Heliophysics Flight Program Status
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THE PROPER TREATMENT of CORONAL MASS EJECTION BRIGHTNESS: a NEW METHODOLOGY and IMPLICATIONS for OBSERVATIONS Angelos Vourlidas and Russell A
The Astrophysical Journal, 642:1216–1221, 2006 May 10 A # 2006. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A. THE PROPER TREATMENT OF CORONAL MASS EJECTION BRIGHTNESS: A NEW METHODOLOGY AND IMPLICATIONS FOR OBSERVATIONS Angelos Vourlidas and Russell A. Howard Code 7663, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375; [email protected] Received 2005 November 10; accepted 2005 December 30 ABSTRACT With the complement of coronagraphs and imagers in the SECCHI suite, we will follow a coronal mass ejection (CME) continuously from the Sun to Earth for the first time. The comparison, however, of the CME emission among the various instruments is not as easy as one might think. This is because the telescopes record the Thomson-scattered emission from the CME plasma, which has a rather sensitive dependence on the geometry between the observer and the scattering material. Here we describe the proper treatment of the Thomson-scattered emission, compare the CME brightness over a large range of elongation angles, and discuss the implications for existing and future white-light coronagraph observations. Subject headinggs: scattering — Sun: corona — Sun: coronal mass ejections (CMEs) Online material: color figures 1. INTRODUCTION some important implications resulting from dropping this as- It is long been established that white-light emission of the co- sumption. We conclude in x 4. rona originates by Thomson scattering of the photospheric light by coronal electrons (e.g., Minnaert 1930). Coronal mass ejec- 2. THOMSON SCATTERING GEOMETRY tions (CMEs) comprise a spectacular example of this process and The theory behind Thomson scattering is well understood are regularly recorded by ground-based and space-based corona- (Jackson 1997). -
On the Autonomous Detection of Coronal Mass Ejections in Heliospheric Imager Data S
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 117, A05103, doi:10.1029/2011JA017439, 2012 On the autonomous detection of coronal mass ejections in heliospheric imager data S. J. Tappin,1 T. A. Howard,2 M. M. Hampson,1,3 R. N. Thompson,2,4 and C. E. Burns2,5 Received 7 December 2011; revised 3 April 2012; accepted 9 April 2012; published 24 May 2012. [1] We report on the development of an Automatic Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) Detection tool (AICMED) for the Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI). CMEs observed with heliospheric imagers are much more difficult to detect than those observed by coronagraphs as they have a lower contrast compared with the background light, have a larger range of intensity variation and are easily confused with other transient activity. CMEs appear in SMEI images as very faint often-fragmented arcs amongst a much brighter and often variable background. AICMED operates along the same lines as Computer Aided CME Tracking (CACTus), using the Hough Transform on elongation-time J-maps to extract straight lines from the data set. We compare AICMED results with manually measured CMEs on almost three years of data from early in SMEI operations. AICMED identified 83 verifiable events. Of these 46 could be matched with manually identified events, the majority of the non-detections can be explained. The remaining 37 AICMED events were newly discovered CMEs. The proportion of false identification was high, at 71% of the autonomously detected events. We find that AICMED is very effective as a region of interest highlighter, and is a promising first step in autonomous heliospheric imager CME detection, but the SMEI data are too noisy for the tool to be completely automated. -
GSFC Heliophysics Science Division 2009 Science Highlights
