J. Space Weather Space Clim. 2020, 10,6 Ó C. Plainaki et al., Published by EDP Sciences 2020 https://doi.org/10.1051/swsc/2020003 Available online at: www.swsc-journal.org Agora – Strategic or programmatic article OPEN ACCESS Current state and perspectives of Space Weather science in Italy Christina Plainaki1,*, Marco Antonucci2, Alessandro Bemporad3, Francesco Berrilli4, Bruna Bertucci5, Marco Castronuovo1, Paola De Michelis6, Marco Giardino1, Roberto Iuppa7,10, Monica Laurenza8, Federica Marcucci8, Mauro Messerotti9, Livio Narici4, Barbara Negri1, Francesco Nozzoli10, Stefano Orsini8, Vincenzo Romano6, Enrico Cavallini1, Gianluca Polenta1, and Alessandro Ippolito1 1 ASI – Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, Via del Politecnico snc, 00133 Rome, Italy 2 Aeronautica Militare Italiana, Stato Maggiore Aeronautica – 3° Reparto, Viale dell’Università n.4, 00185 Rome, Italy 3 INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino, via Osservatorio 20, 10025 Pino Torinese, Torino, Italy 4 Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Dipartimento di Fisica, Via Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy 5 Università di Perugia, Dipartimento di Fisica e Geologia, Via Pascoli s.n.c., 06124 Perugia, Italy 6 Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Via di Vigna Murata 605, 00143 Rome, Italy 7 Università di Trento, Dipartimento di Fisica, via Sommarive 14, 38123 Trento, Italy 8 INAF-Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali, Via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Rome, Italy 9 INAF- Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste, Loc. Basovizza n. 302, 34149 Trieste, Italy 10 INFN-TIFPA, via Sommarive 14, 38123 Trento, Italy Received 25 March 2019 / Accepted 27 December 2019 Abstract – Italian teams have been involved many times in Space Weather observational campaigns from space and from the ground, contributing in the advancing of our knowledge on the properties and evolution of the related phenomena. Numerous Space Weather forecasting and now-casting modeling efforts have resulted in a remarkable add-on to the overall progress in the field, at both national and international level. The Italian Space Agency has participated several times in space missions with science objectives related to Space Weather; indeed, an important field for the Italian scientific and industrial communities interested in Heliophysics and Space Weather, is the development of new instrumentation for future space missions. In this paper, we present a brief state-of-the-art in Space Weather science in Italy and we discuss some ideas on a long-term plan for the support of future scientific research in the related disciplines. In the context of the current roadmap, the Italian Space Agency aims to assess the possibility to develop a national scientific Space Weather data centre to encourage synergies between different science teams with interest in the field and to motivate innovation and new mission concept development. Alongside with the proposed recom- mendations, we also discuss how the Italian expertise could complement international efforts in a wider international Space Weather context. Keywords: heliosphere / instrumentation / missions / strategy / data management 1 Introduction: science case and scope can also influence Space Weather in the Solar System through of this roadmap their interplay with the Heliosphere. Space Weather is mani- fested through a series of phenomena including Solar Energetic Particle (SEP), geomagnetic variability, and Ground Level Circumterrestrial Space Weather (often referred to, simply, “ ” Enhancement (GLE) events, as well as variations of the GCR as Space Weather ) has its main origin at the Sun being driven intensity. Charged particle precipitation in the Earth’spolar by the solar activity (e.g., flares, Coronal Mass Ejections – ’ atmosphere causes auroras, and increases the conductivity of CMEs)andcharacterizedbyitseffectsintheEarths the lower ionosphere in the auroral electrojet. Moreover, the magnetosphere and upper atmosphere. High energy particles energy input in the polar region heats the thermosphere, chang- of non-solar origin, such as the Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs), ing the distribution of the atmospheric constituents and hence the ionospheric electron density profile (Denton et al., 2009). *Corresponding author: [email protected] Also the Earth’s troposphere has a role in the Space Weather This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. C. Plainaki et al.: J. Space Weather Space Clim. 2020, 10,6 Fig. 1. Space Weather phenomena resulting from the Sun-Earth connection and/or its interplay with the galactic cosmic radiation. Background figures are from