation of small spacecraft in a geostationary graveyard orbit designed to localize and track radio emissions in the inner heliosphere. Each spacecraft would carry a receiving system for observations below 25 MHz, and SunRISE would produce the first images of CMEs more than a few solar radii from the Sun. Part of this research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

  12. Current Sheets in the Corona and the Complexity of Slow Wind

    Science.gov (United States)

    Antiochos, Spiro

    2010-01-01

    The origin of the slow solar wind has long been one of the most important problems in solar/heliospheric physics. Two observational constraints make this problem especially challenging. First, the slow wind has the composition of the closed-field corona, unlike the fast wind that originates on open field lines. Second, the slow wind has substantial angular extent, of order 30 degrees, which is much larger than the widths observed for streamer stalks or the widths expected theoretically for a dynamic heliospheric current sheet. We propose that the slow wind originates from an intricate network of narrow (possibly singular) open-field corridors that emanate from the polar coronal hole regions. Using topological arguments, we show that these corridors must be ubiquitous in the solar corona. The total solar eclipse in August 2008, near the lowest point of cycle 23 affords an ideal opportunity to test this theory by using the ultra-high resolution Predictive Science's (PSI) eclipse model for the corona and wind. Analysis of the PSI eclipse model demonstrates that the extent and scales of the open-field corridors can account for both the angular width of the slow wind and its closed-field composition. We discuss the implications of our slow wind theory for the structure of the corona and heliosphere at solar minimum and describe further observational and theoretical tests.

  13. An Iterative Interplanetary Scintillation (IPS) Analysis Using Time-dependent 3-D MHD Models as Kernels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackson, B. V.; Yu, H. S.; Hick, P. P.; Buffington, A.; Odstrcil, D.; Kim, T. K.; Pogorelov, N. V.; Tokumaru, M.; Bisi, M. M.; Kim, J.; Yun, J.

    2017-12-01

    The University of California, San Diego has developed an iterative remote-sensing time-dependent three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction technique which provides volumetric maps of density, velocity, and magnetic field. We have applied this technique in near real time for over 15 years with a kinematic model approximation to fit data from ground-based interplanetary scintillation (IPS) observations. Our modeling concept extends volumetric data from an inner boundary placed above the Alfvén surface out to the inner heliosphere. We now use this technique to drive 3-D MHD models at their inner boundary and generate output 3-D data files that are fit to remotely-sensed observations (in this case IPS observations), and iterated. These analyses are also iteratively fit to in-situ spacecraft measurements near Earth. To facilitate this process, we have developed a traceback from input 3-D MHD volumes to yield an updated boundary in density, temperature, and velocity, which also includes magnetic-field components. Here we will show examples of this analysis using the ENLIL 3D-MHD and the University of Alabama Multi-Scale Fluid-Kinetic Simulation Suite (MS-FLUKSS) heliospheric codes. These examples help refine poorly-known 3-D MHD variables (i.e., density, temperature), and parameters (gamma) by fitting heliospheric remotely-sensed data between the region near the solar surface and in-situ measurements near Earth.

  14. Computer mapping of turbidity and circulation patterns in Saginaw Bay, Michigan from LANDSAT data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rogers, R. H. (Principal Investigator); Reed, L. E.; Smith, V. E.

    1975-01-01

    The author has identified the following significant results. LANDSAT was used as a basis for producing geometrically-corrected, color-coded imagery of turbidity and circulation patterns in Saginaw Bay, Michigan (Lake Huron). This imagery shows nine discrete categories of turbidity, as indicated by nine Secchi depths between 0.3 and 3.3 meters. The categorized imagery provided an economical basis for extrapolating water quality parameters from point samples to unsample areas. LANDSAT furnished a synoptic view of water mass boundaries that no amount of ground sampling or monitoring could provide.

  15. Toward Understanding the Early Stags of an Impulsively Accelerated Coronal Mass Ejection

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-08-09

    B. E., & Howard, R. A . 2009, ApJ, 702, 901 Wood, B. E., Karovska , M., Chen, J., Brueckner, G. E., Cook, J. W., & Howard, R. A . 1999, ApJ, 512, 484...ar X iv :1 00 8. 11 71 v1 [ as tr o- ph .S R ] 6 A ug 2 01 0 Astronomy & Astrophysics manuscript no. bubble c© ESO 2010 August 9, 2010 Toward...understanding the early stages of an impulsively accelerated coronal mass ejection SECCHI observations S. Patsourakos1, A . Vourlidas2, and B. Kliem3,4

  16. Identifying open magnetic field regions of the Sun and their heliospheric counterparts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krista, L. D.; Reinard, A.

    2017-12-01

    Open magnetic regions on the Sun are either long-lived (coronal holes) or transient (dimmings) in nature. Both phenomena are fundamental to our understanding of the solar behavior as a whole. Coronal holes are the sources of high-speed solar wind streams that cause recurrent geomagnetic storms. Furthermore, the variation of coronal hole properties (area, location, magnetic field strength) over the solar activity cycle is an important marker of the global evolution of the solar magnetic field. Dimming regions, on the other hand, are short-lived coronal holes that often emerge in the wake of solar eruptions. By analyzing their physical properties and their temporal evolution, we aim to understand their connection with their eruptive counterparts (flares and coronal mass ejections) and predict the possibility of a geomagnetic storm. The author developed the Coronal Hole Automated Recognition and Monitoring (CHARM) and the Coronal Dimming Tracker (CoDiT) algorithms. These tools not only identify but track the evolution of open magnetic field regions. CHARM also provides daily coronal hole maps, that are used for forecasts at the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center. Our goal is to better understand the processes that give rise to eruptive and non-eruptive open field regions and investigate how these regions evolve over time and influence space weather.

  17. A Fast Compton Telescope for Detection and Imaging of Gamma-Ray Line Flares Project

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — One of the major goals of high-energy solar physics, and therefore of the Solar and Heliospheric Physics (SHP) Program, is a detailed understanding of the particle...

  18. The Worldwide Interplanetary Scintillation (IPS) Stations (WIPSS) Network October 2016 Observing Campaign: Initial WIPSS Data Analyses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bisi, M. M.; Fallows, R. A.; Jackson, B. V.; Tokumaru, M.; Gonzalez-Esparza, A.; Morgan, J.; Chashei, I. V.; Mejia-Ambriz, J.; Tyul'bashev, S. A.; Manoharan, P. K.; De la Luz, V.; Aguilar-Rodriguez, E.; Yu, H. S.; Barnes, D.; Chang, O.; Odstrcil, D.; Fujiki, K.; Shishov, V.

    2017-12-01

    Interplanetary Scintillation (IPS) allows for the determination of velocity and a proxy for plasma density to be made throughout the corona and inner heliosphere. Where sufficient observations are undertaken, the results can be used as input to the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) three-dimensional (3-D) time-dependent tomography suite to allow for the full 3-D reconstruction of both velocity and density throughout the inner heliosphere. By combining IPS results from multiple observing locations around the planet, we can increase both the temporal and spatial coverage across the whole of the inner heliosphere and hence improve forecast capability. During October 2016, a unique opportunity arose whereby the European-based LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) radio telescope was used to make nearly four weeks of continuous observations of IPS as a heliospheric space-weather trial campaign. This was expanded into a global effort to include observations of IPS from the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) in Western Australia and many more observations from various IPS-dedicated WIPSS Network systems. LOFAR is a next-generation low-frequency radio interferometer capable of observing in the radio frequency range 10-250 MHz, nominally with up to 80 MHz bandwidth at a time. MWA in Western Australia is capable of observing in the 80-300 MHz frequency range nominally using up to 32 MHz of bandwidth. IPS data from LOFAR, ISEE, the MEXican Array Radio Telescope (MEXART), and, where possible, other WIPSS Network systems (such as LPI-BSA and Ooty), will be used in this study and we will present some initial findings for these data sets. We also make a first attempt at the 3-D reconstruction of multiple pertinent WIPSS results in the UCSD tomography. We will also try to highlight some of the potential future tools that make LOFAR a very unique system to be able to test and validate a whole plethora of IPS analysis methods with the same set of IPS data.

  19. Relations of biological indicators to nutrient data for lakes and streams in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, 1990-98

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brightbill, Robin A.; Koerkle, Edward H.

    2003-01-01

    The Clean Water Action Plan of 1998 provides a blueprint for federal agencies to work with states, tribes, and other stakeholders to protect and restore the Nation's water resources. The plan includes an initiative that addresses the nutrient-enrichment problem of lakes and streams across the United States. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) is working to set nutrient criteria by nationwide nutrient ecoregions that are an aggregation of the Omernik level III ecoregions. Because low levels of nutrients are necessary for healthy streams and elevated concentrations can cause algal blooms that deplete available oxygen and kill off aquatic organisms, criteria levels are to be set, in part, using the relation between chlorophyll a and concentrations of total nitrogen and total phosphorus.Data from Pennsylvania and West Virginia, collected between 1990 and 1998, were analyzed for relations between chlorophyll a, nutrients, and other explanatory variables. Both phytoplankton and periphyton chlorophyll a concentrations from lakes and streams were analyzed separately within each of the USEPA nutrient ecoregions located within the boundaries of the two states. These four nutrient ecoregions are VII (Mostly Glaciated Dairy), VIII (Nutrient Poor, Largely Glaciated Upper Midwest and Northeast), IX (Southeastern Temperate Forested Plains and Hills), and XI (Central and Eastern Forested Uplands).Phytoplankton chlorophyll a concentrations in lakes were related to total nitrogen, total phosphorus, Secchi depth, concentration of dissolved oxygen, pH, water temperature, and specific conductivity. In nutrient ecoregion VII, nutrients were not significant predictors of chlorophyll a concentrations. Total nitrogen, Secchi depth, and pH were significantly related to phytoplankton chlorophyll a concentrations in nutrient ecoregion IX. Lake periphyton chlorophyll a concentrations from nutrient ecoregion XI were related to total phosphorus rather than total nitrogen, Secchi

  20. An update on the correlation between the cosmic radiation intensity and the geomagnetic AA index

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shea, M. A.; Smart, D. F.

    1985-01-01

    A statistical study between the cosmic ray intensity, as observed by a neutron monitor, and of the geomagnetic aa index, as representative of perturbations in the plasma and interplanetary magnetic field in the heliosphere, has been updated to specifically exclude time periods around the reversal of the solar magnetic field. The results of this study show a strong negative correlation for the period 1960 through 1968 with a correlation coefficient of approximately -0.86. However, there is essentially no correlation between the cosmic ray intensity and the aa index for the period 1972-1979 (i.e. correlation coefficient less than 0.16). These results would appear to support the theory of preferential particle propagation into the heliosphere vis the ecliptic during the period 1960-1968 and via the solar polar regions during 1972-1979.

  1. Update on the correlation between the cosmic radiation intensity and the geomagnetic AA index

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shea, M.A.; Smart, D.F.

    1985-01-01

    A statistical study between the cosmic ray intensity, as observed by a neutron monitor, and of the geomagnetic aa index, as representative of perturbations in the plasma and interplanetary magnetic field in the heliosphere, has been updated to specifically exclude time periods around the reversal of the solar magnetic field. The results of this study show a strong negative correlation for the period 1960 through 1968 with a correlation coefficient of approximately -0.86. However, there is essentially no correlation between the cosmic ray intensity and the aa index for the period 1972-1979 (i.e. correlation coefficient less than 0.16). These results would appear to support the theory of preferential particle propagation into the heliosphere vis the ecliptic during the period 1960-1968 and via the solar polar regions during 1972-1979

  2. The acceleration of particles at propagating interplanetary shocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prinsloo, P. L.; Strauss, R. D. T.

    2017-12-01

    Enhancements of charged energetic particles are often observed at Earth following the eruption of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) on the Sun. These enhancements are thought to arise from the acceleration of those particles at interplanetary shocks forming ahead of CMEs, propagating into the heliosphere. In this study, we model the acceleration of these energetic particles by solving a set of stochastic differential equations formulated to describe their transport and including the effects of diffusive shock acceleration. The study focuses on how acceleration at halo-CME-driven shocks alter the energy spectra of non-thermal particles, while illustrating how this acceleration process depends on various shock and transport parameters. We finally attempt to establish the relative contributions of different seed populations of energetic particles in the inner heliosphere to observed intensities during selected acceleration events.

  3. Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Observations of Coronal Streamers in the ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    UVCS) on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory can be used to determine physical parameters in the solar corona such as hydrogen and ion kinetic temperatures, electron densities, and absolute elemental abundances. Hydrogen and ion ...

  4. N:P ratios, light limitation, and cyanobacterial dominance in a subtropical lake impacted by non-point source nutrient pollution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Havens, K.E.; James, R.T.; East, T.L.; Smith, V.H.

    2003-01-01

    Low ratios of N:P and low underwater irradiance control dominance of cyanobacteria in a subtropical lake. - A long-term (28-year) data set was used to investigate historical changes in concentrations of phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N), N:P ratios, and Secchi disk transparency in a shallow subtropical lake (Lake Okeechobee, Florida, USA). The aim was to evaluate changes in the risk of N 2 -fixing cyanobacterial blooms, which have infrequently occurred in the lake's pelagic zone. Predictions regarding bloom risk were based on previously published N:P ratio models. Temporal trends in the biomass of cyanobacteria were evaluated using phytoplankton data collected in 1974, 1989-1992, and 1997-2000. Concentrations of pelagic total P increased from near 50 μg l -1 in the mid-1970s to over 100 μg l -1 in the late 1990s. Coincidentally, the total N:P (mass) ratio decreased from 30:1 to below 15:1, and soluble N:P ratio decreased from 15:1 to near 6:1, in the lake water. Published empirical models predict that current conditions favor cyanobacteria. The observations confirm this prediction: cyanobacteria presently account for 50-80% of total phytoplankton biovolume. The historical decrease in TN:TP ratio in the lake can be attributed to a decreased TN:TP ratio in the inflow water and to a decline in the lake's assimilation of P, relative to N. Coincident with these declines in total and soluble N:P ratios, Secchi disk transparency declined from 0.6 m to near 0.3 m, possibly due to increased mineral turbidity in the lake water. Empirical models predict that under the turbid, low irradiance conditions that prevail in this lake, non-heterocystous cyanobacteria should dominate the phytoplankton. Our observations confirmed this prediction: non-N 2 -fixing taxa (primarily Oscillatoria and Lyngbya spp.) typically dominated the cyanobacteria community during the last decade. The only exception was a year with very low water levels, when heterocystous N 2 -fixing Anabaena became

  5. N:P ratios, light limitation, and cyanobacterial dominance in a subtropical lake impacted by non-point source nutrient pollution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Havens, Karl E; James, R Thomas; East, Therese L; Smith, Val H

    2003-01-01

    A long-term (28-year) data set was used to investigate historical changes in concentrations of phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N), N:P ratios, and Secchi disk transparency in a shallow subtropical lake (Lake Okeechobee, Florida, USA). The aim was to evaluate changes in the risk of N2-fixing cyanobacterial blooms, which have infrequently occurred in the lake's pelagic zone. Predictions regarding bloom risk were based on previously published N:P ratio models. Temporal trends in the biomass of cyanobacteria were evaluated using phytoplankton data collected in 1974, 1989-1992, and 1997-2000. Concentrations of pelagic total P increased from near 50 microg l-1 in the mid-1970s to over 100 microg l-1 in the late 1990s. Coincidentally, the total N:P (mass) ratio decreased from 30:1 to below 15:1, and soluble N:P ratio decreased from 15:1 to near 6:1, in the lake water. Published empirical models predict that current conditions favor cyanobacteria. The observations confirm this prediction: cyanobacteria presently account for 50-80% of total phytoplankton biovolume. The historical decrease in TN:TP ratio in the lake can be attributed to a decreased TN:TP ratio in the inflow water and to a decline in the lake's assimilation of P, relative to N. Coincident with these declines in total and soluble N:P ratios, Secchi disk transparency declined from 0.6 m to near 0.3 m, possibly due to increased mineral turbidity in the lake water. Empirical models predict that under the turbid, low irradiance conditions that prevail in this lake, non-heterocystous cyanobacteria should dominate the phytoplankton. Our observations confirmed this prediction: non-N2-fixing taxa (primarily Oscillatoria and Lyngbya spp.) typically dominated the cyanobacteria community during the last decade. The only exception was a year with very low water levels, when heterocystous N2-fixing Anabaena became dominant. In the near-shore regions of this shallow lake, low N:P ratios potentially favor blooms of N2-fixing

  6. ESA-MERIS 10-Year Mission Reveals Contrasting Phytoplankton Bloom Dynamics in Two Tropical Regions of Northern Australia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Blondeau-Patissier

