The IMPACT (In situ Measurements of Particles And CME Transients) investigation on the STEREO mission was designed and developed to provide multipoint solar wind and suprathermal electron, interplanetary magnetic field, and solar energetic particle information required to unravel the nature of coronal mass ejections and their heliospheric consequences. IMPACT consists of seven individual sensors which are packaged into a boom suite, and a SEP suite. This review summarizes the science objectives of IMPACT, the instruments that comprise the IMPACT investigation, the accommodation of IMPACT on the STEREO twin spacecraft, and the overall data products that will flow from the IMPACT measurements. Accompanying papers in this volume of Space Science Reviews highlight the individual sensor technical details and capabilities, STEREO project plans for the use of IMPACT data, and modeling activities for IMPACT (and other STEREO) data interpretation.

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The basic physical processes that lead to the long‐term modulation of cosmic rays in the heliosphere have been known for many years. However, our knowledge of the relative importance of the various processes is still incomplete. Observations of cosmic rays at high latitudes can be used to improve our understanding of modulation processes. In this paper we present measurements of galactic proton fluxes with energies above 106 MeV made by the Kiel Electron Telescope on board the Ulysses spacecraft during the fast scan from the South polar passage in September 1994 to the North pole in August 1995, under solar minimum conditions. Comparison of proton fluxes at high latitudes and in the ecliptic shows a 20% higher flux in polar regions. The flux increase is not symmetric with respect to the heliographic equator but rather with respect to a surface shifted by 7° South. In such a coordinate system the latitudinal gradient in both hemispheres has a value of (0.33±0.02)%/deg.

Abstract. Mildly relativistic electrons appear during the solar energetic particle events. A detailed investigation on the origin of such electrons is presented for four particlular solar events. The mildly relativistic electrons have been detected at energies of 0.25-0.7 MeV by COSTEP/SOHO and below 0.392 MeV by Wind 3-DP experiments. Coronal shocks associated with these electron events are identified from the metric-to-decametric solar type II radio bursts. All selected events were associated with solar activity at western longitudes, so that the magnetic footpoints connecting the spacecraft with the Sun were close to the flare/shock/CME site. The associated type II bursts were accompanied by so-called shock accelerated (SA) type III bursts appearing to be emerging from the type II emission site. We found: (1) that all of the 0.25-0.7 MeV electron events were released during or after, but never simultaneously with the onset of type II bursts and CMEs. The time delay between the type II burst onset and the release of the mildly relativistic electrons is in the range of 11.5−45 min; (2) that the mildly relativistic electrons were released rather at the end of SA type III bursts or somewhat later; (3) that the mildly relativistic electrons were released when the associated type II burst and the CME reached a certain height (h ∼ 1-4 Rs) above the photosphere. For the four events studied, it is concluded that mildly relativistic electrons at 0.25-0.7 MeV energies measured in the interplanetary medium from solar energetic particle events are accelerated by coronal shock waves, commonly in association with white-light CMEs.

The Ulysses spacecraft made the first exploration of the region of Jupiter's magnetosphere at high Jovigraphic latitudes ( approximately 37 degrees south) on the dusk side and reached higher magnetic latitudes ( approximately 49 degrees north) on the day side than any previous mission to Jupiter. The cosmic and solar particle investigations (COSPIN) instrumentation achieved a remarkably well integrated set of observations of energetic charged particles in the energy ranges of approximately 1 to 170 megaelectron volts for electrons and 0.3 to 20 megaelectron volts for protons and heavier nuclei. The new findings include (i) an apparent polar cap region in the northern hemisphere in which energetic charged particles following Jovian magnetic field lines may have direct access to the interplanetary medium, (ii) high-energy electron bursts (rise times approximately 17 megaelectron volts) on the dusk side that are apparently associated with field-aligned currents and radio burst emissions, (iii) persistence of the global 10-hour relativistic electron "clock" phenomenon throughout Jupiter's magnetosphere, (iv) on the basis of charged-particle measurements, apparent dragging of magnetic field lines at large radii in the dusk sector toward the tail, and (v) consistent outflow of megaelectron volt electrons and large-scale departures from corotation for nucleons.