NASA. chain since the convective systems within can generate gravity ionosphere, atmosphere) and its interior, and their cou- waves that transport energy and momentum into the upper pling at long and short timescales; atmosphere; the dissipation of such waves is a significant source the use of scientific research products for the development of heat in the thermosphere (alongside the solar EUV radiation). of reliable systems for Space Weather forecasting origi- A graphical overview of the dominant Space Weather phenom- nating, preferably, from multi-data observations. ena and coupling mechanisms resulting from the Sun-Earth connection is presented in Figure 1. The Space Weather discipline has both scientific and opera- Space Weather can have impacts on space-based and terres- tional aspects which are unavoidably strongly related to one trial technological infrastructures and biological systems. Spo- another. Koskinen et al. (2017) characterized Space Weather as radic events caused by powerful eruptions on the Sun can “science with applications” pointing out that the progress needed disrupt high frequency communications, degrade the precision to improve both short- and long-term forecasting challenges our of the navigation systems, provoke perturbations in the long understanding of the scientific foundations. It is now evident that conductive transmission lines, gas pipelines, railway systems, to address the requirements of future Space Weather services we influence satellite functions and (in extreme cases) cause the need to advance our insights in and understanding of Space loss of the mission. Moreover, Space Weather events can be Weather science. Indeed, there is an ongoing growth of interest hazardous for the health of aircrew members and flight passen- in Space Weather research (see Fig. 2) that goes beyond individ- gers (especially on polar flights), and astronauts. It is therefore ual scientific disciplines or national capabilities: Space Weather important to mitigate the risks of Space Weather impacts on is a global challenge requiring observational resources that cover technology, infrastructure, navigation, health and human activi- the whole world providing, when possible, detailed information ties, based on: on physical parameters characterizing the interplanetary space and its interplay with the Earth’s environment. our knowledge of the physics of the Sun, the interplane- In a 2009 definition agreed among 24 countries (Lilensten & tary space, the Earth’s environment (magnetosphere, Belehaki 2009), it was defined that “Space Weather is the Page 2 of 51 C. Plainaki et al.: J. Space Weather Space Clim. 2020, 10,6 and the long-lived (gradual) events associated with CME shocks – is necessary. This is an important application of funda- mental plasma physics to cosmic plasmas (involving, for instance, the investigation of particle energization in magnetic reconnection diffusion regions and in shocks). Moreover, research should also focus on the detailed understanding of how SEPs propagate through the interplanetary space (consider- ing also the possible perturbation of the particle propagation paths by CMEs and Co-rotating Interaction Regions – CIRs) and get scattered by magnetic irregularities. Testing, develop- ment, and validation of now-casting SEP event strategies and models require knowledge obtained through research in the aforementioned areas. In addition to the radiobiological issue and from a broader Space Weather perspective, the concept should also include the risk of electronic malfunctioning due to radiation, as the crew life is strongly linked to the proper functioning of all the electronic tools and critical control sys- tems in the space vessel. The understanding of the radiation- Fig. 2. Number of publications per year with the term “Space induced interference with spacecraft systems, therefore, is of Weather” included in the abstract in NASA/Astrophysics Data System fundamental importance. (refereed in blue; non refereed in green). Space Weather effects on spacecraft functions are mainly due to solar particle effects on electronics and materials. Solar particle events can cause solar cell degradation, star-tracker physical and phenomenological state of natural space environ- problems, memory device problems, and noise on imaging sys- ments. The associated discipline aims, through observation, tems (Keil, 2007). In addition, the presence of a geomagnetic monitoring, analysis and modeling, at understanding and pre- storm may require spacecraft operations actions to correct orien- dicting the state of the Sun, the interplanetary and planetary tation. The direct consequences of space radiation induced by environments, and the solar and non-solar driven perturbations Space