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available The spatial and temporal variability of phytoplankton blooms was investigated in two tropical coastal regions of northern Australia using the MEdium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS full mission (2002–2012 reduced resolution dataset. Satellite-derived proxies for phytoplankton (Chlorophyll-a (Chl, Fluorescence Line Height (FLH, Maximum Chlorophyll Index (MCI and suspended sediment (Total Suspended Matter (TSM were jointly analyzed for two clusters of the Great Barrier Reef Wet tropics (GBRW; 15°–19.5°S; Queensland and the Van Diemen Gulf (VDG; 9°–13°S; Northern Territory. The analysis of time-series and Hovmöller diagrams of the four MERIS products provided a unique perspective on the processes linking phytoplankton blooms and river runoff, or resuspension, across spatio-temporal scales. Both regions are characterized by a complex oceanography and seasonal inflows of sediment, freshwater and nutrients during the tropical wet season months (November to April. The GBRW is characterized by a great variability in water clarity (Secchi depth 0–25 m. A long history of agricultural land use has led to a large increase in the seasonal discharge of sediments and nutrients, triggering seasonal phytoplankton blooms (>0.4 mg∙m−3 between January and April. In contrast, the VDG is a poorly flushed, turbid (Secchi depth <5 m environment with strong tidal-energy (4–8 m and very limited land use. Phytoplankton blooms here were found to have higher Chl concentrations (>1.0 mg∙m−3 than in the GBRW, occurring up to twice a year between January and April. Over the 10-year MERIS mission, a weak decline in Chl and TSM was observed for the VDG (Sen slope: −2.85%/decade, τ = −0.32 and −3.57%/decade, τ = −0.24; p 0.05, while no significant trend in those two satellite products was observed in the GBRW. Cyanobacteria surface algal blooms occur in both regions between August and October. The MCI and FLH products were found to

  7. A Comprehensive Review on Water Quality Parameters Estimation Using Remote Sensing Techniques

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Haji Gholizadeh

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Remotely sensed data can reinforce the abilities of water resources researchers and decision makers to monitor waterbodies more effectively. Remote sensing techniques have been widely used to measure the qualitative parameters of waterbodies (i.e., suspended sediments, colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM, chlorophyll-a, and pollutants. A large number of different sensors on board various satellites and other platforms, such as airplanes, are currently used to measure the amount of radiation at different wavelengths reflected from the water’s surface. In this review paper, various properties (spectral, spatial and temporal, etc. of the more commonly employed spaceborne and airborne sensors are tabulated to be used as a sensor selection guide. Furthermore, this paper investigates the commonly used approaches and sensors employed in evaluating and quantifying the eleven water quality parameters. The parameters include: chlorophyll-a (chl-a, colored dissolved organic matters (CDOM, Secchi disk depth (SDD, turbidity, total suspended sediments (TSS, water temperature (WT, total phosphorus (TP, sea surface salinity (SSS, dissolved oxygen (DO, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD and chemical oxygen demand (COD.

  8. Drift effects on the galactic cosmic ray modulation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Laurenza, M.; Storini, M. [INAF/IAPS, Via Fosso del Cavaliere 100, I-00133 Roma (Italy); Vecchio, A. [Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia-Sede di Cosenza, I-87036 Rende (CS) (Italy); Carbone, V., E-mail: monica.laurenza@iaps.inaf.it [Dipartimento di Fisica, Università della Calabria, I-87036 Rende (CS) (Italy)

    2014-02-01

    Cosmic ray (CR) modulation is driven by both solar activity and drift effects in the heliosphere, although their role is only qualitatively understood as it is difficult to connect the CR variations to their sources. In order to address this problem, the Empirical Mode Decomposition technique has been applied to the CR intensity, recorded by three neutron monitors at different rigidities (Climax, Rome, and Huancayo-Haleakala (HH)), the sunspot area, as a proxy for solar activity, the heliospheric magnetic field magnitude, directly related to CR propagation, and the tilt angle (TA) of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS), which characterizes drift effects on CRs. A prominent periodicity at ∼six years is detected in all the analyzed CR data sets and it is found to be highly correlated with changes in the HCS inclination at the same timescale. In addition, this variation is found to be responsible for the main features of the CR modulation during periods of low solar activity, such as the flat (peaked) maximum in even (odd) solar cycles. The contribution of the drift effects to the global Galactic CR modulation has been estimated to be between 30% and 35%, depending on the CR particle energy. Nevertheless, the importance of the drift contribution is generally reduced in periods nearing the sunspot maximum. Finally, threshold values of ∼40°, ∼45°, and >55° have been derived for the TA, critical for the CR modulation at the Climax, Rome, and HH rigidity thresholds, respectively.

  9. Implications of the Deep Minimum for Slow Solar Wind Origin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Antiochos, S. K.; Mikic, Z.; Lionello, R.; Titov, V. S.; Linker, J. A.

    2009-12-01

    The origin of the slow solar wind has long been one of the most important problems in solar/heliospheric physics. Two observational constraints make this problem especially challenging. First, the slow wind has the composition of the closed-field corona, unlike the fast wind that originates on open field lines. Second, the slow wind has substantial angular extent, of order 30 degrees, which is much larger than the widths observed for streamer stalks or the widths expected theoretically for a dynamic heliospheric current sheet. We propose that the slow wind originates from an intricate network of narrow (possibly singular) open-field corridors that emanate from the polar coronal hole regions. Using topological arguments, we show that these corridors must be ubiquitous in the solar corona. The total solar eclipse in August 2008, near the lowest point of the Deep Minimum, affords an ideal opportunity to test this theory by using the ultra-high resolution Predictive Science's (PSI) eclipse model for the corona and wind. Analysis of the PSI eclipse model demonstrates that the extent and scales of the open-field corridors can account for both the angular width of the slow wind and its closed-field composition. We discuss the implications of our slow wind theory for the structure of the corona and heliosphere at the Deep Minimum and describe further observational and theoretical tests. This work has been supported by the NASA HTP, SR&T, and LWS programs.

  10. HelMod in the Works: From Direct Observations to the Local Interstellar Spectrum of Cosmic-Ray Electrons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boschini, M. J.; Della Torre, S.; Gervasi, M.; Grandi, D.; Jóhannesson, G.; La Vacca, G.; Masi, N.; Moskalenko, I. V.; Pensotti, S.; Porter, T. A.; Quadrani, L.; Rancoita, P. G.; Rozza, D.; Tacconi, M.

    2018-02-01

    The local interstellar spectrum (LIS) of cosmic-ray (CR) electrons for the energy range 1 MeV to 1 TeV is derived using the most recent experimental results combined with the state-of-the-art models for CR propagation in the Galaxy and in the heliosphere. Two propagation packages, GALPROP and HELMOD, are combined to provide a single framework that is run to reproduce direct measurements of CR species at different modulation levels, and at both polarities of the solar magnetic field. An iterative maximum-likelihood method is developed that uses GALPROP-predicted LIS as input to HELMOD, which provides the modulated spectra for specific time periods of the selected experiments for model-data comparison. The optimized HelMod parameters are then used to adjust GALPROP parameters to predict a refined LIS with the procedure repeated subject to a convergence criterion. The parameter optimization uses an extensive data set of proton spectra from 1997 to 2015. The proposed CR electron LIS accommodates both the low-energy interstellar spectra measured by Voyager 1 as well as the high-energy observations by PAMELA and AMS-02 that are made deep in the heliosphere; it also accounts for Ulysses counting rate features measured out of the ecliptic plane. The interstellar and heliospheric propagation parameters derived in this study agree well with our earlier results for CR protons, helium nuclei, and anti-protons propagation and LIS obtained in the same framework.

  11. Structure of Energetic Particle Mediated Shocks Revisited

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mostafavi, P.; Zank, G. P.; Webb, G. M.

    2017-01-01

    The structure of collisionless shock waves is often modified by the presence of energetic particles that are not equilibrated with the thermal plasma (such as pickup ions [PUIs] and solar energetic particles [SEPs]). This is relevant to the inner and outer heliosphere and the Very Local Interstellar Medium (VLISM), where observations of shock waves (e.g., in the inner heliosphere) show that both the magnetic field and thermal gas pressure are less than the energetic particle component pressures. Voyager 2 observations revealed that the heliospheric termination shock (HTS) is very broad and mediated by energetic particles. PUIs and SEPs contribute both a collisionless heat flux and a higher-order viscosity. We show that the incorporation of both effects can completely determine the structure of collisionless shocks mediated by energetic ions. Since the reduced form of the PUI-mediated plasma model is structurally identical to the classical cosmic ray two-fluid model, we note that the presence of viscosity, at least formally, eliminates the need for a gas sub-shock in the classical two-fluid model, including in that regime where three are possible. By considering parameters upstream of the HTS, we show that the thermal gas remains relatively cold and the shock is mediated by PUIs. We determine the structure of the weak interstellar shock observed by Voyager 1 . We consider the inclusion of the thermal heat flux and viscosity to address the most general form of an energetic particle-thermal plasma two-fluid model.

  12. Structure of Energetic Particle Mediated Shocks Revisited

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mostafavi, P.; Zank, G. P. [Department of Space Science, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899 (United States); Webb, G. M. [Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research (CSPAR), University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899 (United States)

    2017-05-20

    The structure of collisionless shock waves is often modified by the presence of energetic particles that are not equilibrated with the thermal plasma (such as pickup ions [PUIs] and solar energetic particles [SEPs]). This is relevant to the inner and outer heliosphere and the Very Local Interstellar Medium (VLISM), where observations of shock waves (e.g., in the inner heliosphere) show that both the magnetic field and thermal gas pressure are less than the energetic particle component pressures. Voyager 2 observations revealed that the heliospheric termination shock (HTS) is very broad and mediated by energetic particles. PUIs and SEPs contribute both a collisionless heat flux and a higher-order viscosity. We show that the incorporation of both effects can completely determine the structure of collisionless shocks mediated by energetic ions. Since the reduced form of the PUI-mediated plasma model is structurally identical to the classical cosmic ray two-fluid model, we note that the presence of viscosity, at least formally, eliminates the need for a gas sub-shock in the classical two-fluid model, including in that regime where three are possible. By considering parameters upstream of the HTS, we show that the thermal gas remains relatively cold and the shock is mediated by PUIs. We determine the structure of the weak interstellar shock observed by Voyager 1 . We consider the inclusion of the thermal heat flux and viscosity to address the most general form of an energetic particle-thermal plasma two-fluid model.

  13. Modeling the Global Coronal Field with Simulated Synoptic Magnetograms from Earth and the Lagrange Points L3, L4, and L5

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petrie, Gordon; Pevtsov, Alexei; Schwarz, Andrew; DeRosa, Marc

    2018-06-01

    The solar photospheric magnetic flux distribution is key to structuring the global solar corona and heliosphere. Regular full-disk photospheric magnetogram data are therefore essential to our ability to model and forecast heliospheric phenomena such as space weather. However, our spatio-temporal coverage of the photospheric field is currently limited by our single vantage point at/near Earth. In particular, the polar fields play a leading role in structuring the large-scale corona and heliosphere, but each pole is unobservable for {>} 6 months per year. Here we model the possible effect of full-disk magnetogram data from the Lagrange points L4 and L5, each extending longitude coverage by 60°. Adding data also from the more distant point L3 extends the longitudinal coverage much further. The additional vantage points also improve the visibility of the globally influential polar fields. Using a flux-transport model for the solar photospheric field, we model full-disk observations from Earth/L1, L3, L4, and L5 over a solar cycle, construct synoptic maps using a novel weighting scheme adapted for merging magnetogram data from multiple viewpoints, and compute potential-field models for the global coronal field. Each additional viewpoint brings the maps and models into closer agreement with the reference field from the flux-transport simulation, with particular improvement at polar latitudes, the main source of the fast solar wind.

  14. WSA-Enlil Solar Wind Prediction

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — WSA-Enlil is a large-scale, physics-based prediction model of the heliosphere, used by the Space Weather Forecast Office to provide 1-4 day advance warning of solar...

  15. Cosmic Ray Experiments and the Implications for Indirect Detection of Dark Matter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitchell, John W.; Ormes, Jonathan F.; Streitmatter, Robert E.

    2013-01-01

    Detection of cosmic-ray antiprotons was first reported by Golden et al. in 1979 and their existence was firmly established by the BESS and IMAX collaborations in the early 1990s. Increasingly precise measurements of the antiproton spectrum, most recently from BESS-Polar and PAMELA, have made it an important tool for investigating cosmic-ray transport in the galaxy and heliosphere and for constraining dark-matter models. The history of antiproton measurements will be briefly reviewed. The current status will be discussed, focusing on the results of BESS-Polar II and their implications for the possibility of antiprotons from primordial black hole evaporation. The current results of the BESS-Polar II antihelium search are also presented.

  16. AN ESTIMATE OF THE NEARBY INTERSTELLAR MAGNETIC FIELD USING NEUTRAL ATOMS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heerikhuisen, J.; Pogorelov, N. V.

    2011-01-01

    The strength and orientation of the magnetic field in the nearby interstellar medium have remained elusive, despite continual improvements in observations and models. Data from NASA's Voyager mission and the Solar Wind ANisotropies (SWAN) experiment on board Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) have placed observational constraints on the magnetic field, and the more recent Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) data appear to also bear an imprint of the interstellar magnetic field (ISMF). In this paper, we combine computational models of the heliosphere with data from Voyager, SOHO/SWAN, and IBEX to estimate both the strength and direction of the nearby ISMF. On the basis of our simulations, we find that a field strength of 2-3 μG pointing from ecliptic coordinates (220-224, 39-44), combined with an interstellar hydrogen density of ∼0.15 cm -3 , produces results most consistent with observations.

  17. Evolution of CME Mass in the Corona

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howard, Russell A.; Vourlidas, Angelos

    2018-04-01

    The idea that coronal mass ejections (CMEs) pile up mass in their transport through the corona and heliosphere is widely accepted. However, it has not been shown that this is the case. We perform an initial study of the volume electron density of the fronts of 13 three-part CMEs with well-defined frontal boundaries observed with the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/ Large Angle and Spectrometric COronagraph (SOHO/LASCO) white-light coronagraphs. We find that, in all cases, the volume electron density decreases as the CMEs travel through the LASCO-C2 and -C3 fields of view, from 2.6 - 30 R_{⊙}. The density decrease follows closely a power law with an exponent of -3, which is consistent with a simple radial expansion. This indicates that in this height regime there is no observed pile-up.

  18. Magnetic Storms at Mars and Earth

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vennerstrøm, Susanne; Falkenberg, Thea Vilstrup

    In analogy with magnetic storms at the Earth, periods of significantly enhanced global magnetic activity also exist at Mars. The extensive database of magnetic measurements from Mars Global Surveyor (MGS), covering almost an entire solar cycle, is used in combination with geomagnetic activity...... indices at Earth to compare the occurrence of magnetic storms at Mars and Earth. Based on superposed epochs analysis the time-development of typical magnetic storms at Mars and Earth is described. In contradiction to storms at Earth, most magnetic storms at Mars are found to be associated...... with heliospheric current sheet crossings, where the IMF changes polarity. While most storms at the Earth occur due to significant southward excursions of the IMF associated with CMEs, at Mars most storms seem to be associated with the density enhancement of the heliospheric current sheet. Density enhancements...

  19. The solar modulation of galactic comic rays as described by a time-dependent drift model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Le Roux, J.A.

    1990-09-01

    The modulation process is understood to be an interaction between cosmic rays and the solar wind. The heliosphere and the observed modulation of cosmic rays in the heliosphere was reviewed and the time-dependence nature of the long-term modulation of cosmic rays highligted. A two-dimensional time-dependent drift model that describes the long-term modulation of cosmic-rays is presented. Application of the time-dependent drift model during times of increased solar activity showed that drift should be reduced during such periods. Isolated Forbush decreases were also studied in an effort to explain some observed trends in the properties of the Forbush decrease as a function of radial distance. The magnitude of the Forbush decrease and its recovery time were therefore studied as a function of radial distance in the equatorial plane. 154 refs., 95 figs., 1 tab

  20. LANDSAT digital data for water pollution and water quality studies in Southern Scandinavia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hellden, U.; Akersten, I.

    1977-01-01

    Spectral diagrams, illustrating the spectral characteristics of different water types, were constructed by means of simple statistical analysis of the various reflectance properties of water areas in Southern Scandinavia as registered by LANDSAT-1. There were indications that water whose spectral reproduction is dominated by chlorophyllous matter (phytoplankton) can be distinguished from water dominated by nonchlorophyllous matter. Differences between lakes, as well as the patchiness of individual lakes, concerning secchi disc transparency could be visualized after classification and reproduction in black and white and in color by means of line printer, calcomp plotter (CRT), and ink jet plotter respectively.