NASA/TM–2010–215854 GSFC Heliophysics Science Division 2009 Science Highlights Holly R. Gilbert, Keith T. Strong, Julia L.R. Saba, and Yvonne M. Strong, Editors December 2009 Front Cover Caption: Heliophysics image highlights from 2009. For details of these images, see the key on Page v. The NASA STI Program Offi ce … in Profi le Since its founding, NASA has been ded i cated to the • CONFERENCE PUBLICATION. Collected ad vancement of aeronautics and space science. The pa pers from scientifi c and technical conferences, NASA Sci en tifi c and Technical Information (STI) symposia, sem i nars, or other meetings spon sored Pro gram Offi ce plays a key part in helping NASA or co spon sored by NASA. maintain this impor tant role. • SPECIAL PUBLICATION. Scientifi c, techni cal, The NASA STI Program Offi ce is operated by or historical information from NASA pro grams, Langley Research Center, the lead center for projects, and mission, often concerned with sub- NASAʼs scientifi c and technical infor ma tion. The jects having substan tial public interest. NASA STI Program Offi ce pro vides ac cess to the NASA STI Database, the largest collec tion of • TECHNICAL TRANSLATION. En glish-language aero nau ti cal and space science STI in the world. trans la tions of foreign scien tifi c and techni cal ma- The Pro gram Offi ce is also NASAʼs in sti tu tion al terial pertinent to NASAʼs mis sion. mecha nism for dis sem i nat ing the results of its research and devel op ment activ i ties. -
The New Heliophysics Division Template
NASA Heliophysics Division Update Heliophysics Advisory Committee October 1, 2019 Dr. Nicola J. Fox Director, Heliophysics Division Science Mission Directorate 1 The Dawn of a New Era for Heliophysics Heliophysics Division (HPD), in collaboration with its partners, is poised like never before to -- Explore uncharted territory from pockets of intense radiation near Earth, right to the Sun itself, and past the planets into interstellar space. Strategically combine research from a fleet of carefully-selected missions at key locations to better understand our entire space environment. Understand the interaction between Earth weather and space weather – protecting people and spacecraft. Coordinate with other agencies to fulfill its role for the Nation enabling advances in space weather knowledge and technologies Engage the public with research breakthroughs and citizen science Develop the next generation of heliophysicists 2 Decadal Survey 3 Alignment with Decadal Survey Recommendations NASA FY20 Presidential Budget Request R0.0 Complete the current program Extended operations of current operating missions as recommended by the 2017 Senior Review, planning for the next Senior Review Mar/Apr 2020; 3 recently launched and now in primary operations (GOLD, Parker, SET); and 2 missions currently in development (ICON, Solar Orbiter) R1.0 Implement DRIVE (Diversify, Realize, Implemented DRIVE initiative wedge in FY15; DRIVE initiative is now Integrate, Venture, Educate) part of the Heliophysics R&A baseline R2.0 Accelerate and expand Heliophysics Decadal recommendation of every 2-3 years; Explorer mission AO Explorer program released in 2016 and again in 2019. Notional mission cadence will continue to follow Decadal recommendation going forward. Increased frequency of Missions of Opportunity (MO), including rideshares on IMAP and Tech Demo MO. -
Design of the Heliospheric Imager for the STEREO Mission
Design of the Heliospheric Imager for the STEREO mission Jean-Marc Defisea∗, Jean-Philippe Halaina, Emmanuel Mazya, Russel A. Howardb, Clarence M. Korendykeb, Pierre Rochusa, George M. Simnettc, Dennis G. Sockerb*, David F. Webbd aCentre Spatial de Liège, 4031 Angleur, Belgium bNaval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 cUniversity of Birmingham, Birmingham B15217, United Kingdom dBoston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 ABSTRACT The Heliospheric Imager (HI) is part of the SECCHI suite of instruments on-board the two STEREO spacecrafts. The two HI instruments will provide stereographic image pairs of solar coronal plasma and address the observational problem of very faint coronal mass ejections (CME) over a wide field of view (~90°) ranging from 12 to 250 R-0. The key element of the instrument design is to reject the solar disk light, with stray-light attenuation of the order of 10-12 to 10-15 in the camera systems. This attenuation is accomplished by a specific design of stray-light baffling system, and two separate observing cameras with complimentary FOV’s cover the wide field of view. A multi-vane diffractive system has been theoretically optimized to achieve the lower requirement (10-13 for HI-1) and is combined with a secondary baffling system to reach the 10-15 rejection performance in the second camera system (HI-2). This paper presents the design concept of the HI, and the preparation of verification tests that will demonstrate the instrument performances. The baffle design has been optimized according to accommodation constrains on the spacecraft, and the optics were studied to provide adequate light gathering power. -
