Measurements and an empirical model of the Zodiacal brightness as observed by the Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI)

Abstract

a b s t r a c tThe Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI) provided near-full-sky broadband visible-light photometric maps for 8.5 years from 2003 to 2011. At a cadence of typically 14 maps per day, these each have an angular resolution of about 0.5 º and differential photometric stability of about 1% throughout this time. When individual bright stars are removed from the maps and an empirical sidereal background subtracted, the residue is dominated by the zodiacal light. This sky coverage enables the formation of an empirical zodiacal-light model for observations at 1 AU which summarizes the SMEI data. When this is subtracted, analysis of the ensemble of residual sky maps sets upper limits of typically 1% for potential secular change of the zodiacal light for each of nine chosen ecliptic sky locations. An overall long-term photometric stability of 0.25% is certified by analysis of three stable sidereal objects. Averaging the nine ecliptic results together yields a 1-σ upper limit of 0.3% for zodiacal light change over this 8.5 year period.

Observations of the Solar F-corona from Space

“…This probably can be achieved by allowing the parameters to vary with either r or β π or both. As a final remark, we point out the serious disagreement between our conclusion and the nearly all-sky (elongation >20 • ) empirical model of the zodiacal brightness proposed by Buffington et al (2016) based on Solar Mass Ejection Imager data. They found that their model most resemble the modified fan model of Lumme and Bowell (1985) and indeed their Figure 2, although limited to a quarter of the sky, indicates that the isophotes have pinched "noses", thus exhibiting a discontinuity along the longitude axis.…”

“…This is definitively contradicted by the images presented in Figure 1 -one of which extends to an elongation of 50 •and by numerous ground-based photographs of the zodiacal light. Out to the two other maps presented by Buffington et al (2016) in their Figure 1 based on data from Leinert et al (1998) and Kwon et al (2004), only the latter one has isophotes with correct rounded "nose" although their distortion at mid-latitudes is highly suspect.…”

Zodiacal Light Beyond Earth Orbit Observed with Pioneer 10

“…Zodiacal light is a sunlight scattered by IPD particles, and has been studied by many researchers ( Leinert et al (1998), Levasseur-Regourd (2001), Buffington, A. et al (2016)). DIRBE on board COBE observed the zodiacal light extensively from near-infrared to far-infrared wavelength regions (Hauser et al 1998).…”

Zodiacal light observations and its link with cosmic dust: a review

“…The most complete reviews of its properties were published almost 20 years ago in the report from the IAU Commission 21: Light of the night sky "The 1997 reference of diffuse night sky brightness" (Leinert et al, 1998) and in the "Interplanetary dust" book published in 2001 (Grün et al, 2001). Since then, a number of programs and space missions have improved the available measurements of the zodiacal light and our knowledge of the properties of the interplanetary dust particles that constitute it, like the space missions Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI) in the visible (Buffington et al, 2016) and AKARI in the infrared (Pyo et al, 2010). In this work we will review the properties of the zodiacal light from observations and describe the properties of the interplanetary dust particles that can be deduced from them.…”