  1. Water quality determination by photographic analysis. [optical density and water turbidity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klooster, S. A.; Scherz, J. P.

    1973-01-01

    Aerial reconnaissance techniques to extract water quality parameters from aerial photos are reported. The turbidity can be correlated with total suspended solids if the constituent parts of the effluent remain the same and the volumetric flow remains relatively constant. A monochromator is used for the selection of the bandwidths containing the most information. White reflectance panels are used to locate sampling points and eliminate inherent energy changes from lens flare, radial lens fall-off, and changing subject illumination. Misleading information resulting from bottom effects is avoided by the use of Secchi disc readings and proper choice of wavelength for analyzing the photos.

  2. Limnology of Sawtooth Valley Lakes in 1995

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Luecke, C.; Slater, M.; Budy, P.

    1996-05-01

    Included in this section of the report on limnology of Lakes in the Snake River Plain are descriptions of the limnological characteristics of the four lakes in reference to their potential effect of growth and survival of juvenile sockeye salmon. Physical parameters included light penetration, Secchi transparency, and water temperature; chemical parameters included oxygen, and both dissolved and particulate forms of nitrogen and phosphorus. Phytoplankton parameters included chlorophyll concentration, biovolume of dominant taxa, and rates of primary production; zooplankton parameters included density and biomass estimate, length frequencies, and the number of eggs carried by female cladocerans. 11 figs., 5 tabs.

  3. Limnology of Sawtooth Valley Lakes in 1995

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luecke, C.; Slater, M.; Budy, P.

    1996-01-01

    Included in this section of the report on limnology of Lakes in the Snake River Plain are descriptions of the limnological characteristics of the four lakes in reference to their potential effect of growth and survival of juvenile sockeye salmon. Physical parameters included light penetration, Secchi transparency, and water temperature; chemical parameters included oxygen, and both dissolved and particulate forms of nitrogen and phosphorus. Phytoplankton parameters included chlorophyll concentration, biovolume of dominant taxa, and rates of primary production; zooplankton parameters included density and biomass estimate, length frequencies, and the number of eggs carried by female cladocerans. 11 figs., 5 tabs

  4. Seasonal dynamics of dissolved, particulate and microbial components of a tidal saltmarsh-dominated estuary under contrasting levels of freshwater discharge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bittar, Thais B.; Berger, Stella A.; Birsa, Laura M.; Walters, Tina L.; Thompson, Megan E.; Spencer, Robert G. M.; Mann, Elizabeth L.; Stubbins, Aron; Frischer, Marc E.; Brandes, Jay A.

    2016-12-01

    Tidal Spartina-dominated saltmarshes and estuaries on the Southeast US coast are global hotspots of productivity. In coastal Georgia, tidal amplitudes and saltmarsh productivity are the highest along the Southeast US coast. Coastal Georgia is characterized by a humid subtropical seasonal climate, and inter-annual variability in precipitation, and freshwater discharge. The 2012-2013 timeframe encompassed contrasting levels of discharge for the Savannah River, a major Georgia river, with a 4.3-fold greater discharge in summer 2013 relative to summer 2012. In situ measurements of temperature, salinity, precipitation and Secchi depth, and water samples were collected weekly at high tide throughout 2012 and 2013 from the Skidaway River Estuary, a tidal saltmarsh-dominated estuary in coastal Georgia influenced by Savannah River hydrology. The effects of elevated discharge on the seasonal trends of water column components were evaluated. The shift from low discharge (2012) to high discharge (2013) led to decreased salinity in summer 2013, but no significant increases in inorganic nutrient (NH4, NOx, SiO2 and PO4) concentrations. Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations decreased, and DIC stable isotopic signatures (δ13C-DIC values) were depleted in summer 2013 relative to summer 2012. In 2013 dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations, chromophoric and fluorescent dissolved organic matter (DOM: CDOM, FDOM) intensities, specific UV-absorbance (SUVA254) and relative humic-like fluorescence were all higher than in 2012, indicating that, as discharge increased in 2013, estuarine water became enriched in terrigenous DOM. Secchi depth and particulate organic carbon (POC) and nitrogen (PON) concentrations displayed clear seasonal patterns that were not significantly altered by discharge. However, δ13C-POC and δ15N-PON isotopic signatures indicated higher terrigenous contributions at elevated discharge. Discharge influenced cyanobacterial composition, but did not

  5. A Compact Extreme Ultraviolet Imager

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Just how far can one shrink a solar/heliospheric image??? — Can you shrink it small enough to fit on a cube-sat? What can we image — successfully — from a cube-sat?...

  6. Solar Wind Variation with the Cycle I. S. Veselovsky,* A. V. Dmitriev ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    tribpo

    The knowledge of the solar cycle variations in the heliospheric plasma and magnetic fields was .... El Borie, Μ. Α., Duldig, Μ. L., Humble, J. Ε. 1997, 25th International Cosmic Ray ... White, O. R. (Boulder: Colorado University Press), Chapter V.

  7. PARTICLE ACCELERATION AT THE HELIOSPHERIC TERMINATION SHOCK WITH A STOCHASTIC SHOCK OBLIQUITY APPROACH

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arthur, Aaron D.; Le Roux, Jakobus A.

    2013-01-01

    Observations by the plasma and magnetic field instruments on board the Voyager 2 spacecraft suggest that the termination shock is weak with a compression ratio of ∼2. However, this is contrary to the observations of accelerated particle spectra at the termination shock, where standard diffusive shock acceleration theory predicts a compression ratio closer to ∼2.9. Using our focused transport model, we investigate pickup proton acceleration at a stationary spherical termination shock with a moderately strong compression ratio of 2.8 to include both the subshock and precursor. We show that for the particle energies observed by the Voyager 2 Low Energy Charged Particle (LECP) instrument, pickup protons will have effective length scales of diffusion that are larger than the combined subshock and precursor termination shock structure observed. As a result, the particles will experience a total effective termination shock compression ratio that is larger than values inferred by the plasma and magnetic field instruments for the subshock and similar to the value predicted by diffusive shock acceleration theory. Furthermore, using a stochastically varying magnetic field angle, we are able to qualitatively reproduce the multiple power-law structure observed for the LECP spectra downstream of the termination shock

  8. Near-Local Interstellar Medium (LISM): What we know from the Voyagers and ENA and what an Interstellar Probe (ISP) can do

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krimigis, S. M.

    2017-12-01

    In situ measurements by the two Voyagers over the past 13 years have revealed the presence of the long-predicted termination shock (TS) and heliopause (HP), albeit not where theory had placed them. Further, the advent of energetic neutral atom (ENA) imaging by Cassini/INCA since 2003 and IBEX since 2009 have provided images of the global heliosphere that have challenged our long-held views of its shape and the processes that are dominant in its formation (Krimigis et al, and McComas et al, 2009; Dialynas et al, 2017). In addition, continuing measurements from Voyager 1 beyond the HP, now at 140 AU (1 AU=1.5x108 km, the Sun-Earth distance), have shown that the influence of the Sun extends well beyond the HP (at 122 AU). This influence is manifested through the occasional appearance of anisotropies in the galactic cosmic rays (GCR) where none were predicted, that last as long as a year and are accompanied by electron plasma oscillations in the vicinity of the spacecraft. Thus, an ISP mission with a fast ( 15 AU per year compared to Voyager's 3.6) trajectory would traverse a dynamic region near and beyond the TS and HP, and enable imaging the shape of the heliosphere from beyond its boundaries through ENA. In situ measurements should include the ISM magnetic field (ISMF), plasma density and distribution function, plasma waves, and neutral atom density and composition, as a minimum. All of these measurements would be new information with modern instrumentation that would place the very limited Voyager measurements into the proper context. References: Krimigis, S. M., D. G. Mitchell, E. C. Roelof, K. C. Hsieh and D. J. McComas, Imaging the Interaction of the Heliosphere with the Interstellar Medium from Saturn with Cassini, Science, 326, 5955, p. 971, doi: 10.1126/science.1181079, 2009 McComas, D. J., et al, Global Observations of the Interstellar Interaction from the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX), Science, 326, 5955, pp. 959, doi: 10.1126/science.1180906, 2009

  9. Is the Magnetic Field in the Heliosheath Sector Region and in the Outer Heliosheath Laminar?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Opher, M.; Drake, J. F.; Swisdak, M. M.; Toth, G.

    2010-12-01

    All the current global models of the heliosphere are based on the assumption that the magnetic field in the outer heliosheath close to the heliopause is laminar. We argue that in the outer heliosheath the heliospheric magnetic field is not laminar but instead consists of nested magnetic islands. Recently, we proposed (Drake et al. 2009) that the annihilation of the ``sectored'' magnetic field within the heliosheath as it is compressed on its approach to the heliopause produces the anomalous cosmic rays (ACRs) and also energetic electrons. As a product of the annihilation of the sectored magnetic field, densly-packed magnetic islands are produced. These magnetic islands will be convected with the ambient flows as the sector boundary is carried to higher latitudes filling the outer heliosheath. We further argue that the magnetic islands will develop upstream (but still within the heliosheath) where collisionless reconnection is unfavorable -- large perturbations of the sector structure near the heliopause will cause compressions of the current sheet upstream, triggering reconnection. As a result, the magnetic field in the heliosheath sector region will be disordered well upstream of the heliopause. We present a 3D MHD simulation with unprecedent numerical resolution that captures the sector boundary. We show that due to the high pressure of the interstellar magnetic field the disordered sectored region fills a large portion of the northern part of the heliosphere with a smaller extension in the southern hemisphere. We test these ideas with observations of energetic electrons, which because of their high velocity are most sensitive to the structure of the magnetic field. We suggest that within our scenario we can explain two significant anomalies in the observations of energetic electrons in the outer heliosphere: the sudden decrease in the intensity of low energy electrons (0.02-1.5MeV) from the LECP instrument on Voyager 2 in 2008 (Decker 2010); and the dramatic

  10. Local helioseismology: three-dimensional imaging of the solar interior

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Gizon, L.; Birch, A.C.; Spruit, H.C.

    2010-01-01

    The Sun supports a rich spectrum of internal waves that are continuously excited by turbulent convection. The Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) network and the SOHO/MDI (Solar and Heliospheric Observatory/Michelson Doppler Imager) space instrument provide an exceptional database of spatially

  11. CURRENT SHEET REGULATION OF SOLAR NEAR-RELATIVISTIC ELECTRON INJECTION HISTORIES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Agueda, N.; Sanahuja, B. [Departament d' Astronomia i Meteorologia, Institut de Ciencies del Cosmos, Universitat de Barcelona (Spain); Vainio, R. [Department of Physics, University of Helsinki (Finland); Dalla, S. [Jeremiah Horrocks Institute, University of Central Lancashire (United Kingdom); Lario, D. [Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University (United States)

    2013-03-10

    We present a sample of three large near-relativistic (>50 keV) electron events observed in 2001 by both the ACE and the Ulysses spacecraft, when Ulysses was at high-northern latitudes (>60 Degree-Sign ) and close to 2 AU. Despite the large latitudinal distance between the two spacecraft, electrons injected near the Sun reached both heliospheric locations. All three events were associated with large solar flares, strong decametric type II radio bursts and accompanied by wide (>212 Degree-Sign ) and fast (>1400 km s{sup -1}) coronal mass ejections (CMEs). We use advanced interplanetary transport simulations and make use of the directional intensities observed in situ by the spacecraft to infer the electron injection profile close to the Sun and the interplanetary transport conditions at both low and high latitudes. For the three selected events, we find similar interplanetary transport conditions at different heliolatitudes for a given event, with values of the mean free path ranging from 0.04 AU to 0.27 AU. We find differences in the injection profiles inferred for each spacecraft. We investigate the role that sector boundaries of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) have on determining the characteristics of the electron injection profiles. Extended injection profiles, associated with coronal shocks, are found if the magnetic footpoints of the spacecraft lay in the same magnetic sector as the associated flare, while intermittent sparse injection episodes appear when the spacecraft footpoints are in the opposite sector or a wrap in the HCS bounded the CME structure.

  12. ESTABLISHING A STEREOSCOPIC TECHNIQUE FOR DETERMINING THE KINEMATIC PROPERTIES OF SOLAR WIND TRANSIENTS BASED ON A GENERALIZED SELF-SIMILARLY EXPANDING CIRCULAR GEOMETRY

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davies, J. A.; Perry, C. H.; Harrison, R. A.; Trines, R. M. G. M.; Lugaz, N.; Möstl, C.; Liu, Y. D.; Steed, K.

    2013-01-01

    The twin-spacecraft STEREO mission has enabled simultaneous white-light imaging of the solar corona and inner heliosphere from multiple vantage points. This has led to the development of numerous stereoscopic techniques to investigate the three-dimensional structure and kinematics of solar wind transients such as coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Two such methods—triangulation and the tangent to a sphere—can be used to determine time profiles of the propagation direction and radial distance (and thereby radial speed) of a solar wind transient as it travels through the inner heliosphere, based on its time-elongation profile viewed by two observers. These techniques are founded on the assumption that the transient can be characterized as a point source (fixed φ, FP, approximation) or a circle attached to Sun-center (harmonic mean, HM, approximation), respectively. These geometries constitute extreme descriptions of solar wind transients, in terms of their cross-sectional extent. Here, we present the stereoscopic expressions necessary to derive propagation direction and radial distance/speed profiles of such transients based on the more generalized self-similar expansion (SSE) geometry, for which the FP and HM geometries form the limiting cases; our implementation of these equations is termed the stereoscopic SSE method. We apply the technique to two Earth-directed CMEs from different phases of the STEREO mission, the well-studied event of 2008 December and a more recent event from 2012 March. The latter CME was fast, with an initial speed exceeding 2000 km s –1 , and highly geoeffective, in stark contrast to the slow and ineffectual 2008 December CME

  13. A Numerical Study of Forbush Decreases with a 3D Cosmic-Ray Modulation Model Based on an SDE Approach

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Luo, Xi; Feng, Xueshang [SIGMA Weather Group, State Key Laboratory of Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190 (China); Potgieter, Marius S. [Centre for Space Research, North-West University, Potchefstroom 2520 (South Africa); Zhang, Ming [Department of Physics and Space Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, 150 West University Boulevard, Melbourne, FL 32901 (United States)

    2017-04-10

    Based on the reduced diffusion mechanism for producing Forbush decreases (Fds) in the heliosphere, we constructed a three-dimensional (3D) diffusion barrier, and by incorporating it into a stochastic differential equation (SDE) based time-dependent, cosmic-ray transport model, a 3D numerical model for simulating Fds is built and applied to a period of relatively quiet solar activity. This SDE model generally corroborates previous Fd simulations concerning the effects of the solar magnetic polarity, the tilt angle of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS), and cosmic-ray particle energy. Because the modulation processes in this 3D model are multi-directional, the barrier’s geometrical features affect the intensity profiles of Fds differently. We find that both the latitudinal and longitudinal extent of the barrier have relatively fewer effects on these profiles than its radial extent and the level of decreased diffusion inside the disturbance. We find, with the 3D approach, that the HCS rotational motion causes the relative location from the observation point to the HCS to vary, so that a periodic pattern appears in the cosmic-ray intensity at the observing location. Correspondingly, the magnitude and recovery time of an Fd change, and the recovering intensity profile contains oscillation as well. Investigating the Fd magnitude variation with heliocentric radial distance, we find that the magnitude decreases overall and, additionally, that the Fd magnitude exhibits an oscillating pattern as the radial distance increases, which coincides well with the wavy profile of the HCS under quiet solar modulation conditions.

  14. Coronal and interplanetary propagation, interplanetary acceleration, cosmic-ray observations by deep space network and anomalous component

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ng, C.K.

    1986-01-01

    The purpose is to provide an overview of the contributions presented in sessions SH3, SH1.5, SH4.6 and SH4.7 of the 19th International Cosmic Ray Conference. These contributed papers indicate that steady progress continues to be made in both the observational and the theoretical aspects of the transport and acceleration of energetic charged particles in the heliosphere. Studies of solar and interplanetary particles have placed emphasis on particle directional distributions in relation to pitch-angle scattering and magnetic focusing, on the rigidity and spatial dependence of the mean free path, and on new propagation regimes in the inner and outer heliosphere. Coronal propagation appears in need of correlative multi-spacecraft studies in association with detailed observation of the flare process and coronal magnetic structures. Interplanetary acceleration has now gone into a consolidation phase, with theories being worked out in detail and checked against observation

  15. Coronal and interplanetary propagation, interplanetary acceleration, cosmic-ray observations by deep space network and anomalous component

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ng, C. K.