Space Science Acronyms
Space Science Acronyms AA Auroral radio Absorption AACGM Altitude Adjusted Corrected GeoMagnetic ABI Auroral Boundary Index ACCENT Atmospheric Chemistry of Combustion Emissions Near the Tropopause ACE Advanced Composition Explorer ACF Auto Correlation Functions ACR Anomalous Cosmic Rays ADCS Attitude Determination and Control Subsystem ADEOS ADvanced Earth Observation Satellite (Japan) ADEP ARTIST Data Editing and Printing ADMS Atmospheric Density Mass Spectrometer AE Atmosphere Explorer AE Auroral Electrojet index AEPI Atmospheric Emissions Photometric Imager AES Auger Electron Spectroscopy AEU Antenna Element Unit AFB Air Force Base AFGL Air Force Geophysical Laboratory AFIT Air Force Institute of Technology AFOSR Air Force Office of Scientific Research AFRL Air Force Research Lab AFSCN Air Force Satellite Control Network AFSPC Air Force SPace Command AFWA Air Force Weather Agency AGILE Astrorivelatore Gamma a Immagini Leggero AGU American Geophysical Union AGW Atmospheric Gravity Waves AI Asymmetry Index AIDA Arecibo Initiative in Dynamics of the Atmosphere AIM Aeronomy of Ices in the Mesosphere AKR Auroral Kilometric Radiation AL Auroral Electrojet Lower Limit Index ALF Absorption Limiting Frequency ALIS Airglow Limb Imaging System ALOMAR Arctic Lidar Observatory for Middle Atmospheric Research ALOS Advanced Land Observing Satellite ALSP Apollo Lunar Surface Probe ALTAIR ARPA Long-Range Tracking and Identification Radar AMBER African Meridian B-field Educational Research Array AMCSR Advanced Modular Coherent Scatter Radar AMI Aeronomic -
SECCHI/Heliospheric Imager Science Studies Sarah Matthews Mullard
SECCHI/Heliospheric Imager Science Studies Sarah Matthews Mullard Space Science Laboratory University College London Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking Surrey RH5 6NT [email protected] Version 2, 12 December 2003 1. Introduction This document is intended to provide a focus for the scientific operation of the Heliospheric Imager camera systems that form part of the SECCHI instrument payload on STEREO. Its purpose is to provide a brief introduction to the instruments and their capabilities, within the context of the SECCHI instrumentation as a whole, and to outline a series of proposed science studies whose primary focus requires the HI1 and/or HI2, although this does not preclude the inclusion of studies whose main focus is another of the SECCHI instruments. In addition to defining the science goals for the HI these science studies also provide operational constraints that as far as possible will be fed into the on-board software requirements. In order to obtain a detailed view of the instruments, the science goals and operations, it is recommended that this document should be used together with the Heliospheric Imager Operations Document written by Richard Harrison and the Image Simulation document written by Chris Davis & Richard Harrison. 2. SECCHI and the Heliospheric Imager SECCHI is a set of remote sensing instruments designed to follow Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) from their origins on the Sun, out through the corona and the interplanetary medium and to possible impact with the Earth. The instrument package comprises 3 telescopes: ÿ EUV Imaging Telescope (EUVI) - a full Sun instrument which images the chromosphere and corona in 4 emission lines: He II 304 A, Fe IX/X 171 A, Fe XII 195 A and Fe XV 284 A. -
1 Ion Velocity Measurements for the Ionospheric Connections Explorer
Ion Velocity Measurements for the Ionospheric Connections Explorer R.A. Heelis, R.A. Stoneback, M.D. Perdue, M.P. Depew, Z.A. Morgan, M.D. Mankey, C.R. Lippincott, L.L. Harmon and B.J. Holt. William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences Physics Department, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX. Abstract The Ionospheric Connections Explorer (ICON) payload includes an Ion velocity Meter (IVM) to provide measurements of the ion drift motions, density, temperature and a major ion composition. The IVM will derive these parameters utilizing two sensors, a retarding potential analyzer (RPA) and an ion drift meter (IDM) that have a robust and successful flight heritage. The IVM described here incorporates the most sensitive device that has been fielded to date. It will be used in conjunction with measurements from the other ICON instruments to uncover the important connections between the dynamics of the neutral atmosphere and the ionosphere through the generation of dynamo currents perpendicular to the magnetic field and collisional forces parallel to the magnetic field. DRAFTHere the configuration and operation of the instrument is described as well as a description of the data that it is expected to return. 