The Plasma and Suprathermal Ion Composition (PLASTIC) Investigation on the STEREO Observatories

Galvin, A. B.; Kistler, L. M.; Popecki, M. A.; Farrugia, C. J.; Simunac, K. D. C.; Ellis, L.; Möbius, E.; Lee, M. A.; Boehm, M. H.; Carroll, J.; Crawshaw, A.; Conti, M.; Demaine, Phillip D.; Ellis, S.; Gaidos, J. A.; Googins, J.; Granoff, M.; Gustafson, A.; Heirtzler, D.; King, B.; Knauss, U.; Levasseur, John; Longworth, S.; Singer, K. N.; Turco, Simona; Vachon, P.; Vosbury, M.; Widholm, M.; Blush, L. M.; Karrer, R.; Bochsler, P.; Daoudi, H.; Etter, Adrian; Fischer, J.; Jost, J. M.; Opitz, A.; Sigrist, Martin; Würz, Peter; Klecker, B.; Ertl, Michael; Seidenschwang, E.; Wimmer‐Schweingruber, R. F.; Koeten, M.; Thompson, B. J.; Steinfeld, D.

doi:10.1007/s11214-007-9296-x

Cited by 387 publications

(251 citation statements)

References 98 publications

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“…In this paper we revisit the method presented as a proof-ofconcept study by Möbius et al (2015) using He + PUI data from the PLAsma and SupraThermal Ion Composition instrument (PLASTIC; Galvin et al (2008)) on board the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory Ahead spacecraft (STEREO A). We extend this method by analyzing its weaknesses and proposing ways to circumvent these disadvantages.…”

Section: Motivation and Goalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenges in the determination of the interstellar flow longitude from the pickup ion cutoff

Taut

Berger

Möbius

et al. 2018

A&A

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Context. The interstellar flow longitude corresponds to the Sun's direction of movement relative to the local interstellar medium. Thus, it constitutes a fundamental parameter for our understanding of the heliosphere and, in particular, its interaction with its surroundings, which is currently investigated by the Interstellar Boundary EXplorer (IBEX). One possibility to derive this parameter is based on pickup ions (PUIs) that are former neutral ions that have been ionized in the inner heliosphere. The neutrals enter the heliosphere as an interstellar wind from the direction of the Sun's movement against the partially ionized interstellar medium. PUIs carry information about the spatial variation of their neutral parent population (density and flow vector field) in their velocity distribution function. From the symmetry of the longitudinal flow velocity distribution, the interstellar flow longitude can be derived. Aims. The aim of this paper is to identify and eliminate systematic errors that are connected to this approach of measuring the interstellar flow longitude; we want to minimize any systematic influences on the result of this analysis and give a reasonable estimate for the uncertainty. Methods. We use He + data measured by the PLAsma and SupraThermal Ion Composition (PLASTIC) sensor on the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory Ahead (STEREO A) spacecraft. We analyze a recent approach, identify sources of systematic errors, and propose solutions to eliminate them. Furthermore, a method is introduced to estimate the error associated with this approach. Additionally, we investigate how the selection of interplanetary magnetic field angles, which is closely connected to the pickup ion velocity distribution function, affects the result for the interstellar flow longitude. Results. We find that the revised analysis used to address part of the expected systematic effects obtains significantly different results than presented in the previous study. In particular, the derived uncertainties are considerably larger. Furthermore, an unexpected systematic trend of the resulting interstellar flow longitude with the selection of interplanetary magnetic field orientation is uncovered.

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Section: Motivation and Goalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenges in the determination of the interstellar flow longitude from the pickup ion cutoff

Taut

Berger

Möbius

et al. 2018

A&A

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“…The LEFS60 telescope provides 40 keV to about 350 keV electron measurements, and by the spinning of the spacecraft the measurements are divided into eight different directional sectors. Complementary information on plasma properties are provided by the STEREO/PLASTIC (Galvin et al 2008) and ACE/SWEPAM (McComas et al 1998) instruments. The interplanetary magnetic field measurements by STEREO/MAG (Acuña et al 2007) and ACE/MAG (Smith et al 1998) are investigated to determine the pitch angle distributions and particle anisotropies.…”