    1986-01-01

    The purpose is to provide an overview of the contributions presented in sessions SH3, SH1.5, SH4.6 and SH4.7 of the 19th International Cosmic Ray Conference. These contributed papers indicate that steady progress continues to be made in both the observational and the theoretical aspects of the transport and acceleration of energetic charged particles in the heliosphere. Studies of solar and interplanetary particles have placed emphasis on particle directional distributions in relation to pitch-angle scattering and magnetic focusing, on the rigidity and spatial dependence of the mean free path, and on new propagation regimes in the inner and outer heliosphere. Coronal propagation appears in need of correlative multi-spacecraft studies in association with detailed observation of the flare process and coronal magnetic structures. Interplanetary acceleration has now gone into a consolidation phase, with theories being worked out in detail and checked against observation.

  16. Collisionless shocks in space plasmas structure and accelerated particles

    CERN Document Server

    Burgess, David

    2015-01-01

    Shock waves are an important feature of solar system plasmas, from the solar corona out to the edge of the heliosphere. This engaging introduction to collisionless shocks in space plasmas presents a comprehensive review of the physics governing different types of shocks and processes of particle acceleration, from fundamental principles to current research. Motivated by observations of planetary bow shocks, interplanetary shocks and the solar wind termination shock, it emphasises the physical theory underlying these shock waves. Readers will develop an understanding of the complex interplay between particle dynamics and the electric and magnetic fields that explains the observations of in situ spacecraft. Written by renowned experts in the field, this up-to-date text is the ideal companion for both graduate students new to heliospheric physics and researchers in astrophysics who wish to apply the lessons of solar system shocks to different astrophysical environments.

  17. 3D Reconfigurable NoC Multiprocessor Imaging Interferometer for Space Climate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dekoulis, George

    2016-07-01

    This paper describes the development of an imaging interferometer for long-term observations of solar activity related events. Heliospheric physics phenomena are responsible for causing irregularities to the ionospheric-magnetospheric plasmasphere. Distinct signatures of these events are captured and studied over long periods of time deducting crucial conclusions about the short-term Space Weather and in the long run about Space Climate. The new prototype features an eight-channel implementation. The available hardware resources permit a 256- channel configuration for accurate beam scanning of the Earth's plasmasphere. A dual-polarization scheme has been implemented for obtaining accurate measurements. The system is based on state-of-the-art three-dimensional reconfigurable logic and exhibits a performance increase in the range of 70% compared to similar instruments in operation. Special circuits allow measurements of the most intense heliospheric physics events to be fully captured and analyzed.

  18. Environmental Impact Specification for Direct Space Weathering of Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud Objects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooper, John F.

    2010-01-01

    The Direct Space Weathering Project of NASA's Outer Planets Research Program addresses specification of the plasma and energetic particle environments for irradiation and surface chemical processing of icy bodies in the outer solar system and the local interstellar medium. Knowledge of the radiation environments is being expanded by ongoing penetration of the twin Voyager spacecraft into the heliosheath boundary region of the outer heliosphere and expected emergence within the next decade into the very local interstellar medium. The Voyager measurements are being supplemented by remote sensing from Earth orbit of energetic neutral atom emission from this boundary region by NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX). Although the Voyagers long ago passed the region of the Classical Kuiper Belt, the New Horizons spacecraft will encounter Pluto in 2015 and thereafter explore one or more KBOs, meanwhile providing updated measurements of the heliospheric radiation environment in this region. Modeling of ion transport within the heliosphere allows specification of time-integrated irradiation effects while the combination of Voyager and IBEX data supports projection of the in-situ measurements into interstellar space beyond the heliosheath. Transformation of model ion flux distributions into surface sputtering and volume ionization profiles provides a multi-layer perspective for space weathering impact on the affected icy bodies and may account for some aspects of color and compositional diversity. Other important related factors may include surface erosion and gardening by meteoritic impacts and surface renewal by cryovolcanism. Chemical products of space weathering may contribute to energy resources for the latter.

  19. LOCAL INTERSTELLAR HYDROGEN'S DISAPPEARANCE AT 1 AU: FOUR YEARS OF IBEX IN THE RISING SOLAR CYCLE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saul, Lukas; Rodríguez, Diego; Scheer, Juergen; Wurz, Peter; Bzowski, Maciej; Kubiak, Marzena; Sokół, Justina; Fuselier, Stephen; McComas, Dave; Möbius, Eberhard

    2013-01-01

    NASA's Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission has recently opened a new window on the interstellar medium (ISM) by imaging neutral atoms. One ''bright'' feature in the sky is the interstellar wind flowing into the solar system. Composed of remnants of stellar explosions as well as primordial gas and plasma, the ISM is by no means uniform. The interaction of the local ISM with the solar wind shapes our heliospheric environment with hydrogen being the dominant component of the very local ISM. In this paper, we report on direct sampling of the neutral hydrogen of the local ISM over four years of IBEX observations. The hydrogen wind observed at 1 AU has decreased and nearly disappeared as the solar activity has increased over the last four years; the signal at 1 AU has dropped off in 2012 by a factor of ∼8 to near background levels. The longitudinal offset has also increased with time presumably due to greater radiation pressure deflecting the interstellar wind. We present longitudinal and latitudinal arrival direction measurements of the bulk flow as measured over four years beginning at near solar minimum conditions. The H distribution we observe at 1 AU is expected to be different from that outside the heliopause due to ionization, photon pressure, gravity, and filtration by interactions with heliospheric plasma populations. These observations provide an important benchmark for modeling of the global heliospheric interaction. Based on these observations we suggest a further course of scientific action to observe neutral hydrogen over a full solar cycle with IBEX.

  20. THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM IN THE KEPLER SEARCH VOLUME

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johnson, Marshall C. [Department of Astronomy, University of Texas at Austin, 2515 Speedway, Stop C1400, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Redfield, Seth [Astronomy Department, Van Vleck Observatory, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459 (United States); Jensen, Adam G., E-mail: mjohnson@astro.as.utexas.edu [Department of Physics and Physical Science, University of Nebraska-Kearney, Bruner Hall of Science, 2401 11th Ave, Kearney, NE 68849 (United States)

    2015-07-10

    The properties of the interstellar medium (ISM) surrounding a planetary system can impact planetary climate through a number of mechanisms, including changing the size of the astrosphere (one of the major shields for cosmic rays) as well as direct deposition of material into planetary atmospheres. In order to constrain the ambient ISM conditions for exoplanetary systems, we present observations of interstellar Na i and K i absorption toward seventeen early type stars in the Kepler prime mission field of view (FOV). We identify 39 Na i and 8 K i velocity components, and attribute these to 11 ISM clouds. Six of these are detected toward more than one star, and for these clouds we put limits on the cloud properties, including distance and hydrogen number density. We identify one cloud with significant (≳1.5 cm{sup −3}) hydrogen number density located within the nominal ∼100 pc boundary of the Local Bubble. We identify systems with confirmed planets within the Kepler FOV that could lie within these ISM clouds, and estimate upper limits on the astrosphere sizes of these systems under the assumption that they do lie within these clouds. Under this condition, the Kepler-20, 42, and 445 multiplanet systems could have compressed astrospheres much smaller than the present-day heliosphere. Among the known habitable zone planet hosts, Kepler-186 could have an astrosphere somewhat smaller than the heliosphere, while Kepler-437 and KOI-4427 could have astrospheres much larger than the heliosphere. The thick disk star Kepler-444 may have an astrosphere just a few AU in radius.

  1. Synoptic maps of solar wind parameters from in situ spacecraft observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gazis, P. R.

    1995-01-01

    Solar wind observations from the Interplanetary Monitoring Platform-8 (IMP-8) and Pioneer Venus Orbiter (PVO) spacecraft from 1982 until 1988 are combined to construct synoptic maps of solar wind parameters near 1 AU. Each map consists of 6 months of hourly averaged solar wind data, binned by heliographic latitude and Carrington longitude and projected back to the Sun. These maps show the structure and time evolution of solar wind streams near 1 AU in the heliographic latitudes of +/- 7.25 deg and provide and explicit picture of several phenomena, such as gradients, changes in the inclination of the heliospheric current sheet, and the relative positions of various structures in the inner heliosphere, that is difficult to obtain from single-spacecraft observations. The stream structure varied significantly during the last solar cycle. Between 1982 and early 1985, solar wind parameters did not depend strongly on heliographic latitude. During the last solar minimum, the solar wind developed significant latitudinal structure, and high-speed streams were excluded from the vicinity of the solar equator. The interplanetary magnetic field was strongly correlated with the coronal field, and the current sheet tended to coincide with the coronal neutral line. The solar wind speed showed the expected correlations with temperature, interplanetary magnetic field, and distance from the current sheet. The solar wind speed was anticorrelated with density, but the regions of highest density occurred east of the heliospheric current sheet and the regions of lowest solar wind speed. This is consistent with compression at the leading edge of high-speed streams.

  2. A Test of the Interstellar Boundary EXplorer Ribbon Formation in the Outer Heliosheath

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gamayunov, Konstantin V.; Rassoul, Hamid [Department of Physics and Space Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL 32901 (United States); Heerikhuisen, Jacob, E-mail: kgamayunov@fit.edu [Department of Space Science, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899 (United States)

    2017-08-10

    NASA’s Interstellar Boundary EXplorer ( IBEX ) mission is imaging energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) propagating to Earth from the outer heliosphere and local interstellar medium (LISM). A dominant feature in all ENA maps is a ribbon of enhanced fluxes that was not predicted before IBEX . While more than a dozen models of the ribbon formation have been proposed, consensus has gathered around the so-called secondary ENA model. Two classes of secondary ENA models have been proposed; the first class assumes weak scattering of the energetic pickup protons in the LISM, and the second class assumes strong but spatially localized scattering. Here we present a numerical test of the “weak scattering” version of the secondary ENA model using our gyro-averaged kinetic model for the evolution of the phase-space distribution of protons in the outer heliosheath. As input for our test, we use distributions of the primary ENAs from our MHD-plasma/kinetic-neutral model of the heliosphere-LISM interaction. The magnetic field spectrum for the large-scale interstellar turbulence and an upper limit for the amplitude of small-scale local turbulence (SSLT) generated by protons are taken from observations by Voyager 1 in the LISM. The hybrid simulations of energetic protons are also used to set the bounding wavenumbers for the spectrum of SSLT. Our test supports the “weak scattering” version. This makes an additional solid step on the way to understanding the origin and formation of the IBEX ribbon and thus to improving our understanding of the interaction between the heliosphere and the LISM.

  3. Author Index

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    tribpo

    ANANTHAKRISHNAN, S. Remote sensing of the heliospheric solar wind using radio astronomy methods and numerical simulations, 439. ANTIA, H. M. see Basu ... dimensional asymptotic solution in the convection zone, 0; Alpha effect, current and kinetic helicities for magnetically driven turbulence, and solar dynamo,. 379.

  4. The microphysics of collisionless shock waves

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Marcowith, Alexandre; Bret, Antoine; Bykov, Andrei

    2016-01-01

    Collisionless shocks, that is shocks mediated by electromagnetic processes, are customary in space physics and in astrophysics. They are to be found in a great variety of objects and environments: magnetospheric and heliospheric shocks, supernova remnants, pulsar winds and their nebulæ, active ga...

  5. Impacts of population growth and economic development on water quality of a lake: case study of Lake Victoria Kenya water.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Juma, Dauglas Wafula; Wang, Hongtao; Li, Fengting

    2014-04-01

    Anthropogenic-induced water quality pollution is a major environmental problem in freshwater ecosystems today. As a result of this, eutrophication of lakes occurs. Population and economic development are key drivers of water resource pollution. To evaluate how growth in the riparian population and in the gross domestic product (GDP) with unplanned development affects the water quality of the lake, this paper evaluates Lake Victoria Kenyan waters basin. Waters quality data between 1990 and 2012 were analyzed along with reviews of published literature, papers, and reports. The nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N), soluble phosphorus (PO4-P), chlorophyll a, and Secchi transparencies were evaluated as they are key water quality indicators. The NO3-N increased from 10 μg l(-1) in 1990 to 98 μg 1(-1) in 2008, while PO4-P increased from 4 μg l(-1) in 1990 to 57 μg l(-1) in 2008. The population and economic growth of Kenya are increasing with both having minimums in 1990 of 24.143 million people and 12.18 billion US dollars, to maximums in 2010 of 39.742 million people and 32.163 billion US dollars, respectively. A Secchi transparency is reducing with time, indicating an increasing pollution. This was confirmed by an increase in aquatic vegetation using an analysis of moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) images of 2000 and 2012 of Kenyan waters. This study found that increasing population and GDP increases pollution discharge thus polluting lakes. One of major factors causing lake water pollution is the unplanned or poor waste management policy and service.

  6. Solar Cycle in the Heliosphere and Cosmic Rays

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-10-23

    at the source surface at 2.5 solar radii around the Sun. OMF shows a great variability both in solar cycle and on the centennial scale (see Fig. 3...It is important to note that the centennial variability is great (Lockwood et al. 1999; Solanki et al. 2000) comparable with or even greater than the...be identified as spikes in production of cosmogenic isotope (10Be and 14C) records on the centennial -millennial time scale (e.g., Usoskin and

  7. Particle acceleration at shocks in the inner heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, Linda Neergaard

    This dissertation describes a study of particle acceleration at shocks via the diffusive shock acceleration mechanism. Results for particle acceleration at both quasi-parallel and quasi-perpendicular shocks are presented to address the question of whether there are sufficient particles in the solar wind thermal core, modeled as either a Maxwellian or kappa- distribution, to account for the observed accelerated spectrum. Results of accelerating the theoretical upstream distribution are compared to energetic observations at 1 AU. It is shown that the particle distribution in the solar wind thermal core is sufficient to explain the accelerated particle spectrum downstream of the shock, although the shape of the downstream distribution in some cases does not follow completely the theory of diffusive shock acceleration, indicating possible additional processes at work in the shock for these cases. Results show good to excellent agreement between the theoretical and observed spectral index for one third to one half of both quasi-parallel and quasi-perpendicular shocks studied herein. Coronal mass ejections occurring during periods of high solar activity surrounding solar maximum can produce shocks in excess of 3-8 shocks per day. During solar minimum, diffusive shock acceleration at shocks can generally be understood on the basis of single independent shocks and no other shock necessarily influences the diffusive shock acceleration mechanism. In this sense, diffusive shock acceleration during solar minimum may be regarded as Markovian. By contrast, diffusive shock acceleration of particles at periods of high solar activity (e.g. solar maximum) see frequent, closely spaced shocks that include the effects of particle acceleration at preceding and following shocks. Therefore, diffusive shock acceleration of particles at solar maximum cannot be modeled on the basis of diffusive shock acceleration as a single, independent shock and the process is essentially non-Markovian. A multiple shock model is developed based in part on the box model of (Protheroe and Stanev, 1998; Moraal and Axford, 1983; Ball and Kirk, 1992; Drury et al. 1999) that accelerates particles at multiple shocks and decompresses the particles between shocks via two methods. The first method of decompression is based on the that used by Melrose and Pope (1993), which adiabatically decompresses particles between shocks. The second method solves the cosmic ray transport equation and adiabatically decompresses between shocks and includes the loss of particles through convection and diffusion. The transport method allows for the inclusion of a temporal variability and thus allows for a more representative frequency distribution of shocks. The transport method of decompression and loss is used to accelerate particles at seventy-three shocks in a thirty day time period. Comparisons with observations taken at 1 AU during the same time period are encouraging as the model is able to reproduce the observed amplitude of the accelerated particles and in part the variability. This work provides the basis for developing more sophisticated models that can be applied to a suite of observations

  8. Comparative Science and Space Weather Around the Heliosphere

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grande, Manuel; Andre, Nicolas; COSPAR/ILWS Roadmap Team

    2016-10-01

    Space weather refers to the variable state of the coupled space environment related to changing conditions on the Sun and in the terrestrial atmosphere. The presentation will focus on the critical missing knowledge or observables needed to significantly advance our modelling and forecasting capabilities throughout the solar system putting these in perspective to the recommendations in the recent COSPAR/ILWS roadmap. The COSPAR/ILWS RoadMap focuses on high-priority challenges in key areas of research leading to a better understanding of the space environment and a demonstrable improvement in the provision of timely, reliable information pertinent to effects on civilian space- and ground-based systems, for all stakeholders around the world. The RoadMap prioritizes those advances that can be made on short, intermediate and decadal time scales, identifying gaps and opportunities from a predominantly, but not exclusively, geocentric perspective. While discussion of space weather effects has so far largely been concerned to the near-Earth environment, there are significant present and future applications to the locations beyond, and to other planets. Most obviously, perhaps, are the radiation hazards experienced by astronauts on the way to, and on the surface of, the Moon and Mars. Indeed, the environment experienced by planetary spacecraft in transit and at their destinations is of course critical to their design and successful operation. The case of forthcoming missions to Jupiter and Europa is an extreme example. Moreover, such craft can provide information which in turn increases our understanding of geospace. One initiative is that under Horizon 2020, Europlanet RI will set up a Europlanet Planetary Space Weather Service (PSWS). PSWS will make five entirely new `toolkits' accessible to the research community and to industrial partners planning for space missions: - a General planetary space weather toolkit; Mars (in support of the ESA ExoMars missions to be launched in 2016 and 2018); comets (building on the success of the ESA Rosetta mission); outer planets (in preparation for the ESA JUICE mission to be launched in 2022), as well as a novel "event-diary" toolkit aiming at predicting and detecting planetary events like meteor impacts

  9. 469-475

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    tribpo

    Alpha effect, current and kinetic helicities for magnetically driven turbulence, and solar dynamo (G. Belvedere, V. V. Pipin & G. Rudiger), 387. PAH. A new scheme .... Remote sensing of the heliospheric solar wind using radio astronomy methods and numerical simulations (S. Ananthakrishnan), 439. Tomography of the solar ...