1 1. Introduction The Ionospheric Connections Explorer (ICON) mission is poised to discover fundamental connections between the dynamics of the neutral atmosphere at altitudes between 100 km and 300 km and the charged particle motion, which is tied to the magnetic field that threads the entire region. A comprehensive description of the links between the charged and neutral species will be revealed with a unique combination of remote measurements of the plasma and neutral density and the neutral winds and in-situ measurements of the plasma density and plasma drift. -
Using Coronagraphs and Heliospheric Imagers to Answer the Outstanding Questions of Solar Wind Physics
2/2/2021 AGU - iPosterSessions.com Using Coronagraphs and Heliospheric Imagers to Answer the Outstanding Questions of Solar Wind Physics Nicholeen M. Viall (1) and Joseph Borovsky (2) (1) NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, United States, (2) Space Science Institute, Los Alamos, NM, United States PRESENTED AT: https://agu2020fallmeeting-agu.ipostersessions.com/Default.aspx?s=1F-DA-4D-0F-03-CB-7D-40-2F-55-3C-62-D5-14-0B-15&pdfprint=true&guestview=true 1/12 2/2/2021 AGU - iPosterSessions.com HINDERANCES TO PROGRESS _______________________________________ There are major outstanding questions regarding solar wind formation and its evolution as it advects through the heliosphere. Synthesizing inputs from the solar wind research community, we describe nine outstanding questions of solar wind physics from a recent AGU Grand Challenges review paper (Viall & Borovsky, 2020), as well as progress expected with recent and upcoming coronagraphs and heliospheric imagers. Nine Outstanding Questions of Solar Wind Physics agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com ______________________________________ Challenge 1: There is insufficient data coverage and computational power to measure and model cross-scale feedback. Observations and models need to encompass scale sizes small enough to resolve kinetic physics up through the global scales of the system. In the solar wind, these are in situ measurement timescales of milliseconds (e.g. to capture the spatial scales of electron physics) through global time scales of at least a solar rotation, a span of eight orders of magnitude. As a result, observations and models must focus on restricted regions of parameter space. Further, modeling must reduce the complexity of the phenomena it mimics: e.g. -
The New Heliophysics Division Template
Heliophysics Space Weather at NASA: Research and Small Satellites James Spann, Nicola Fox, Daniel Moses, Roshanak Hakimzadeh - Heliophysics Division COSPAR Symposium: Space Weather and Small Satellites February 11, 2019 1 Overview • Space Weather Science Applications Programs - Research - Infrastructure - International and Interagency Partnerships - New Initiatives - Whole Helio Month campaigns - NASA Science Mission Directorate Rideshare policy - Heliophysics and the Lunar Gateway - Small Satellites - NASA Activities - Heliophysics Small Satellite Missions 2 Space Weather Science Applications Program Establishes an expanded role for NASA in space weather science under single budget element • Consistent with recommendation of the NRC Decadal Survey and the OSTP National Space Weather Strategy Competes ideas and products, leverages existing agency capabilities, collaborates with other national and international agencies, and partners with user communities Three main areas of the Space Weather Science Applications Program are: • Collaboration • Competed Elements • Directed Components Heliophysics Space Weather Science Applications Transition Strategy, first meeting held Nov. 28 3 Space Weather Science Applications Program (1) 3 calls were made between ROSES 2017 and ROSES 2018 in Space Weather Operations-to-Research (SWO2R) • 8 selections made for ROSES 2017 SWO2R - Focus: Improve predictions of background solar wind, solar wind structures, and CMEs • 9 selections made for ROSES 2018 (1) SWO2R - Focus: Improve specifications and forecasts -
