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Publisher Copyright: © 2021 COSPAR Magnetic helicity, an intrinsic property of eruptive helical flux ropes (FRs) forming coronal mass ejections (CMEs), plays an impor-tant role in determining CME geoeffectiveness. In the solar atmosphere and heliosphere, helicity remains conserved in a closed volume. Considering this fact as a basis of our study, we perform a quantitative comparison between total magnetic helicity and twisted flux in interplanetary CMEs and those transported to CMEs via magnetic reconnection at low corona. At the source, twisted/poloidal flux (/pcme) of CMEs is directly estimated from total reconnection flux, and CME helicity (Hcme) is obtained by combining reconnection flux information with CME physical parameters. At 1 AU, the twisted/poloidal flux (/pmc) and helicity (Hmc) of CMEs are obtained from in situ observations. Considering uncertainties steaming from FR length, reconnection flux and CME physical parameter estimations, poloidal flux and helicity of CMEs at 1 AU are found to be highly relevant ( /pmc /pcme = 0.4-1.5, HHcmemc= 0.3-1) to low-corona magnetic recon-nection at the wake of CMEs. This result remains unchanged despite CME association with pre-existing FRs. We show that a significant reduction in CME helicity during its heliospheric propagation may result from a high rate of FR erosion in the interplanetary medium. Our event analysis confirms that CME's intrinsic magnetic properties are transported to CME FRs during magnetic reconnection at sheared coronal arcades. A one-to-one correspondence between the chirality of 1-AU CMEs and their pre-eruptive structures complies with the fact that the sense of field line rotations in FRs may remain unchanged during coronal reconnection at the source. By connecting intrinsic magnetic properties of FRs through Sun-Earth medium, this study provides important implications for the origin of geoeffec-tiveness in CMEs. (c) 2021 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

The 2005 May 13 eruption was an Earth-directed coronal mass ejection (CME) observed using the Multi-Element Radio-Linked Interferometer Network telescope system in the UK as it traversed the Interplanetary Medium on 2005 May 14. Observations of interplanetary scintillation (IPS) provide information on the solar wind conditions, which include velocities and density. In addition, it is also possible to calculate other parameters related to the turbulence and geometry of density irregularities in the solar wind from observations of IPS. Previous analyses have shown that IPS information can be difficult to interpret when a complex structure is crossing the line of sight since the physical properties of the plasma may change quite drastically with distance from the Sun. In order to compare and relate the internal structure of a CME and its physical changes, with the results from observations of IPS obtained previously, we carried out a numerical simulation of the 2005 May 13 eruptive event as it propagates into the IPM, adapting the geometrical properties derived by IPS analysis. In this work, we give a possible explanation of some signatures of CME sub-structure from the point of view of the IPS technique combined with what the modelling reveals.

The paper presents the results of studying two solar proton events—on March 7, 2011, and on February 20, 2014—which are associated with solar flares having almost the same power and located at close heliolongitudes, on the western side of the solar disk. The work was done on the basis of the experimental data obtained from the ACE spacecraft and the GOES artificial Earth satellites, located in the interplanetary space at the L1 point and inside the Earth’s magnetosphere on the geostationary orbit, respectively. A comparative analysis of the features of time profiles of solar energetic proton fluxes and variations of the interplanetary medium parameters is carried out. These parameters included the speed and density of the solar wind and the magnitude and direction of the interplanetary magnetic field. The main distinctions in the time profiles of proton fluxes of two solar events are shown to be related with the features of the interplanetary medium state on March 7, 2011, and on February 20, 2014. The results of a comparative analysis of time variations of solar proton fluxes with E > 10 and E > 30 MeV and of the Bz- and Bx-components of the interplanetary magnetic field on February 20, 2014, testify to the determining role of the interplanetary magnetic field’s structure in the formation of the features of time profiles of particle fluxes in the given event.