  10. Evolving Coronal Holes and Interplanetary Erupting Stream ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2016-01-27

    Jan 27, 2016 ... Coronal holes and interplanetary disturbances are important aspects of the physics of the Sun and heliosphere. Interplanetary disturbances are identified as an increase in the density turbulence compared with the ambient solar wind. Erupting stream disturbances are transient large-scale structures of ...

  11. Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2016-01-27

    Jan 27, 2016 ... ... Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy; Volume 21; Issue 3-4. Remote Sensing of the Heliospheric Solar Wind using Radio Astronomy Methods and Numerical Simulations. S. Ananthakrishnan. Session XI – Solar Wind & Interplanetary Magnetic Fields Volume 21 Issue 3-4 September-December 2000 pp ...

  12. Analysis of an Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejection by a Spacecraft Radio Signal: A Case Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Molera Calvés, G.; Kallio, E.; Cimo, G.; Quick, J.; Duev, D. A.; Bocanegra Bahamón, T.; Nickola, M.; Kharinov, M. A.; Mikhailov, A. G.

    2017-11-01

    Tracking radio communication signals from planetary spacecraft with ground-based telescopes offers the possibility to study the electron density and the interplanetary scintillation of the solar wind. Observations of the telemetry link of planetary spacecraft have been conducted regularly with ground antennae from the European Very Long Baseline Interferometry Network, aiming to study the propagation of radio signals in the solar wind at different solar elongations and distances from the Sun. We have analyzed the Mars Express spacecraft radio signal phase fluctuations while, based on a 3-D heliosphere plasma simulation, an interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) crossed the radio path during one of our observations on 6 April 2015. Our measurements showed that the phase scintillation indices increased by a factor of 4 during the passage of the ICME. The method presented here confirms that the phase scintillation technique based on spacecraft signals provides information of the properties and propagation of the ICMEs in the heliosphere.

  13. Comet 73P Measurements of Solar Wind Interactions, Cometary Ion Pickup, and Spatial Distribution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gilbert, J. A.; Lepri, S. T.; Rubin, M.; Combi, M. R.; Zurbuchen, T.

    2015-12-01

    Several fragments of Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 passed near the Earth following a 2006 disintegration episode. Unique measurements regarding the charge state composition and the elemental abundances of both cometary and heliospheric plasma were made during this time by both the ACE/SWICS and Wind/STICS sensors. As the solar wind passed through the neutral cometary coma, it experienced charge exchange that was observed as an increase in the ratio of He+/He++. In addition, particles originating from fragments trailing the major cometary objects were ionized and picked up by the solar wind. The cometary material can be identified by the concentrations of water-group pickup ions having a mass-per-charge ratio of 16-18 amu/e, indicating that these are actively sublimating fragments. Here we present an analysis of cometary composition, spatial distribution, directionality, and heliospheric interactions with a focus on Helium, Carbon (C/O), and water-group ions.

  14. Irregular Magnetic Fields and Energetic Particles near the Termination Shock

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Giacalone, J.; Jokipii, J. R.

    2004-01-01

    The physics of magnetic field-line meandering and the associated energetic-particle transport in the outer heliosphere is discussed. We assume that the heliospheric magnetic field, which is frozen into the solar-wind plasma, is composed of both an average and random component. The power in the random component is dominated by spatial scales that are very large (by a few orders of magnitude) compared to the shock thickness. The results from recent numerical simulations are presented. They reveal a number of characteristics which may be related to recent Voyager 1 observations of energetic particles and fields. For instance, low-energy (tens of keV) particles are seen well upstream of the shock that also have large pitch-angle anisotropies. Furthermore, low-energy particles are readily accelerated by the shock, even though their mean-free paths are very large compared to their gyroradii. When averaging over the entire system, the downstream spectra are qualitatively consistent with the theory of diffusive shock acceleration

  15. Using Science Data and Models for Space Weather Forecasting - Challenges and Opportunities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hesse, Michael; Pulkkinen, Antti; Zheng, Yihua; Maddox, Marlo; Berrios, David; Taktakishvili, Sandro; Kuznetsova, Masha; Chulaki, Anna; Lee, Hyesook; Mullinix, Rick; hide

    2012-01-01

    Space research, and, consequently, space weather forecasting are immature disciplines. Scientific knowledge is accumulated frequently, which changes our understanding or how solar eruptions occur, and of how they impact targets near or on the Earth, or targets throughout the heliosphere. Along with continuous progress in understanding, space research and forecasting models are advancing rapidly in capability, often providing substantially increases in space weather value over time scales of less than a year. Furthermore, the majority of space environment information available today is, particularly in the solar and heliospheric domains, derived from research missions. An optimal forecasting environment needs to be flexible enough to benefit from this rapid development, and flexible enough to adapt to evolving data sources, many of which may also stem from non-US entities. This presentation will analyze the experiences obtained by developing and operating both a forecasting service for NASA, and an experimental forecasting system for Geomagnetically Induced Currents.

  16. XMM-Newton Observations of MBM 12: More Constraints on the Solar Wind Charge Exchange and Local Bubble Emissions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koutroumpa, Dimitra; Smith, Randall K.; Edgar, Richard J.; Kuntz, Kip D.; Plucinsky, Paul P.; Snowden, Steven L.

    2010-01-01

    We present the first analysis of an XMM-Newton observation of the nearby molecular cloud MBM 12. We find that in the direction of MBM 12 the total O VII (0.57 keV) triplet emission is 1.8(+0.5/-0.6) photons/sq cm/s/sr (or Line Units - LU) while for the O VIII (0.65 keV) line emission we find a 3(sigma) upper limit of by Solar Wind Charge-eXchange (SWCX) which we compare to the XMM-Newton observations. This comparison provides new constraints on the relative heliospheric and Local Bubble contributions to the local diffuse X-ray background. The heliospheric SWCX model predicts 0.82 LU for O VII, which accounts for approx. 46+/-15% of the observed value, and 0.33 LU for the O VIII line emission consistent with the XMM-Newton observed value. We discuss our results in combination with previous observations of the MBM 12 with CHANDRA and Suzaku.

  17. Wave-Particle Interactions in the Earth's Radiation Belts: Recent Advances and Unprecedented Future Opportunities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, W.

    2017-12-01

    In the collisionless heliospheric plasmas, wave-particle interaction is a fundamental physical process in transferring energy and momentum between particles with different species and energies. This presentation focuses on one of the important wave-particle interaction processes: interaction between whistler-mode waves and electrons. Whistler-mode waves have frequencies between proton and electron cyclotron frequency and are ubiquitously present in the heliospheric plasmas including solar wind and planetary magnetospheres. I use Earth's Van Allen radiation belt as "local space laboratory" to discuss the role of whistler-mode waves in energetic electron dynamics using multi-satellite observations, theory and modeling. I further discuss solar wind drivers leading to energetic electron dynamics in the Earth's radiation belts, which is critical in predicting space weather that has broad impacts on our technological systems and society. At last, I discuss the unprecedented future opportunities of exploring space science using multi-satellite observations and state-of-the-art theory and modeling.

  18. Astrospheres and Solar-like Stellar Winds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wood Brian E.

    2004-07-01

    Full Text Available Stellar analogs for the solar wind have proven to be frustratingly difficult to detect directly. However, these stellar winds can be studied indirectly by observing the interaction regions carved out by the collisions between these winds and the interstellar medium (ISM. These interaction regions are called "astrospheres", analogous to the "heliosphere" surrounding the Sun. The heliosphere and astrospheres contain a population of hydrogen heated by charge exchange processes that can produce enough H I Ly alpha absorption to be detectable in UV spectra of nearby stars from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST. The amount of astrospheric absorption is a diagnostic for the strength of the stellar wind, so these observations have provided the first measurements of solar-like stellar winds. Results from these stellar wind studies and their implications for our understanding of the solar wind are reviewed here. Of particular interest are results concerning the past history of the solar wind and its impact on planetary atmospheres.

  19. Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2016-01-27

    Jan 27, 2016 ... We discuss the effects of certain dynamic features of space environment in the heliosphere, the geo-magnetosphere, and the earth's atmosphere. In particular, transient perturbations in solar wind plasma, interplanetary magnetic field, and energetic charged particle (cosmic ray) fluxes near 1 AU in the ...

  20. Space Physics Strategy-Implementation Study. Volume 1. Goals, objectives, strategy. Report of Workshop 1. Held in Baltimore, Maryland on January 22-26, 1990 (second edition)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1991-04-01

    This is the report of Workshop 1, January 22-26, 1990, Baltimore, Maryland. The document includes the Report of the Cosmic and Heliospheric Panel, Report of the Ionosphere-Thermosphere-Mesosphere Panel, Report of the Magnetospheric Physics Panel, Report of the Solar Physics Panel, Report of the Theory Panel

  1. INFLUENCE OF THE AMBIENT SOLAR WIND FLOW ON THE PROPAGATION BEHAVIOR OF INTERPLANETARY CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Temmer, Manuela; Rollett, Tanja; Moestl, Christian; Veronig, Astrid M. [Kanzelhoehe Observatory-IGAM, Institute of Physics, University of Graz, Universitaetsplatz 5, A-8010 Graz (Austria); Vrsnak, Bojan [Hvar Observatory, Faculty of Geodesy, University of Zagreb, Kaciceva 26, HR-10000 Zagreb (Croatia); Odstrcil, Dusan [Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO (United States)

    2011-12-20

    We study three coronal mass ejection (CME)/interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) events (2008 June 1-6, 2009 February 13-18, and 2010 April 3-5) tracked from Sun to 1 AU in remote-sensing observations of Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory Heliospheric Imagers and in situ plasma and magnetic field measurements. We focus on the ICME propagation in interplanetary (IP) space that is governed by two forces: the propelling Lorentz force and the drag force. We address the question: which heliospheric distance range does the drag become dominant and the CME adjust to the solar wind flow. To this end, we analyze speed differences between ICMEs and the ambient solar wind flow as a function of distance. The evolution of the ambient solar wind flow is derived from ENLIL three-dimensional MHD model runs using different solar wind models, namely, Wang-Sheeley-Arge and MHD-Around-A-Sphere. Comparing the measured CME kinematics with the solar wind models, we find that the CME speed becomes adjusted to the solar wind speed at very different heliospheric distances in the three events under study: from below 30 R{sub Sun }, to beyond 1 AU, depending on the CME and ambient solar wind characteristics. ENLIL can be used to derive important information about the overall structure of the background solar wind, providing more reliable results during times of low solar activity than during times of high solar activity. The results from this study enable us to obtain greater insight into the forces acting on CMEs over the IP space distance range, which is an important prerequisite for predicting their 1 AU transit times.

  2. INFLUENCE OF THE AMBIENT SOLAR WIND FLOW ON THE PROPAGATION BEHAVIOR OF INTERPLANETARY CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Temmer, Manuela; Rollett, Tanja; Möstl, Christian; Veronig, Astrid M.; Vršnak, Bojan; Odstrčil, Dusan

    2011-01-01

    We study three coronal mass ejection (CME)/interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) events (2008 June 1-6, 2009 February 13-18, and 2010 April 3-5) tracked from Sun to 1 AU in remote-sensing observations of Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory Heliospheric Imagers and in situ plasma and magnetic field measurements. We focus on the ICME propagation in interplanetary (IP) space that is governed by two forces: the propelling Lorentz force and the drag force. We address the question: which heliospheric distance range does the drag become dominant and the CME adjust to the solar wind flow. To this end, we analyze speed differences between ICMEs and the ambient solar wind flow as a function of distance. The evolution of the ambient solar wind flow is derived from ENLIL three-dimensional MHD model runs using different solar wind models, namely, Wang-Sheeley-Arge and MHD-Around-A-Sphere. Comparing the measured CME kinematics with the solar wind models, we find that the CME speed becomes adjusted to the solar wind speed at very different heliospheric distances in the three events under study: from below 30 R ☉ , to beyond 1 AU, depending on the CME and ambient solar wind characteristics. ENLIL can be used to derive important information about the overall structure of the background solar wind, providing more reliable results during times of low solar activity than during times of high solar activity. The results from this study enable us to obtain greater insight into the forces acting on CMEs over the IP space distance range, which is an important prerequisite for predicting their 1 AU transit times.

  3. Ulysses, the end of an extraordinary mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    2008-06-01

    Ulysses, a pioneering ESA/NASA mission, was launched in October 1990 to explore uncharted territories - the regions above and below the Sun’s poles - and study our star’s sphere of influence, or heliosphere, in the four dimensions of space and time. Originally designed for a lifetime of five years, the mission has surpassed all expectations. The reams of data Ulysses has returned have forever changed the way scientists view the Sun and its effect on the space surrounding it. Media representatives interested in attending the press conference are invited to register using the attached form. Those not able to attend will have the opportunity to follow the press conference using the following phone number: +33 1 56785733 (listening-mode only). The programme of the event is as follows: The Ulysses Legacy Press Conference 12 June 2008, 15:30, Room 137, ESA Headquarters, 8-10 rue Mario-Nikis, Paris Event programme 15:30 Welcome, by David Southwood, ESA Director of Science and Robotic Exploration (with a joint ESA/NASA statement) 15:40 Ulysses: a modern-day Odyssey, by Richard Marsden, ESA Ulysses Project Scientist and Mission Manager 15:50 The Ulysses scientific legacy: Inside the heliosphere, by Richard Marsden,ESA Ulysses Project Scientist and Mission Manager 16:00 The Ulysses scientific legacy: Outside the heliosphere, by Ed Smith, NASA Ulysses Project Scientist 16:10 Ulysses, the over-achiever: challenges and successes of a 17-year-old mission, by Nigel Angold, ESA Ulysses Mission Operations Manager 16:20 Questions and Answers, Panelists: David Southwood, Richard Marsden, Ed Smith, Nigel Angold and Ed Massey (NASA Ulysses Project Manager) 16:40 Interview opportunities 17:30 End of event

  4. Diagnosing collisionless energy transfer using field-particle correlations: Vlasov-Poisson plasmas

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howes, Gregory G.; Klein, Kristopher G.; Li, Tak Chu

    2017-02-01

    Turbulence plays a key role in the conversion of the energy of large-scale fields and flows to plasma heat, impacting the macroscopic evolution of the heliosphere and other astrophysical plasma systems. Although we have long been able to make direct spacecraft measurements of all aspects of the electromagnetic field and plasma fluctuations in near-Earth space, our understanding of the physical mechanisms responsible for the damping of the turbulent fluctuations in heliospheric plasmas remains incomplete. Here we propose an innovative field-particle correlation technique that can be used to measure directly the secular energy transfer from fields to particles associated with collisionless damping of the turbulent fluctuations. Furthermore, this novel procedure yields information about the collisionless energy transfer as a function of particle velocity, providing vital new information that can help to identify the dominant collisionless mechanism governing the damping of the turbulent fluctuations. Kinetic plasma theory is used to devise the appropriate correlation to diagnose Landau damping, and the field-particle correlation technique is thoroughly illustrated using the simplified case of the Landau damping of Langmuir waves in a 1D-1V (one dimension in physical space and one dimension in velocity space) Vlasov-Poisson plasma. Generalizations necessary to apply the field-particle correlation technique to diagnose the collisionless damping of turbulent fluctuations in the solar wind are discussed, highlighting several caveats. This novel field-particle correlation technique is intended to be used as a primary analysis tool for measurements from current, upcoming and proposed spacecraft missions that are focused on the kinetic microphysics of weakly collisional heliospheric plasmas, including the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS), Solar Probe Plus, Solar Orbiter and Turbulence Heating ObserveR (THOR) missions.

