University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository Doctoral Dissertations Student Scholarship Spring 2009 Solar wind stream interfaces: The importance of time, longitude, and latitude separation between points of observation Kristin Diane Commer Simunac University of New Hampshire, Durham Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation Recommended Citation Simunac, Kristin Diane Commer, "Solar wind stream interfaces: The importance of time, longitude, and latitude separation between points of observation" (2009). Doctoral Dissertations. 487. https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation/487 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SOLAR WIND STREAM INTERFACES: THE IMPORTANCE OF TIME, LONGITUDE, AND LATITUDE SEPARATION BETWEEN POINTS OF OBSERVATION BY KRISTIN DIANE COMMER SIMUNAC B.S. Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, 2001 M.S. Physics, University of Kansas, 2002 DISSERTATION Submitted to the University of New Hampshire in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Physics May, 2009 UMI Number: 3363731 INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI* UMI Microform 3363731 Copyright 2009 by ProQuest LLC All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 This dissertation has been examined and approved. < /( K4Stfa Dissertatioissertationi Director, Lynn M. Kistler, Associate Professor, Physics and Institute for Earth, Oceans and Space A tJA//>u£ 1ame s J. CoJnell, Associate Professor, Physics and Institute for Earth, Oceans, andJSpace Antoinette B. Galvin, Research Associate Professor, Physics and Institute for Earth, Oceans and s7> J Karsten Pohl, Associate Professor, Physics Charles W. Smith, Research Professor, Institute for Earth, Oceans and Space ^W J ^Q1 Date DEDICATION To my always loving and supportive family. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work has been supported by NASA Contract NAS5-00132. Thank you to K.W. Ogilvie (NASA GSFC) and A.J. Lazarus (MIT) for making WIND/SWE proton data available. This work utilizes data obtained by the Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) Program, managed by the National Solar Observatory, which is operated by AURA, Inc. under a cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation. The data were acquired by instruments operated by the Big Bear Solar Observatory, High Altitude Observatory, Learmonth Solar Observatory, Udaipur Solar Observatory, Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, and Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv LIST OF TABLES vii LIST OF FIGURES ix ABSTRACT xiv INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER I: THE SUN AND SOLAR WIND 4 The Sun 4 The Corona 6 The Solar Wind 9 Solar Wind Source Regions 14 Corotating Interaction Regions 16 Fast-to-Slow Solar Wind Transitions 21 Numerical Models 23 Motivation and Application 26 CHAPTER II: INSTRUMENTATION AND PRE-FIGHT CALIBRATION 30 The STEREO Mission 30 The Plasma and Supra-Thermal Ion Composition Experiment 32 Pre-flight Calibration 35 Onboard Moments 39 Full Resolution Rate 48 CHAPTER III: DATA SELECTION AND IN-FIGHT CALIBRATION 50 Suspected Leakage 50 Calculating 1 -D Proton Bulk Parameters In-Flight 52 CHAPTER IV: OBSERVATIONS 74 Cam ngton Rotation 2054 76 Carr ngton Rotation 2055 79 Carr ngton Rotation 2056 83 Carr ngton Rotation 2057 86 Carr ngton Rotation 2058 89 Carr ngton Rotation 2059 92 Carri ngton Rotation 2060 95 Carri ngton Rotation 2061 98 Carr ngton Rotation 2062 101 Carr ngton Rotation 2063 104 V Carrington Rotation 2064 106 Carrington Rotation 2065 109 Carrington Rotation 2066 112 CHAPTER V: ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION 115 Slow-to-Fast Solar Wind Transitions 115 Identification of the Solar Wind Source Regions 120 The Effects of Latitude Separation 133 The Effects of Time Separation 142 Additional Discussion: Carrington Rotation 2066 153 Fast-to-Slow Transitions 155 CHAPTER VI: CONCLUSIONS 159 APPENDIX A: EFFICIENCY AND INTERCALIBRATION 162 Rate Definitions 162 Changes Over Time 166 Noise 170 Azimuth Response 170 Triple Coincidence Proton Efficiency 171 Additional PLASTIC/A Efficiency Considerations 173 Inter-calibration of STEREO/PLASTIC with WIND/SWE 181 APPENDIX B: NORTH/SOUTH FLOW ANGLE 188 LIST OF REFERENCES 198 vi LIST OF TABLES TABLE PAGE 1.1 Typical Solar Wind Properties Near 1 AU 