Analysis of Solar Wind Events Using Interplanetary Scintillation Remote Sensing 3D Reconstructions and Their Comparison at Mars

Abstract

Jackson, B. V., Boyer, J. A., Hick, P. P., Buffington, A., Bisi, M. M., & Crider, D. H. (2007). Analysis of Solar Wind Events Using Interplanetary Scintillation Remote Sensing 3D Reconstructions and Their Comparison at Mars. Solar Physics, 241 (2), 385-396Interplanetary Scintillation (IPS) allows observation of the inner heliospheric response to corotating solar structures and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in scintillation level and velocity. With colleagues at STELab, Nagoya University, Japan, we have developed near-real-time access of STELab IPS data for use in space-weather forecasting. We use a 3D reconstruction technique that produces perspective views from solar corotating plasma and outward-flowing solar wind as observed from Earth by iteratively fitting a kinematic solar wind model to IPS observations. This 3D modeling technique permits reconstruction of the density and velocity structure of CMEs and other interplanetary transients at a relatively coarse resolution: a solar rotational cadence and 10? latitudinal and longitudinal resolution for the corotational model and a one-day cadence and 20? latitudinal and longitudinal heliographic resolution for the time-dependent model. This technique is used to determine solar-wind pressure (?ram? pressure) at Mars. Results are compared with ram-pressure observations derived from Mars Global Surveyor magnetometer data (Crider et al. 2003, J. Geophys. Res. 108(A12), 1461) for the years 1999 through 2004. We identified 47 independent in situ pressure-pulse events above 3.5 nPa in the Mars Global Surveyor data in this time period where sufficient IPS data were available. We detail the large pressure pulse observed at Mars in association with a CME that erupted from the Sun on 27 May 2003, which was a halo CME as viewed from Earth. We also detail the response of a series of West-limb CME events and compare their response observed at Mars about 160? west of the Sun?-?Earth line by the Mars Global Surveyor with the response derived from the IPS 3D reconstructions.Peer reviewe

Evolution of Coronal Mass Ejection Morphology With Increasing Heliocentric Distance. Ii. In Situ Observations

“…While these techniques may attempt to deduce the size and orientation of the ICME, the shape is often an explicit assumption of the model used. MHD simulations (e.g., Riley et al 2001;Manchester et al 2004;Odstrcil et al 2004;Lugaz et al 2005;Kataoka et al 2009;Nakamizo et al 2009;Shiota et al 2010) and interplanetary scintillation (IPS) studies (Jackson et al 2007) have also significantly increased our understanding of Figure 1. Schematic displaying the relationship between Earth's bow shock and characteristics of an ICME.…”

The radial width of a Coronal Mass Ejection between 0.1 and 0.4 AU estimated from the Heliospheric Imager on STEREO

“…IPS provides indirect information within a wide range of distances, but there are difficulties in analysis and interpretation arising from integration along the line-ofsight. While 3-D modelling techniques for IPS have been used to deduce the density structure and velocity profiles of CMEs (Jackson et al, 2007), more detailed analysis of CME size remains problematic.…”

Low-Resolution STELab IPS 3D Reconstructions of the Whole Heliosphere Interval and Comparison with in-Ecliptic Solar Wind Measurements from STEREO and Wind Instrumentation

“…Previous comparisons have been with data from the Advanced Composition Explorer -Solar Wind Electron, Proton and Alpha Monitor (ACE/SWEPAM) (Stone et al, 1998;McComas et al, 1998); the Ulysses spacecraft (Wenzel et al, 1992); and finally with "ram" pressure measurements inferred from the Mars Global Surveyor magnetometer (Crider et al, 2003) in orbit around Mars with IPS observations made between 1999 and 2004 (Jackson et al, 2007). Jackson and Hick (2005) describe the time-dependent 3D tomographic technique used here (first introduced in 2000).…”