  5. Environmental water quality assessment in Guaratuba bay, state of Paraná, southern Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Byanka Damian Mizerkowski

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available An environmental assessment of the estuarine waters of Guaratuba bay, Paraná State, Brazil, is provided through the analysis of physical-chemical, biological and hydrographic dynamics. Twelve stations with a bi-monthly frequency (from October/2002 until August/2003 were sampled during spring and neap tides for the determination of pH, Secchi depth, CO2 saturation, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll, suspended particulate matter and dissolved inorganic nutrients (nitrate, nitrite, ammonium, phosphate and silicate. Based on the evaluation of six parameters (chlorophyll, Secchi depth, CO2 saturation, dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus and dissolved oxygen, Guaratuba Bay shows a low to medium trophic status, i.e. from meso- to oligotrophic, and a predominant heterotrophic metabolism, meaning that respiration overcomes primary production. Horizontal stratification was observed during the rainy season, while during the dry season the system showed more homogeneous conditions. Inorganic and/or organic matter in Guaratuba Bay seem to be controlled mainly by the seasonality of precipitation and/ also by ebb and flood tidal phase variations.A dinâmica das variáveis físico-químicas, biológicas e hidrográficas, em escalas temporal e espacial, sua variabilidade e tendências, permite avaliar a qualidade ambiental de estuários. Esse trabalho descreve as flutuações da qualidade de água da Baía de Guaratuba, sul do Estado do Paraná. Foram amostrados doze pontos em campanhas bimensais (outubro/2002 a agosto/2003, em situação de sizígia e de quadratura, para a análise das variáveis pH, transparência, saturação de CO2, oxigênio dissolvido, clorofila-a, material particulado em suspensão e nutrientes inorgânicos dissolvidos (nitrato, nitrito, amônio, fosfato e silicato. Considerando as seis variáveis descritoras da qualidade de água (clorofila-a, profundidade de Secchi, saturação de CO2, fósforo e nitrogênio inorg

  6. Laboratory investigation of antenna signals from dust impacts on spacecraft

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sternovsky, Zoltan; Collette, Andrew; Malaspina, David M.; Thayer, Frederick

    2016-04-01

    Electric field and plasma wave instruments act as dust detectors picking up voltage pulses induced by impacts of particulates on the spacecraft body. These signals enable the characterization of cosmic dust environments even with missions without dedicated dust instruments. For example, the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft performed the first detection of dust particles near Uranus, Neptune, and in the outer solar system [Gurnett et al., 1987, 1991, 1997]. The two STEREO spacecraft observed distinct signals at high rate that were interpreted as nano-sized particles originating from near the Sun and accelerated to high velocities by the solar wind [MeyerVernet et al, 2009a, Zaslavsky et al., 2012]. The MAVEN spacecraft is using the antennas onboard to characterize the dust environment of Mars [Andersson et al., 2014] and Solar Probe Plus will do the same in the inner heliosphere. The challenge, however, is the correct interpretation of the impact signals and calculating the mass of the dust particles. The uncertainties result from the incomplete understanding of the signal pickup mechanisms, and the variation of the signal amplitude with impact location, the ambient plasma environment, and impact speed. A comprehensive laboratory study of impact generated antenna signals has been performed recently using the IMPACT dust accelerator facility operated at the University of Colorado. Dust particles of micron and submicron sizes with velocities of tens of km/s are generated using a 3 MV electrostatic analyzer. A scaled down model spacecraft is exposed to the dust impacts and one or more antennas, connected to sensitive electronics, are used to detect the impact signals. The measurements showed that there are three clearly distinct signal pickup mechanisms due to spacecraft charging, antenna charging and antenna pickup sensing space charge from the expanding plasma cloud. All mechanisms vary with the spacecraft and antenna bias voltages and, furthermore, the latter two

  7. On ``Carrington, Schwabe, and the Gold Medal''

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schröder, Wilfried

    2006-06-01

    I note with interest the article by Cliver [2005] about the early solar investigations of Heinrich Schwabe and Richard Carrington and offer some further insights into Schwabe's work and its reception at the time. Schwabe commenced his observations in 1826 with a small telescope he had bought some years earlier. For more than 40 years, he observed the Sun and made meteorological notes. In his 1843 essay, he noted a sunspot cycle of about 10 years, but his result aroused little interest with contemporary astronomers. Research at the time was focused on the physics of the planets, the Moon, and other topics. Schwabe had published data in the well-known Astronomische Nachrichten, but not until Alexander von Humboldt republished it in his Kosmos, volume 3 (1851), did the data begin to be recognized and accepted by Schwabe's fellow scientists. Humboldt's Kosmos was a publication of considerable prestige, and it had a wide circulation among scientists and the educated public. Scwabe's work became familiar to other scientists including Carrington, Angelo Secchi, and Gustav Spörer and, as noted by Cliver, earned him the gold medal of the Royal Astronomical Society.

  8. Modeling the combined impact of changing climate and changing nutrient loads on the Baltic Sea environment in an ensemble of transient simulations for 1961-2099

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meier, H.E.M.; Hordoir, R.; Andersson, H.C.; Dieterich, C.; Hoeglund, A.; Schimanke, S. [Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, Department of Research and Development, Norrkoeping (Sweden); Eilola, K. [Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, Department of Research and Development, Vaestra Froelunda (Sweden); Gustafsson, B.G. [Stockholm University, Stockholm Resilience Centre, Baltic Nest Institute, Stockholm (Sweden)

    2012-11-15

    The combined future impacts of climate change and industrial and agricultural practices in the Baltic Sea catchment on the Baltic Sea ecosystem were assessed. For this purpose 16 transient simulations for 1961-2099 using a coupled physical-biogeochemical model of the Baltic Sea were performed. Four climate scenarios were combined with four nutrient load scenarios ranging from a pessimistic business-as-usual to a more optimistic case following the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BSAP). Annual and seasonal mean changes of climate parameters and ecological quality indicators describing the environmental status of the Baltic Sea like bottom oxygen, nutrient and phytoplankton concentrations and Secchi depths were studied. Assuming present-day nutrient concentrations in the rivers, nutrient loads from land increase during the twenty first century in all investigated scenario simulations due to increased volume flows caused by increased net precipitation in the Baltic catchment area. In addition, remineralization rates increase due to increased water temperatures causing enhanced nutrient flows from the sediments. Cause-and-effect studies suggest that both processes may play an important role for the biogeochemistry of eutrophicated seas in future climate partly counteracting nutrient load reduction efforts like the BSAP. (orig.)

  9. Pickup Protons: Comparisons using the Three-Dimensional MHD HHMS-PI model and Ulysses SWICS Measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Intriligator, Devrie S.; Detman, Thomas; Gloecker, George; Gloeckler, Christine; Dryer, Murray; Sun, Wei; Intriligator, James; Deehr, Charles

    2012-01-01

    We report the first comparisons of pickup proton simulation results with in situ measurements of pickup protons obtained by the SWICS instrument on Ulysses. Simulations were run using the three dimensional (3D) time-dependent Hybrid Heliospheric Modeling System with Pickup Protons (HHMS-PI). HHMS-PI is an MHD solar wind model, expanded to include the basic physics of pickup protons from neutral hydrogen that drifts into the heliosphere from the local interstellar medium. We use the same model and input data developed by Detman et al. (2011) to now investigate the pickup protons. The simulated interval of 82 days in 2003 2004, includes both quiet solar wind (SW) and also the October November 2003 solar events (the Halloween 2003 solar storms). The HHMS-PI pickup proton simulations generally agree with the SWICS measurements and the HHMS-PI simulated solar wind generally agrees with SWOOPS (also on Ulysses) measurements. Many specific features in the observations are well represented by the model. We simulated twenty specific solar events associated with the Halloween 2003 storm. We give the specific values of the solar input parameters for the HHMS-PI simulations that provide the best combined agreement in the times of arrival of the solar-generated shocks at both ACE and Ulysses. We show graphical comparisons of simulated and observed parameters, and we give quantitative measures of the agreement of simulated with observed parameters. We suggest that some of the variations in the pickup proton density during the Halloween 2003 solar events may be attributed to depletion of the inflowing local interstellar medium (LISM) neutral hydrogen (H) caused by its increased conversion to pickup protons in the immediately preceding shock.

  10. Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2016-01-27

    Jan 27, 2016 ... A gradient based algorithm which divides arbitrary images into non-overlapping surface filling tiles of opposite polarity is used to study the flux and size distributions of large scale magnetic flux concentrations in solar and heliospheric observatory (SoHO) magnetograms. The mean absolute flux and size of ...

  11. Probing the Structure of Our Solar System's Edge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hensley, Kerry

    2018-02-01

    The boundary between the solar wind and the interstellar medium (ISM) at the distant edge of our solar system has been probed remotely and directly by spacecraft, but questions about its properties persist. What can models tell us about the structure of this region?The Heliopause: A Dynamic BoundarySchematic illustrating different boundaries of our solar system and the locations of the Voyager spacecraft. [Walt Feimer/NASA GSFCs Conceptual Image Lab]As our solar system travels through interstellar space, the magnetized solar wind flows outward and pushes back on the oncoming ISM, forming a bubble called the heliosphere. The clash of plasmas generates a boundary region called the heliopause, the shape of which depends strongly on the properties of the solar wind and the local ISM.Much of our understanding of the outer heliosphere and the local ISM comes from observations made by the International Boundary Explorer (IBEX) and the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft. IBEX makes global maps of the flux of neutral atoms, while Voyagers 1 and 2 record the plasma density and magnetic field parameters along their trajectories as they exit the solar system. In order to interpret the IBEX and Voyager observations, astronomers rely on complex models that must capture both global and local effects.Simulations of the plasma density in the meridional plane of the heliosphere due to the interaction of the solar wind with the ISM for the case of a relatively dense ISM with a weak magnetic field. [Adapted from Pogorelov et al. 2017]Modeling the Edge of the Solar SystemIn this study, Nikolai Pogorelov (University of Alabama in Huntsville) and collaborators use a hybrid magneto-hydrodynamical (MHD) and kinetic simulation to capture fully the physical processes happening in the outer heliosphere.MHD models have been used to understand many aspects of plasma flow in the heliosphere. However, they struggle to capture processes that are better described kinetically, like charge exchange

  12. Shifts in coastal fish communities: Is eutrophication always beneficial for sticklebacks?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gagnon, Karine; Gräfnings, Max; Boström, Christoffer

    2017-11-01

    Following declines of predatory fish, mesopredators such as sticklebacks have been linked to shifts in coastal trophic networks through both top-down (preying on mesograzers and facilitating algal blooms) and bottom-up (benefitting from eutrophicated conditions) processes. Here, we tested whether the association between eutrophication effects (filamentous algae and turbidity) and sticklebacks held true in the Finnish Archipelago Sea where predatory fish populations have remained stable. If so, sticklebacks should be more abundant in the middle archipelago, where eutrophic conditions have led to increased turbidity, higher filamentous algal loads, and decreased cover of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), than in the outer archipelago, where environmental conditions are better. We measured the spatial and seasonal variation of sticklebacks (three-spined Gasterosteus aculeatus and nine-spined Pungitius pungitius) in middle and outer archipelago sites, as well as environmental variables potentially affecting their abundance. Adults and juveniles of both species were more abundant in the outer than middle archipelago. The outer archipelago was characterized by greater Secchi depth throughout the summer and higher SAV cover in late summer. Secchi depth was positively correlated with stickleback abundance of both species, while SAV cover was also positively correlated in late summer. Filamentous algal cover was high in both the middle and outer archipelago, but not consistently associated with stickleback abundance throughout the summer. While sticklebacks have been thought to both contribute to, and benefit from, eutrophication, our results instead suggest that the resulting environmental changes may have adverse effects on sticklebacks, especially if predators are present. This may lead them to shift their breeding grounds and spatial distribution to less eutrophicated areas where lower turbidity and the resulting increased availability of SAV provide refuge from

  13. Long-term citizen-collected data reveal geographical patterns and temporal trends in lake water clarity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lottig, Noah R.; Wagner, Tyler; Henry, Emily N.; Cheruvelil, Kendra Spence; Webster, Katherine E.; Downing, John A.; Stow, Craig A.

    2014-01-01

    We compiled a lake-water clarity database using publically available, citizen volunteer observations made between 1938 and 2012 across eight states in the Upper Midwest, USA. Our objectives were to determine (1) whether temporal trends in lake-water clarity existed across this large geographic area and (2) whether trends were related to the lake-specific characteristics of latitude, lake size, or time period the lake was monitored. Our database consisted of >140,000 individual Secchi observations from 3,251 lakes that we summarized per lake-year, resulting in 21,020 summer averages. Using Bayesian hierarchical modeling, we found approximately a 1% per year increase in water clarity (quantified as Secchi depth) for the entire population of lakes. On an individual lake basis, 7% of lakes showed increased water clarity and 4% showed decreased clarity. Trend direction and strength were related to latitude and median sample date. Lakes in the southern part of our study-region had lower average annual summer water clarity, more negative long-term trends, and greater inter-annual variability in water clarity compared to northern lakes. Increasing trends were strongest for lakes with median sample dates earlier in the period of record (1938–2012). Our ability to identify specific mechanisms for these trends is currently hampered by the lack of a large, multi-thematic database of variables that drive water clarity (e.g., climate, land use/cover). Our results demonstrate, however, that citizen science can provide the critical monitoring data needed to address environmental questions at large spatial and long temporal scales. Collaborations among citizens, research scientists, and government agencies may be important for developing the data sources and analytical tools necessary to move toward an understanding of the factors influencing macro-scale patterns such as those shown here for lake water clarity.

  14. Decadal variation in turbidity in the western Wadden Sea as derived from corrected Secchi disk readings.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Philippart, C.J.M; Salama, M.S.; Kromkamp, J.C.; van der Woerd, H.J.; Zuur, A.F.; Cadée, G.C.

    2013-01-01

    The Wadden Sea has undergone many changes of which some (e.g., seagrass disappearance, dredging activities) are thought to have affected the concentrations of suspended particulate matter (SPM) in these waters. Results of previous analyses of long-term variation and trends in SPM are, however,

  15. Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    ... Refresher Courses · Symposia · Live Streaming. Home; Journals; Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy; Volume 39; Issue 2. Mid-term periodicities and heliospheric modulation of coronal index and solar flare index during solar cycles 22–23. PRITHVI RAJ SINGH A. K. SAXENA C. M. TIWARI. Volume 39 Issue 2 April ...

  16. Encyclopedia of Astronomy and Astrophysics

    CERN Document Server

    2002-01-01

    Interstellar medium, Light, Magnetisphere, Matter, Planet Earth, Public Impact, Solar Activity, Solar Heliosphere, Solar Interior, Solar Systems, Space, Stellar Astrophysics, Stellar Populations, Telescopes, Time The Encyclopedia of Astronomy and Astrophysics covers 30 major subject areas, such as Active galaxies, Astrometry, Astrophysical theory, Atmospheres, Binary stars, Biography, Clusters, Coordinates, Cosmology, Earth, Education, Galaxies,

  17. Global Lakes Sentinel Services: Water Quality Parameters Retrieval in Lakes Using the MERIS and S3-OLCI Band Sets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peters, Steef; Alikas, Krista; Hommersom, Annelies; Latt, Silver; Reinart, Anu; Giardino, Claudia; Bresciani, Mariano; Philipson, Petra; Ruescas, Ana; Stelzer, Kerstin; Schenk, Karin; Heege, Thomas; Gege, Peter; Koponen, Sampsa; Kallio, Karri; Zhang, Yunlin

    2015-12-01

    The European collaborative project GLaSS aims to prepare for the use of the data streams from Sentinel 2 and Sentinel 3. Its focus is on inland waters, since these are considered to be sentinels for land-use- and climate change and need to be monitored closely. One of the objectives of the project is to compare existing water quality algorithms and parameterizations on the basis of in-situ spectral observations and Hydrolight simulations. A first achievement of the project is the collection of over 400 Rrs spectra with accompanying data on CHL, TSM, aCDOM and Secchi depth. Especially the dataset on Lake CDOM measurements represents a rather unique reference dataset.