Theme: Heliophysics Mission Directorate: Science
Mission Directorate: Science Theme: Heliophysics Theme Overview Our planet is immersed in a seemingly invisible yet exotic and inherently hostile environment. Above the protective cocoon of Earth's lower atmosphere is a plasma soup composed of electrified and magnetized matter entwined with penetrating radiation and energetic particles. Our Sun's explosive energy output forms an immense structure of complex magnetic fields. This colossal bubble of magnetism, known as the heliosphere, stretches far beyond the orbit of Pluto. On its way through the Milky Way, this extended atmosphere of the Sun affects all planetary bodies in the solar system. It is itself influenced by slowly changing interstellar conditions that in turn can affect Earth's habitability. In fact, the Sun's extended atmosphere drives some of the greatest changes in our local magnetic environment affecting our own atmosphere, ionosphere, and potentially our climate. This immense volume is our cosmic neighborhood; it is the domain of the science called heliophysics. Heliophysics seeks understanding of the interaction of the large complex, coupled system comprising the Sun, Earth, and Moon, other planetary systems, the vast space within the solar system, and the interface to interstellar space. Heliophysics flight missions form a fleet of solar, heliospheric, and geospace spacecraft that operate simultaneously to understand this coupled Sun-Earth system. A robust heliophysics research program is critical to human and robotic explorers venturing into space. Solar radiation drives the climate system and sustains the biosphere of Earth. Solar particles and fields drive radiation belts, high-altitude winds, heat the ionosphere, and alter the ozone layer. The resulting space weather affects radio and radar transmissions, gas and oil pipelines, electrical power grids, and spacecraft electronics. -
The PAC2MAN Mission: a New Tool to Understand and Predict Solar Energetic Events
J. Space Weather Space Clim., 5, A5 (2015) DOI: 10.1051/swsc/2015005 Ó J. Amaya et al., Published by EDP Sciences 2015 EDUCATIONAL ARTICLE OPEN ACCESS The PAC2MAN mission: a new tool to understand and predict solar energetic events Jorge Amaya1,*, Sophie Musset11, Viktor Andersson2, Andrea Diercke3,4, Christian Höller5,6, Sergiu Iliev7, Lilla Juhász8, René Kiefer9, Riccardo Lasagni10, Solène Lejosne12, Mohammad Madi13, Mirko Rummelhagen14, Markus Scheucher15, Arianna Sorba16, and Stefan Thonhofer15 1 Center for mathematical Plasma-Astrophysics (CmPA), Mathematics Department, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200B, Leuven, Belgium *Corresponding author: [email protected] 2 Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Lund, Sweden 3 Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam (AIP), An der Sternwarte 16, 14482 Potsdam, Germany 4 Institut für Physik und Astrophysik, Universität Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany 5 Faculty of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Technology, Vienna, Austria 6 Department for Space Mechanisms, RUAG Space GmbH, Vienna, Austria 7 Aeronautical Engineering Department, Imperial College London, London, UK 8 Department of Geophysics and Space Research, Eötvös University, Budapest, Hungary 9 Kiepenheuer-Institut für Sonnenphysik (KIS), Schöneckstraße 6, 79104 Freiburg, Germany 10 Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Bologna, Italy 11 LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, UPMC, Universit Paris-Diderot, 5 place Jules Janssen, 92195 Meudon, France 12 British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, England, UK 13 Micos Engineering GmbH, Zürich, Switzerland 14 Berner & Mattner Systemtechnik, Munich, Germany 15 Physics Department, University of Graz, Graz, Austria 16 Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London, UK Received 28 February 2014 / Accepted 2 December 2014 ABSTRACT An accurate forecast of flare and coronal mass ejection (CME) initiation requires precise measurements of the magnetic energy buildup and release in the active regions of the solar atmosphere.