14 2.1 STEREO/PLASTIC Calibration Summary 36 2.2 Analyzer Constants 36 2.3 Deflection Constants and Angular Acceptance Ranges 36 3.1 PLASTIC/AHEAD Velocity to ESA Step Correspondence 61 3.2 PLASTIC/BEHIND Velocity to ESA Step Correspondence 62 4.1 CR 2054 Slow-to-Fast Transitions 77 4.2 CR 2054 Fast-to-Slow Transitions 79 4.3 CR 2055 Slow-to-Fast Transitions 81 4.4 CR 2055 Fast-to-Slow Transitions 83 4.5 CR 2056 Slow-to-Fast Transitions 84 4.6 CR 2056 Fast-to-Slow Transitions 86 4.7 CR 2057 Slow-to-Fast Transitions 87 4.8 CR 2057 Fast-to-Slow Transitions 87 4.9 CR 2058 Slow-to-Fast Transitions 91 4.10 CR 2058 Fast-to-Slow Transitions 91 4.11 CR 2059 Slow-to-Fast Transitions 93 4.12 CR 2059 Fast-to-Slow Transitions 95 4.13 CR 2060 Slow-to-Fast Transitions 96 4.14 CR 2060 Fast-to-Slow Transitions 98 4.15 CR 2061 Slow-to-Fast Transitions 99 4.16 CR 2061 Fast-to-Slow Transitions 101 4.17 CR 2062 Slow-to-Fast Transitions 102 4.18 CR 2062 Fast-to-Slow Transitions 104 4.19 CR 2063 Slow-to-Fast Transitions 106 4.20 CR 2063 Fast-to-Slow Transitions 106 4.21 CR 2064 Slow-to-Fast Transitions 107 4.22 CR 2064 Fast-to-Slow Transitions 109 4.23 CR 2065 Slow-to-Fast Transitions 110 4.24 CR 2065 Fast-to-Slow Transitions 112 4.25 CR 2066 Slow-to-Fast Transitions 114 4.26 CR 2066 Fast-to-Slow Transitions 114 vii TABLE PAGE 5.1 Stream Interface Summary Table 118 5.2 Summary of Attempted Latitude Correction 141 5.3 Fast-to-Slow Transition Summary Table 157 viii LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE PAGE 1.1 Differential Solar Rotation 6 1.2 Solar Eclipse 7 1.3 Sun in Extreme Ultra Violet 8 1.4 Parker Spiral 13 1.5 CIR Schematic 18 1.6 Shock Geometry 27 1.7 Effect of Radial Separation 28 2.1 PLASTIC Entrance System and Time-of-Flight Chamber 33 2.2 Pre-launch Azimuth Scan 37 2.3 PLASTIC/A Resistive Anode Response 38 2.4 PLASTIC/B Resistive Anode Response 39 2.5 Simulated Count Distribution 42 2.6 0th Moment from Simulated Data 43 2.7 1st Moment from Simulated Data 43 2.8 2nd Moment from Simulated Data 44 2.9 Modeled Instrument Response 45 2.10 Data Selection for Onboard Moments Calculation 47 2.11 Maxwellian Distribution Function 49 3.1 PLASTIC/AHEAD Deflection Distribution 52 3.2 PLASTIC/BEHIND Deflection Distribution 52 3.3 Background Subtraction Example 54 3.4 Deflection Wobble Correction Example 55 3.5 Density Comparison between PLASTIC/B and WIND/SWE 57 3.6 PLASTIC/A RA_Trig Efficiency versus MCP Setting 58 3.7 PLASTIC/B RA_Trig Efficiency versus MCP Setting 59 3.8 Kinetic Energy of PLASTIC and WIND/SWE 60 3.9 In-flight Estimated Proton Speed to ESA Step Correspondence 60 3.10 Sample Distribution Function 63 3.11 April 2007 Proton Data 65 3.12 May 2007 Proton Data 66 3.13 June 2007 Proton Data 67 ix 3.14 July 2007 Proton Data 68 3.15 August 2007 Proton Data 69 3.16 September 2007 Proton Data 70 3.17 October 2007 Proton Data 71 3.18 November 2007 Proton Data 72 3.19 December 2007 Proton Data 73 4.1 Carrington Rotation 2054 Bulk Speed 76 4.2 Stream Interface Arrives at STEREO/AHEAD 77 4.3 CR 2054 - PLASTIC/AHEAD 78 4.4 CR 2054 - PLASTIC/BEHIND 78 4.5 Carrington Rotation 2055 Bulk Speed 80 4.6 Stream Interface Arrives at STEREO/BEHIND 80 4.7 CR 2055 - PLASTIC/AHEAD 82 4.8 CR 2055 - PLASTIC/BEHIND 82 4.9 Carrinton Rotation 2056 Bulk Speed 84 4.10 CR 2056 - PLASTIC/AHEAD 85 4.11 CR 2056 - PLASTIC/BEHIND 85 4.12 Carrington Rotation 2057 Bulk Speed 87 4.13 CR 2057 - PLASTIC/AHEAD 88 4.14 CR 2057 - PLASTIC/BEHIND 88 4.15 Carrington Rotation 2058 Bulk Speed 89 4.16 CR 2058 - PLASTIC/AHEAD 90 4.17 CR 2058 - PLASTIC/BEHIND 90 4.18 Carrington Rotation 2059 Bulk Speed 93 4.19 CR 2059 - PLASTIC/AHEAD 94 4.20 CR 2059 - PLASTIC/BEHIND 94 4.21 Carrington Rotation 2060 Bulk Speed 96 4.22 CR 2060 - PLASTIC/AHEAD 97 4.23 CR 2060 - PLASTIC/BEHIND 97 4.24 Carrington Rotation 2061 Bulk Speed 99 4.25 CR 2061 - PLASTIC/AHEAD 100 4.26 CR 2061 - PLASTIC/BEHIND 100 4.27 Carrington Rotation 2062 Bulk Speed 102 4.28 CR 2062 - PLASTIC/AHEAD 103 4.29 CR 2062 - PLASTIC/BEHIND 103 x 4.30 Carrington Rotation 2063 Bulk Speed 104 4.31 CR 2063 - PLASTIC/AHEAD 105 4.32 CR 2063 - PLASTIC/BEHIND 105 4.33 Carrington Rotation 2064 Bulk Speed 107 4.34 CR 2064 - PLASTIC/AHEAD 108 4.35 CR 2064-PLASTIC/BEHIND 108 4.36 Carrington Rotation 2065 Bulk Speed 110 4.37 CR 2065 - PLASTIC/AHEAD 111 4.38 CR 2065 - PLASTIC/BEHIND 111 4.39 Carrington Rotation 2066 Bulk Speed