Solar radio bursts (SRBs) are the signatures of various phenomena that happen in the solar corona and interplanetary medium (IPM). In this article, we have studied the occurrence of Type III bursts and their association with the Sunspot number. This study confirms that the occurrence of Type III bursts correlates well with the Sunspot number. Further, using the data obtained using the e-CALLISTO network, we have investigated the drift rates of isolated Type III bursts and the duration of the group of Type III bursts. Since Type II, Type III, and Type IV bursts are signatures of solar flares and/or CMEs, we can use the radio observations to predict space weather hazards. In this article, we have discussed two events that have caused near-Earth radio blackouts. Since e-CALLISTO comprises more than 152 stations at different longitudes, we can use it to monitor the radio emissions from the solar corona 24 hours a day. Such observations play a crucial role in monitoring and predicting space weather hazards within a few minutes to hours of time., Comment: Accepted for publication in Advances in Space Research, 15 Pages, 2 Tables, 7 Figures

Permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) at the lunar poles are of unique interest for science and exploration due to their low surface temperatures and potential for volatile sequestration. While not directly illuminated by the Sun, PSRs are exposed to faint sources of radiation such as starlight, Lyman alpha photons from the interplanetary medium, and sunlight scattered from the surrounding topography. These illumination sources are significant as they contribute to the thermal energy budget of PSRs, and also provide a photon source with which to observe areas otherwise obscured by shadow. In this work, we survey the illumination conditions from the aforementioned sources within northern and southern hemisphere PSRs at far ultraviolet (FUV), visible (vis) and infrared (IR) wavelengths. With respect to magnitude, it is shown that scattered sunlight is the brightest radiation source to reach the PSRs in the visible and IR spectral regimes. As well, we show that scattered sunlight contributes a considerable supply of FUV photons, and may exceed the interplanetary medium/starlight brightness in many PSR craters due to the temporal and spatial variance of scattered sunlight. This finding suggests a higher rate of photodesorption and lower adsorption residence times for water molecules than previously suggested, and, furthermore, indicates that this rate fluctuates diurnally, seasonally and geographically owing to the variability of the incoming solar flux. Large differences in the received solar energy are found between craters, with crater latitude and size being among the modulating influences. Within individual craters, strong spatial heterogeneities in scattered solar flux are found, with equator-facing PSR slopes receiving 40%–60% of the total energy of slopes oriented toward the pole. Finally, we show that the radiation available is sufficient to detect water ice using vis/FUV or vis/IR filter pairings, and such observations can be made with signal to noise > 10 with an FUV-sensitive camera; however, with more scattered solar photons available for IR imaging, higher signal to noise ratios can be attained with a vis/IR filter pairing.

The interplanetary magnetic field magnitude Bo, proton density Np and solar wind speed Vsw data from Ulysses spacecraft during its interplanetary cruise interval from Earth to Jupiter, from 18 November 1990 to 31 January 1992, are analyzed in this study. Statistical and wavelet techniques are employed to characterize some properties from the solar wind parameters near the ecliptic plane and their dependence with radial distance. The results from kurtosis analysis showed that the three solar wind parameters (Bo, Np and Vsw) presented a decrease of this statistical quantity with the increase of scales, indicating that these variables are intermittent in short time scales. Further, the kurtosis parameter presented an increase in all scales around 2–3 AU distance range that corresponds to a solar wind regime transition. It was noted that the interplanetary medium was dominated by solar transients (interplanetary coronal mass ejections) until the middle of 1991. Afterwards a more stable pattern of corotating interaction regions arose. Furthermore, the probability distribution functions presented a spreading shape due to the occurrence of intermittence. In order to study the temporal variability of the solar wind parameters, the wavelet approach was used. The following major periodicities were found for the three solar wind variables studied: ~13, ~26, and ~83–88 days. It was noted that the ~13 day periods presented strong spectral power in the 2 to 4 AU range, where the solar wind was dominated by ICME transients. On the other hand, the 26 day period shows higher spectral power for distances higher than 4 AU, where the interplanetary space is more dominated by CIRs. Thus, it was found in this paper a significant dependence of solar wind parameters on radial heliocentric distance which can be accounted by the dynamical evolution of solar wind structures with distance.

The correlation of the variations in geomagnetic cutoff rigidity of cosmic rays ΔR with the interplanetary medium parameters and geomagnetic activity indices Dst and Kp was calculated for different phases of the superstorm on November 7–8, 2004. The strongest correlation was observed between the cutoff rigidity and Dst at all stages of storm development (correlation coefficients k ≈ 0.70–0.98); some stable influence of the solar wind (SW) density N (k ≈ 0.50–0.80) should also be noted. The dependence of the cutoff-rigidity variation on all of the dynamic parameters of the SW is observed in the main storm phase and is especially strong for the density N and pressure P. The correlation between ΔR and V is negative in all phases, while the correlation of ΔR with N and P is positive during the main phase and negative in the recovery phase. The cutoff-rigidity variations showed no sensitivity to the Bz component of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), the azimuthal component By, or the IMF absolute value B before the storm or in its main phase. A significant correlation or anticorrelation of ΔR with B and all the IMF components is observed only in the recovery period. The specific response of the geomagnetic cutoff rigidity to the heliospheric and magnetospheric parameters at different phases of the magnetic storm is apparently determined by the different relative contributions of the magnetospheric global current systems during these periods.