  18. Prospective Out-of-ecliptic White-light Imaging of Interplanetary Corotating Interaction Regions at Solar Maximum

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xiong, Ming; Yang, Liping; Liu, Ying D.; Keiji, Hayashi; Li, Huichao [State Key Laboratory of Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (China); Davies, Jackie A.; Harrison, Richard A. [RAL Space, STFC-Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot (United Kingdom); Li, Bo; Xia, Lidong, E-mail: mxiong@spacweather.ac.cn [Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Optical Astronomy and Solar-Terrestrial Environment, Institute of Space Sciences, Shandong University, Weihai (China)

    2017-07-20

    Interplanetary corotating interaction regions (CIRs) can be remotely imaged in white light (WL), as demonstrated by the Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI) on board the Coriolis spacecraft and Heliospheric Imagers (HIs) on board the twin Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory ( STEREO ) spacecraft. The interplanetary WL intensity, due to Thomson scattering of incident sunlight by free electrons, is jointly determined by the 3D distribution of electron number density and line-of-sight (LOS) weighting factors of the Thomson-scattering geometry. The 2D radiance patterns of CIRs in WL sky maps look very different from different 3D viewpoints. Because of the in-ecliptic locations of both the STEREO and Coriolis spacecraft, the longitudinal dimension of interplanetary CIRs has, up to now, always been integrated in WL imagery. To synthesize the WL radiance patterns of CIRs from an out-of-ecliptic (OOE) vantage point, we perform forward magnetohydrodynamic modeling of the 3D inner heliosphere during Carrington Rotation CR1967 at solar maximum. The mixing effects associated with viewing 3D CIRs are significantly minimized from an OOE viewpoint. Our forward modeling results demonstrate that OOE WL imaging from a latitude greater than 60° can (1) enable the garden-hose spiral morphology of CIRs to be readily resolved, (2) enable multiple coexisting CIRs to be differentiated, and (3) enable the continuous tracing of any interplanetary CIR back toward its coronal source. In particular, an OOE view in WL can reveal where nascent CIRs are formed in the extended corona and how these CIRs develop in interplanetary space. Therefore, a panoramic view from a suite of wide-field WL imagers in a solar polar orbit would be invaluable in unambiguously resolving the large-scale longitudinal structure of CIRs in the 3D inner heliosphere.

  19. 3-D reconstructions of the early-November 2004 CDAW geomagnetic storms: analysis of Ooty IPS speed and density data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. M. Bisi

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Interplanetary scintillation (IPS remote-sensing observations provide a view of the solar wind covering a wide range of heliographic latitudes and heliocentric distances from the Sun between ~0.1 AU and 3.0 AU. Such observations are used to study the development of solar coronal transients and the solar wind while propagating out through interplanetary space. They can also be used to measure the inner-heliospheric response to the passage of coronal mass ejections (CMEs and co-rotating heliospheric structures. IPS observations can, in general, provide a speed estimate of the heliospheric material crossing the observing line of site; some radio antennas/arrays can also provide a radio scintillation level. We use a three-dimensional (3-D reconstruction technique which obtains perspective views from outward-flowing solar wind and co-rotating structure as observed from Earth by iteratively fitting a kinematic solar wind model to these data. Using this 3-D modelling technique, we are able to reconstruct the velocity and density of CMEs as they travel through interplanetary space. For the time-dependent model used here with IPS data taken from the Ootacamund (Ooty Radio Telescope (ORT in India, the digital resolution of the tomography is 10° by 10° in both latitude and longitude with a half-day time cadence. Typically however, the resolutions range from 10° to 20° in latitude and longitude, with a half- to one-day time cadence for IPS data dependant upon how much data are used as input to the tomography. We compare reconstructed structures during early-November 2004 with in-situ measurements from the Wind spacecraft orbiting the Sun-Earth L1-Point to validate the 3-D tomographic reconstruction results and comment on how these improve upon prior reconstructions.

  20. Very local interstellar spectra for galactic electrons, protons and helium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Potgieter, Marius S., E-mail: Marius.Potgieter@nwu.ac.za [Centre for Space Research, North-West University (South Africa)

    2014-07-01

    The local interstellar spectra (LIS) for cosmic rays at energies below ∼30 GeV/nuc are increasingly obscured from view at Earth by solar modulation, the lower the energy becomes. These charged particles encounter significant changes in the heliosphere, over an 11-year cycle, which include processes such as convection, diffusion, adiabatic energy losses and gradient, curvature and current sheet drifts. Particle drifts cause charge-sign-dependent modulation and a 22-year cycle, adding complexity to determining the respective very LIS from observations only at Earth. However, with measurements now made by the Voyager 1 spacecraft in the vicinity of the helio pause, it is possible to determine a very LIS for galactic electrons between ∼5 and ∼120 MeV. At these low energies, also galactic protons observed in the outer heliosphere had been completely obscured by the so-called anomalous component which is accelerated inside the helio sheath. Since August 2012, these anomalous cosmic rays are substantially depleted at Voyager 1 so that for cosmic ray ions, it is now possible to obtain a lower limit to their very LIS. Combining numerical modelling of solar modulation with the accurate measurements by the PAMELA mission and with Voyager observations, the lower limit of the very LIS for electrons, protons and helium and other ions can be determined from ∼5 MeV and above. These spectra are called helio pause spectra which is considered to be the lowest possible very LIS. Also, from an astrophysics point of view, the determination of what can be called a very LIS, not just an averaged galactic spectrum, is encouraging. The mentioned aspects are discussed, focusing on a comparison of recent heliospheric observations and corresponding solar modulation modelling. (author)

  1. Solar wind structure out of the ecliptic plane over solar cycles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sokol, J. M.; Bzowski, M.; Tokumaru, M.

    2017-12-01

    Sun constantly emits a stream of plasma known as solar wind. Ground-based observations of the solar wind speed through the interplanetary scintillations (IPS) of radio flux from distant point sources and in-situ measurements by Ulysses mission revealed that the solar wind flow has different characteristics depending on the latitude. This latitudinal structure evolves with the cycle of solar activity. The knowledge on the evolution of solar wind structure is important for understanding the interaction between the interstellar medium surrounding the Sun and the solar wind, which is responsible for creation of the heliosphere. The solar wind structure must be taken into account in interpretation of most of the observations of heliospheric energetic neutral atoms, interstellar neutral atoms, pickup ions, and heliospheric backscatter glow. The information on the solar wind structure is not any longer available from direct measurements after the termination of Ulysses mission and the only source of the solar wind out of the ecliptic plane is the IPS observations. However, the solar wind structure obtained from this method contains inevitable gaps in the time- and heliolatitude coverage. Sokół et al 2015 used the solar wind speed data out of the ecliptic plane retrieved from the IPS observations performed by Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research (Nagoya University, Japan) and developed a methodology to construct a model of evolution of solar wind speed and density from 1985 to 2013 that fills the data gaps. In this paper we will present a refined model of the solar wind speed and density structure as a function of heliographic latitude updated by the most recent data from IPS observations. And we will discuss methods of extrapolation of the solar wind structure out of the ecliptic plane for the past solar cycles, when the data were not available, as well as forecasting for few years upward.

  2. Periodic and recurrent variations of cosmic rays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Somogyi, A.J.

    1981-12-01

    The new results achieved in the field of periodic and recurrent variations of the intensity of 10 9 to 10 13 eV cosmic rays are reviewed. Particular emphasis is given to developments in understanding the fluctuations of corotation-type anisotropies as well as to the structure of the heliosphere and its temporal changes. (author)

  3. 11. European cosmic ray symposium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1989-03-01

    The biannual Symposium includes all aspects of cosmic ray research. The scientific programme was organized under three main headings: Cosmic rays in the heliosphere, Cosmic rays in the interstellar and extragalactic space, Properties of high-energy interactions as studied by cosmic rays. Seven invited talks were indexed seprately for the INIS database. (R.P.)

  4. THREE-DIMENSIONAL RECONSTRUCTIONS AND MASS DETERMINATION OF THE 2008 JUNE 2 LASCO CORONAL MASS EJECTION USING STELab INTERPLANETARY SCINTILLATION OBSERVATIONS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bisi, M. M.; Jackson, B. V.; Hick, P. P.; Buffington, A.; Clover, J. M.; Tokumaru, M.; Fujiki, K.

    2010-01-01

    We examine and reconstruct the interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) first seen in space-based coronagraph white-light difference images on 2008 June 1 and 2. We use observations of interplanetary scintillation (IPS) taken with the Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory (STELab), Japan, in our three-dimensional (3D) tomographic reconstruction of density and velocity. The coronal mass ejection (CME) was first observed by the LASCO C3 instrument at around 04:17 UT on 2008 June 2. Its motion subsequently moved across the C3 field of view with a plane-of-the-sky velocity of 192 km s -1 . The 3D reconstructed ICME is consistent with the trajectory and extent of the CME measurements taken from the CDAW CME catalog. However, excess mass estimates vary by an order of magnitude from Solar and Heliospheric Observatory and Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory coronagraphs to our 3D IPS reconstructions of the inner heliosphere. We discuss the discrepancies and give possible explanations for these differences as well as give an outline for future studies.

  5. Evolution of coronal mass ejections and their heliospheric imprints

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rollett, T.

    2014-01-01

    Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are the most powerful eruptions on the Sun and can reach speeds up to more than 3000 km/s. CMEs are the most important drivers of space weather and can cause geomagnetic storms when interacting with the Earth magnetosphere.The evolution and propagation of CMEs in interplanetary space is still not well understood. Interactions with the solar wind as well as other CMEs make accurate forecasting of arrival times difficult. The Constrained Harmonic Mean (CHM) method combines remote sensing white light data of STEREO/HI with in situ data and offers the possibility to derive kinematical profiles for any segment along the CME front to study its evolution in interplanetary space. We studied the influence of the ambient solar wind flow on the propagation behavior for three CME events. The kinematics revealed by the CHM method were compared to the simulated background solar wind. We found that CMEs are highly dependent on speed variations of the ambient medium. The CHM method was tested by analyzing a simulated CME as observed by STEREO/HI. After applying the CHM method, the resulting CME kinematics were compared to the real kinematics of the simulated CME. We found that the CHM method works best for small separation angles between the spacecraft. A case study of a fast CME that has been remotely observed by both STEREO/HI and in situ measured by four spacecraft at different heliocentric distances is also presented. Using this high number of in situ detections and the two side views we derived different speed profiles for the two different segments of the same CME causing a deformation of the overall structure of the CME. The studies presented show the effects of different influences of the ambient solar wind on the CME evolution. Interaction of CMEs with the solar wind or other CMEs lead to disturbances of the speed as well as the shape of CMEs, affecting their arrival time and their geoeffectivity. (author) [de

  6. Cosmic ray acceleration by stellar wind. Simulation for heliosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petukhov, S.I.; Turpanov, A.A.; Nikolaev, V.S.

    1985-01-01

    The solar wind deceleration by the interstellar medium may result in the existence of the solar wind terminal shock. In this case a certain fraction of thermal particles after being heated at the shock would obtain enough energy to be injected to the regular acceleration process. An analytical solution for the spectrum in the frame of a simplified model that includes particle acceleration at the shock front and adiabatic cooling inside the stellar wind cavity has been derived. It is shown that the acceleration of the solar wind particles at the solar wind terminal shock is capable of providing the total flux, spectrum and radial gradients of the low-energy protons close to one observed in the interplanetary space

  7. Mid-term periodicities and heliospheric modulation of coronal index ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    PRITHVI RAJ SINGH

    2018-03-06

    Mar 6, 2018 ... long-term periodicity of ∼11 years, with different solar activities. The physical processes that occur inside the. Sun are reflected by a periodic character in terms of coronal index of coronal emission (Fe XIV 530.3 nm) during solar activity cycles. Recently, a link between the strength of photospheric magnetic ...

  8. Transient shock waves in heliosphere and Sun-Earth relations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Voeroes, Z.

    1990-01-01

    The problem of shock waves, caused by solar activity in the Earth's magnetosphere and its magnetic field, is discussed. All types of shock waves have their origin either in solar corona effects or in solar eruptions. Ionospheric and magnetospheric effects, such as X and gamma radiation, particle production, geomagnetic storms and shock waves, caused by solar activity, are dealt with and attempts are made to explain their interdependence. The origin and propagation of coronal shock waves, interplanetary shock waves and geomagnetic field disorders are described and their relations discussed. The understanding of the solar corona and wind phenomena seems to allow prediction of geomagnetic storms. The measurement and analysis of solar activity and its effects could yield useful information about shock waves physics, geomagnetosphere structure and relations between the Earth and the Sun. (J.J.). 7 figs., 1 tab., 37 refs

  9. 11. European cosmic ray symposium held at Balatonfuered, Hungary, August 21-27, 1988

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1988-08-01

    The biannual Symposium includes all aspects of cosmic ray research. The scientific programme was organized under three main headings: Cosmic rays in the heliosphere, Cosmic rays in the interstellar and extragalactic space, Properties of high-energy interactions as studied by cosmic rays. Selected short communications out of 114 contributed papers were indexed separately for the INIS database. (R.P.)

  10. ENERGY RELAXATION OF HELIUM ATOMS IN ASTROPHYSICAL GASES

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lewkow, N. R.; Kharchenko, V.; Zhang, P.

    2012-01-01

    We report accurate parameters describing energy relaxation of He atoms in atomic gases, important for astrophysics and atmospheric science. Collisional energy exchange between helium atoms and atomic constituents of the interstellar gas, heliosphere, and upper planetary atmosphere has been investigated. Energy transfer rates, number of collisions required for thermalization, energy distributions of recoil atoms, and other major parameters of energy relaxation for fast He atoms in thermal H, He, and O gases have been computed in a broad interval of energies from 10 meV to 10 keV. This energy interval is important for astrophysical applications involving the energy deposition of energetic atoms and ions into atmospheres of planets and exoplanets, atmospheric evolution, and analysis of non-equilibrium processes in the interstellar gas and heliosphere. Angular- and energy-dependent cross sections, required for an accurate description of the momentum-energy transfer, are obtained using ab initio interaction potentials and quantum mechanical calculations for scattering processes. Calculation methods used include partial wave analysis for collisional energies below 2 keV and the eikonal approximation at energies higher than 100 eV, keeping a significant energy region of overlap, 0.1-2 keV, between these two methods for their mutual verification. The partial wave method and the eikonal approximation excellently match results obtained with each other as well as experimental data, providing reliable cross sections in the astrophysically important interval of energies from 10 meV to 10 keV. Analytical formulae, interpolating obtained energy- and angular-dependent cross sections, are presented to simplify potential applications of the reported database. Thermalization of fast He atoms in the interstellar gas and energy relaxation of hot He and O atoms in the upper atmosphere of Mars are considered as illustrative examples of potential applications of the new database.

  11. Responses of Solar Irradiance and the Ionosphere to an Intense Activity Region

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yiding; Liu, Libo; Le, Huijun; Wan, Weixing

    2018-03-01

    Solar rotation (SR) variation dominates solar extremely ultraviolet (EUV) changes on the timescale of days. The F10.7 index is usually used as an indicator for solar EUV. The SR variation of F10.7 significantly enhanced during the 2008th-2009th Carrington rotations (CRs) owing to an intense active region; F10.7 increased about 180 units during that SR period. That was the most prominent SR variation of F10.7 during solar cycle 23. In this paper, global electron content (GEC) is used to investigate ionospheric response to that strong variation of solar irradiance indicated by F10.7. The variation of GEC with F10.7 was anomalous (GEC-F10.7 slope significantly decreased) during the 2008th-2009th CRs; however, GEC versus EUV variation during that period was consistent with that during adjacent time intervals when using Solar Heliospheric Observatory/Solar EUV Monitor 26-34 nm EUV measurements. The reason is that F10.7 response to that intense active region was much stronger than EUV response; thus, the EUV-F10.7 slope decreased. We confirmed decreased EUV-F10.7 slope during the 2008th-2009th CRs for different wavelengths within 27-120 nm using Thermosphere, Ionosphere, Mesosphere Energetics and Dynamics/Solar EUV Experiment high spectral resolution EUV measurements. And on the basis of Solar Heliospheric Observatory/Solar EUV Monitor EUV measurements during solar cycle 23, we further presented that EUV-F10.7 slope statistically tends to decrease when the SR variation of F10.7 significantly enhances. Moreover, we found that ionospheric time lag effect to EUV is exaggerated when using F10.7, owing to the time lag effect of EUV to F10.7.

  12. Solar and interplanetary particles at 2 to 4 MEV during solar cycles 21, solar cycle variations of event sizes, and compositions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Armstrong, T.P.; Shields, J.C.; Briggs, P.R.; Eckes, S.

    1985-01-01

    In this paper 2 to 4 MeV/nucleon protons, alpha particles, and medium (CNO) nuclei in the near-Earth interplanetary medium during the years 1974 to 1981 are studied. This period contains both the solar activity minimum in 1976 and the very active onset phase of Solar Cycle 21. Characteristic compositional differences between the solar minimum and solar maximum ion populations have been investigated. Previous studies of interplanetary composition at these energies have concentrated on well-defined samples of the heliospheric medium. During flare particle events, the ambient plasma is dominated by ions accelerated in specific regions of the solar atmosphere; observation of the proton/alpha and alpha/medium ratios for flare events shows that there is marked compositional variability both during an event and from event to event suggesting the complicated nature of flare particle production and transport

  13. Ulysses Observations of the Magnetic Connectivity between CMEs and the Sun

    Science.gov (United States)

    Riley, Pete; Gosling, J. T.; Crooker, N. U.