Section: Instrumentationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Statistical survey of widely spread out solar electron events observed with STEREO and ACE with special attention to anisotropies

Dresing

Gómez-Herrero

Heber

et al. 2014

A&A

136

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Context. In February 2011, the two STEREO spacecrafts reached a separation of 180 degrees in longitude, offering a complete view of the Sun for the first time ever. When the full Sun surface is visible, source active regions of solar energetic particle (SEP) events can be identified unambiguously. STEREO, in combination with near-Earth observatories such as ACE or SOHO, provides three well separated viewpoints, which build an unprecedented platform from which to investigate the longitudinal variations of SEP events. Aims. We show an ensemble of SEP events that were observed between 2009 and mid-2013 by at least two spacecrafts and show a remarkably wide particle spread in longitude (wide-spread events). The main selection criterion for these events was a longitudinal separation of at least 80 degrees between active region and spacecraft magnetic footpoint for the widest separated spacecraft. We investigate the events statistically in terms of peak intensities, onset delays, and rise times, and determine the spread of the longitudinal events, which is the range filled by SEPs during the events. Energetic electron anisotropies are investigated to distinguish the source and transport mechanisms that lead to the observed wide particle spreads. Methods. According to the anisotropy distributions, we divided the events into three classes depending on different source and transport scenarios. One potential mechanism for wide-spread events is efficient perpendicular transport in the interplanetary medium that competes with another scenario, which is a wide particle spread that occurs close to the Sun. In the latter case, the observations at 1 AU during the early phase of the events are expected to show significant anisotropies because of the wide injection range at the Sun and particle-focusing during the outward propagation, while in the first case only low anisotropies are anticipated. Results. We find events for both of these scenarios in our sample that match the expected observations and even different events that do not agree with the scenarios. We conclude that probably both an extended source region at the Sun and perpendicular transport in the interplanetary medium are involved for most of these wide-spread events.

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“…The analysis of the waveforms also requires several other parameters of the solar wind. In particular, the magnetic field and the solar wind parameters are obtained, respectively, from the In-situ Measurements of Particles and CME Transients (IMPACT) [Luhmann et al, 2008] and Plasma and Suprathermal Ion Composition (PLASTIC) [Galvin et al, 2008] Coronal and Heliospheric Investigation (SECCHI) are used to identify the active region at the origin of the radio event [Howard et al, 2008].…”

Section: Observationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inhibition of type III radio emissions due to the interaction between two electron beams: Observations and simulations

2014

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International audienceWe report the peculiar interaction of two type III bursts observed in the solar wind. As electronbeams propagating on the same magnetic field lines cross, a spectacular depletion of the type III radioemission is observed. We combine observations from the WAVES experiment on board the STEREO missiontogether with kinetic plasma simulations to study the extinction of type III radio emission resulting fromthe interaction between two electron beams. The remote observations enable to follow the electron beamsin the interplanetary medium and show that the level of radiated radio waves is recovered after the beamcrossing. The in situ observations of beam-driven Langmuir waves give evidence for Langmuir decay. Thedensity fluctuations are extracted from in situ observations. The velocity of the beams is independentlyevaluated from in situ observations of decaying Langmuir waves and remote radio observations. The kineticsimulations show that the level of beam-driven Langmuir waves is reduced as the two beams cross. Weshow that the slow beam induced a strong reduction of the quasilinear relaxation of the fast beam, limitingthe amplitude of the generated Langmuir waves. Moreover, in the case of two electron beams, the lack ofLangmuir wave coherence reduces the efficiency of the Langmuir parametric decay. We thus conclude thatthe observed depletion of the type III radio emission is independent of the radio emission mechanism, aslong as it depends on the Langmuir amplitude and coherence

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The Plasma and Suprathermal Ion Composition (PLASTIC) Investigation on the STEREO Observatories

Cited by 387 publications

References 98 publications

Challenges in the determination of the interstellar flow longitude from the pickup ion cutoff

Challenges in the determination of the interstellar flow longitude from the pickup ion cutoff

Statistical survey of widely spread out solar electron events observed with STEREO and ACE with special attention to anisotropies

Inhibition of type III radio emissions due to the interaction between two electron beams: Observations and simulations

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