    2004-01-01

    We have investigated the magnetic connectivity of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) to the Sun using Ulysses observations of suprathermal electrons at various distances between 1 AU and 5.2 AU. Drawing on ideas concerning the eruption and evolution of CMEs, we had anticipated that there might be a tendency for CMEs to contain progressively more open field lines, as reconnection back at the Sun either opened or completely disconnected previously closed field lines threading the CMEs. Our results, however, did not yield any discernible trend. By combining the potential contribution of CMEs to the heliospheric flux with the observed build-up of flux during the course of the solar cycle we also derive a lower limit for the reconnection rate of CMEs that is sufficient to avoid the "flux catastrophe" paradox. This rate is well below our threshold of detectability.

  14. Wave-Particle Energy Exchange Directly Observed in a Kinetic Alfven-Branch Wave

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gershman, Daniel J.; F-Vinas, Adolfo; Dorelli, John C.; Boardsen, Scott A. (Inventor); Avanov, Levon A.; Bellan, Paul M.; Schwartz, Steven J.; Lavraud, Benoit; Coffey, Victoria N.; Chandler, Michael O.; hide

    2017-01-01

    Alfven waves are fundamental plasma wave modes that permeate the universe. At small kinetic scales they provide a critical mechanism for the transfer of energy between electromagnetic fields and charged particles. These waves are important not only in planetary magnetospheres, heliospheres, and astrophysical systems, but also in laboratory plasma experiments and fusion reactors. Through measurement of charged particles and electromagnetic fields with NASAs Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission, we utilize Earths magnetosphere as a plasma physics laboratory. Here we confirm the conservative energy exchange between the electromagnetic field fluctuations and the charged particles that comprise an undamped kinetic Alfven wave. Electrons confined between adjacent wave peaks may have contributed to saturation of damping effects via non-linear particle trapping. The investigation of these detailed wave dynamics has been unexplored territory in experimental plasma physics and is only recently enabled by high-resolution MMS observations.

  15. Study of the Solar Anisotropy for Cosmic Ray Primaries of about 200 GeV Energy with the L3+C Muon Detector

    CERN Document Server

    Achard, P; Aguilar-Benitez, M; van den Akker, M; Alcaraz, J; Alemanni, G; Allaby, J; Aloisio, A; Alviggi, M G; Anderhub, H; Andreev, Valery P; Anselmo, F; Arefev, A; Azemoon, T; Aziz, T; Bagnaia, P; Bajo, A; Baksay, G; Baksay, L; Bahr, J; Baldew, S V; Banerjee, S; Banerjee, Sw; Barczyk, A; Barillere, R; Bartalini, P; Basile, M; Batalova, N; Battiston, R; Bay, A; Becattini, F; Becker, U; Behner, F; Bellucci, L; Berbeco, R; Berdugo, J; Berges, P; Bertucci, B; Betev, B L; Biasini, M; Biglietti, M; Biland, A; Blaising, J J; Blyth, S C; Bobbink, G J; Bohm, A; Boldizsar, L; Borgia, B; Bottai, S; Bourilkov, D; Bourquin, M; Braccini, S; Branson, J G; Brochu, F; Burger, J D; Burger, W J; Cai, X D; Capell, M; Cara Romeo, G; Carlino, G; Cartacci, A; Casaus, J; Cavallari, F; Cavallo, N; Cecchi, C; Cerrada, M; Chamizo, M; Chiarusi, T; Chang, Y H; Chemarin, M; Chen, A; Chen, G; Chen, G M; Chen, H F; Chen, H S; Chiefari, G; Cifarelli, L; Cindolo, F; Clare, I; Clare, R; Coignet, G; Colino, N; Costantini, S; de la Cruz, B; Cucciarelli, S; van Dalen, J; de Asmundis, R; Deglon, P; Debreczeni, J; Degre, A; Dehmelt, K; Deiters, K; della Volpe, D; Delmeire, E; Denes, P; DeNotaristefani, F; De Salvo, A; Diemoz, M; Dierckxsens, M; Ding, L K; Dionisi, C; Dittmar, M; Doria, A; Dova, M T; Duchesneau, D; Duda, M; Duran, I; Echenard, B; Eline, A; El Hage, A; El Mamouni, H; Engler, A; Eppling, F J; Extermann, P; Faber, G; Falagan, M A; Falciano, S; Favara, A; Fay, J; Fedin, O; Felcini, M; Ferguson, T; Fesefeldt, H; Fiandrini, E; Field, J H; Filthaut, F; Fisher, W; Fisk, I; Forconi, G; Freudenreich, K; Furetta, C; Galaktionov, Iouri; Ganguli, S N; Garcia-Abia, Pablo; Gataullin, M; Gentile, S; Giagu, S; Gong, Z F; Grabosch, H J; Grenier, G; Grimm, O; Groenstege, H; Gruenewald, M W; Guida, M; Guo, Y N; Gupta, S; Gupta, V K; Gurtu, A; Gutay, L J; Haas, D; Haller, Ch; Hatzifotiadou, D; Hayashi, Y; He, Z X; Hebbeker, T; Herve, Alain; Hirschfelder, J; Hofer, H; Hohlmann, M; Holzner, G; Hou, S R; Huo, A X; Hu, Y; Ito, N; Jin, B N; Jing, C L; Jones, Lawrence W; de Jong, P; Josa-Mutuberria, I; Kantserov, V; Kaur, M; Kawakami, S; Kienzle-Focacci, M N; Kim, J K; Kirkby, Jasper; Kittel, W; Klimentov, A; Konig, A C; Kok, E; Korn, A; Kopal, M; Koutsenko, V; Kraber, M; Kuang, H H; Kraemer, R W; Kruger, A; Kuijpers, J; Kunin, A; Ladron de Guevara, P; Laktineh, I; Landi, G; Lebeau, M; Lebedev, A; Lebrun, P; Lecomte, P; Lecoq, P; Le Coultre, P; Le Goff, J M; Lei, Y; Leich, H; Leiste, R; Levtchenko, M; Levtchenko, P; Li, C; Li, L; Li, Z C; Likhoded, S; Lin, C H; Lin, W T; Linde, F L; Lista, L; Liu, Z A; Lohmann, W; Longo, E; Lu, Y S; Luci, C; Luminari, L; Lustermann, W; Ma, W G; Ma, X H; Ma, Y Q; Malgeri, L; Malinin, A; Mana, C; Mans, J; Martin, J P; Marzano, F; Mazumdar, K; McNeil, R R; Mele, S; Meng, X W; Merola, L; Meschini, M; Metzger, W J; Mihul, A; van Mil, A; Milcent, H; Mirabelli, G; Mnich, J; Mohanty, G B; Monteleoni, B; Muanza, y G S; Muijs, A J M; Musicar, B; Musy, M; Nagy, S; Nahnhauer, R; Naumov, V A; Natale, S; Napolitano, M; Nessi-Tedaldi, F; Newman, H; Nisati, A; Novak, T; Kluge, Hannelies; Ofierzynski, R; Organtini, G; Pal, I; Palomares, C; Paolucci, P; Paramatti, R; Parriaud, J -F; Passaleva, G; Patricelli, S; Paul, Thomas Cantzon; Pauluzzi, M; Paus, C; Pauss, F; Pedace, M; Pensotti, S; Perret-Gallix, D; Petersen, B; Piccolo, D; Pierella, F; Pieri, M; Pioppi, M; Piroue, P A; Pistolesi, E; Plyaskin, V; Pohl, M; Pojidaev, V; Pothier, J; Prokofev, D; Quartieri, J; Qing, C R; Rahal-Callot, G; Rahaman, Mohammad Azizur; Raics, P; Raja, N; Ramelli, R; Rancoita, P G; Ranieri, R; Raspereza, A; Ravindran, K C; Razis, P; Ren, D; Rescigno, M; Reucroft, S; Rewiersma, P; Riemann, y S; Riles, Keith; Roe, B P; Rojkov, A; Romero, L; Rosca, A; Rosemann, C; Rosenbleck, C; Rosier-Lees, S; Roth, Stefan; Rubio, J A; Ruggiero, G; Rykaczewski, H; Saidi, R; Sakharov, A; Saremi, S; Sarkar, S; Salicio, J; Sanchez, E; Schafer, C; Schegelsky, V; Schmitt, V; Schoeneich, B; Schopper, H; Schotanus, D J; Sciacca, C; Servoli, L; Shen, C Q; Shevchenko, S; Shivarov, N; Shoutko, V; Shumilov, E; Shvorob, A; Son, D; Souga, C; Spillantini, P; Steuer, M; Stickland, D P; Stoyanov, B; Straessner, A; Sudhakar, K; Sulanke, H; Sultanov, G; Sun, L Z; Sushkov, S; Suter, H; Swain, J D; Szillasi, Z; Tang, X W; Tarjan, P; Tauscher, L; Taylor, L; Tellili, B; Teyssier, D; Timmermans, Charles; Ting, Samuel C C; Ting, S M; Tonwar, S C; Toth, J; Trowitzsch, G; Tully, C; Tung, K L; Ulbricht, J; Unger, M; Valente, E; Verkooijen, H; Van de Walle, R T; Vasquez, R; Veszpremi, V; Vesztergombi, G; Vetlitsky, I; Vicinanza, D; Viertel, G; Villa, S; Vivargent, M; Vlachos, S; Vodopianov, I; Vogel, H; Vogt, H; Vorobev, I; Vorobyov, A A; Wadhwa, M; Wang, R G; Wang, Q; Wang, X L; Wang, X W; Wang, Z M; Weber, M; van Wijk, R; Wijnen, T A M; Wilkens, H; Wynhoff, S; Xia, L; Xu, Y P; Xu, J S; Xu, Z Z; Yamamoto, J; Yang, B Z; Yang, C G; Yang, H J; Yang, M; Yang, X F; Yao, Z G; Yeh, S C; Yu, Z Q; Zalite, An; Zalite, Yu; Zhang, C; Zhang, F; Zhang, J; Zhang, S; Zhang, Z P; Zhao, J; Zhou, S J; Zhu, G Y; Zhu, R Y; Zhuang, H L; Zhu, Q Q; Zichichi, A; Zimmermann, B; Zoller, M; Zwart, A N M

    2008-01-01

    Primary cosmic rays experience multiple deflections in the nonuniform galactic and heliospheric magnetic fields which may generate anisotropies. A study of anisotropies in the energy range between 100 and 500 GeV is performed. This energy range is not yet well explored. The L3 detector at the CERN electron-positron collider, LEP, is used for a study of the angular distribution of atmospheric muons with energies above 20 GeV. This distribution is used to investigate the isotropy of the time-dependent intensity of the primary cosmic-ray flux with a Fourier analysis. A small deviation from isotropy at energies around 200 GeV is observed for the second harmonics at the solar frequency. No sidereal anisotropy is found at a level above 10^-4. The measurements have been performed in the years 1999 and 2000.

  16. Mapping the solar wind HI outflow velocity in the inner heliosphere by coronagraphic ultraviolet and visible-light observations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dolei, S.; Susino, R.; Sasso, C.; Bemporad, A.; Andretta, V.; Spadaro, D.; Ventura, R.; Antonucci, E.; Abbo, L.; Da Deppo, V.; Fineschi, S.; Focardi, M.; Frassetto, F.; Giordano, S.; Landini, F.; Naletto, G.; Nicolini, G.; Nicolosi, P.; Pancrazzi, M.; Romoli, M.; Telloni, D.

    2018-05-01

    We investigated the capability of mapping the solar wind outflow velocity of neutral hydrogen atoms by using synergistic visible-light and ultraviolet observations. We used polarised brightness images acquired by the LASCO/SOHO and Mk3/MLSO coronagraphs, and synoptic Lyα line observations of the UVCS/SOHO spectrometer to obtain daily maps of solar wind H I outflow velocity between 1.5 and 4.0 R⊙ on the SOHO plane of the sky during a complete solar rotation (from 1997 June 1 to 1997 June 28). The 28-days data sequence allows us to construct coronal off-limb Carrington maps of the resulting velocities at different heliocentric distances to investigate the space and time evolution of the outflowing solar plasma. In addition, we performed a parameter space exploration in order to study the dependence of the derived outflow velocities on the physical quantities characterising the Lyα emitting process in the corona. Our results are important in anticipation of the future science with the Metis instrument, selected to be part of the Solar Orbiter scientific payload. It was conceived to carry out near-sun coronagraphy, performing for the first time simultaneous imaging in polarised visible-light and ultraviolet H I Lyα line, so providing an unprecedented view of the solar wind acceleration region in the inner corona. The movie (see Sect. 4.2) is available at https://www.aanda.org

  17. Site investigations for the disposal of spent fuel - investigation program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aeikaes, Timo

    1985-11-01

    The Industrial Power Company Ltd (TVO) is making preparations for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel into the Finnish bedrock. The revised site investigation program for the years 1986-2010 is presented in this report. The objectives and activities in the near future are described in more detail. The main objectives and frame programs for the investigations in the more distant future are described. The program planning of these investigations are being developed in the preceding site investigations. The investigations for the site selection are divided into four phases: 1983-1985 selection of the investigation areas, preparations for the field investigations, drilling and investigations in a deep test borehole; 1986-1992 preliminary site investigations in 5-10 investigation areas; 1993-2000 detailed site investigations in 2-3 investigation areas. Site selection in the year 2000; 2001-2010 complementary investigations on the selected site. The first investigation phase will be carried out as planned. In this phase a 1001 m deep test borehole was drilled at Lavia in western Finland. With the investigations in the borehole and related development work, preparations were made for the future field investigations. The equipment and investigation methods are being developed during the site investigations. The equipment for taking groundwater samples and the unit for hydraulic testing have been developed. In the future the emphasis in the work will be in developing equipment for monitoring of the hydraulic head and measuring the volumetric flow. In groundwater sampling the present procedure can be improved by adding the test for the in-situ measurements. The results of the field investigations will be stored and processed in a centralized data base. The data base will transmit the results for the interpretation and then the interpreted results transmitted for model calculations and reporting. The cost estimate for the investigations in 1986-2010 is 110-125 million

  18. Application of LANDSAT to the surveillance and control of lake eutrophication in the Great Lakes Basin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rogers, R. H. (Principal Investigator)

    1975-01-01

    The author has identified the following significant results. Preliminary results in Saginaw Bay show that processed LANDSAT data provides a synoptic view of turbidity and circulation patterns that no degree of ground monitoring can provide. Processed imagery was produced to show nine discrete categories of turbidity, as indicated by nine Secchi depths between 0.3 and 3.3 meters. Analysis of lakes near Madison, Wisconsin show that inland lake water can be categorized by LANDSAT as clear, tannin, algal, and red clay. LANDSAT's capability to inventory watershed land use was throughly demonstrated in the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana regional planning area. Computer tabulations providing area covered by each of 16 land use categories were rapidly and economically produced for each of the 225 watersheds and nine counties.

  19. Effects of smallmouth buffalo, Ictiobus bubalus biomass on water transparency, nutrients, and productivity in shallow experimental ponds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goetz, Daniel B.; Kroger, Robert; Miranda, Leandro E.

    2014-01-01

    The smallmouth buffalo Ictiobus bubalus is a native benthivore to floodplain lakes in the Yazoo River Basin, USA. Based on evidence from other benthivorous fish studies we hypothesized high biomasses of I. bubalus contribute to poor water quality conditions. We tested this hypothesis in shallow (< 1.5 m) 0.05 ha earthen ponds at three stocking biomasses over a 10-week period during the summer of 2012. The most notable results from the permutational multivariate analysis of variance suggest I. bubalus at high and moderate biomasses significantly (p < 0.05) enhanced turbidity and suspended solid levels while decreasing Secchi depth. Our results suggest that effects of I. bubalus on water clarity may have considerable ecological implications in natural habitats such as shallow floodplain lakes.

  20. One century of Solar Physics in Italy 1850-1950

    Science.gov (United States)

    Righini, A.

    In this paper we briefly describe the story of Solar Physics in Italy during one century and we try to evaluate its international impact. At the beginning, in the serendipitous phase, we have e relevant contribution of italian solar physicist like Secchi and Tacchini. The choice of the Abetti father and son to build in Arcetri a Solar Tower, under the technical supervision of George Ellery Hale, could have given to italian solar physics the trust to compete in the international arena. However the lack of necessary technology, the war, and the choice to use the tower for patrol of the solar chromosphere kept italian solar physics from developing at the level of its competitors at the end of the first half of the XX century.