In this study, we examine the relationship of the ASY-H index characterizing the partial ring current intensity with interplanetary medium parameters and auroral activity during the main phase of magnetic storms, induced by the solar wind (SW) of different types. Over the period 1979–2017, 107 magnetic storms driven by CIR and ICME (MC + Ejecta) events have been selected. We consider magnetic storms with Dstmin≤ – 50 nT. The average ASY-H index (ASYaver) during the magnetic storm main phase is shown to increase with increasing SW electric field and southward IMF Bz regardless of SW type. There is no relationship between ASYaver and SW velocity. For the CIR and ICME events, the average AE (AEaver) and Kp (Kp aver) indices have been found to correlate with ASYaver. The highest correlation coefficient between AEaver and ASYaver (r = 0.74) is observed for the magnetic storms generated by CIR events. A closer relationship between Kp aver and ASYaver (r = 0.64) is observed for the magnetic storms induced by ICME events. The ASYaver variations correlate with Dstmin. The relationship between ASYaver and the rate of storm development is weak.

Specific features of the behavior of streams of relativistic magnetospheric electrons at energies higher than 2 MeV on geostationary orbits during different types of interplanetary disturbances are studied. More than 30 years (1986–2019) of observations of these particles onboard the GOES satellites is analyzed. It is shown that plasma coronal ejections and high-speed streams from coronal holes differently influence the behavior of high-energy electrons. High-speed streams from coronal holes are more effective In formation of electron flux rises than solar plasma ejections.

Kollhoff, A., et al., Context. On 2020 November 29, the first widespread solar energetic particle (SEP) event of solar cycle 25 was observed at four widely separated locations in the inner (≲ 1 AU) heliosphere. Relativistic electrons as well as protons with energies > 50 MeV were observed by Solar Orbiter (SolO), Parker Solar Probe, the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO)-A and multiple near-Earth spacecraft. The SEP event was associated with an M4.4 class X-ray flare and accompanied by a coronal mass ejection and an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) wave as well as a type II radio burst and multiple type III radio bursts. Aims. We present multi-spacecraft particle observations and place them in context with source observations from remote sensing instruments and discuss how such observations may further our understanding of particle acceleration and transport in this widespread event. Methods. Velocity dispersion analysis (VDA) and time shift analysis (TSA) were used to infer the particle release times at the Sun. Solar wind plasma and magnetic field measurements were examined to identify structures that influence the properties of the energetic particles such as their intensity. Pitch angle distributions and first-order anisotropies were analyzed in order to characterize the particle propagation in the interplanetary medium. Results. We find that during the 2020 November 29 SEP event, particles spread over more than 230° in longitude close to 1 AU. The particle onset delays observed at the different spacecraft are larger as the flare-footpoint angle increases and are consistent with those from previous STEREO observations. Comparing the timing when the EUV wave intersects the estimated magnetic footpoints of each spacecraft with particle release times from TSA and VDA, we conclude that a simple scenario where the particle release is only determined by the EUV wave propagation is unlikely for this event. Observations of anisotropic particle distributions at SolO, Wind, and STEREO-A do not rule out that particles are injected over a wide longitudinal range close to the Sun. However, the low values of the first-order anisotropy observed by near-Earth spacecraft suggest that diffusive propagation processes are likely involved., The CAU Kiel team acknowledges support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, the German Space Agency (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V., DLR) under grants 50OT0901, 50OT1202, 50OT1702, and 50OT2002. A.K. acknowledges financial support from the ANR COROSHOCK project (ANR-17-CE31-0006-01). D.L. acknowledges support from NASA-HGI grant NNX16AF73G and the NASA Program NNH17ZDA001N-LWS. This study has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101004159 (SERPENTINE). The U. Turku team acknowledges funding by the Academy of Finland (Grant No. 336809). The UAH team acknowledges financial support by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades FEDER/MCIU/AEI Projects ESP2017-88436-R and PID2019-104863RB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. [...] The Swedish National Space Agency, ESA-PRODEX and all the participating institutes. I.G.R. acknowledges support from NASA programs NNH19ZDA001N-HSR and NNH19ZDA001N-LWS, and the STEREO mission. IRFU team acknowledges support from the Swedish National Space Agency grant 20/136. A.A. acknowledges the support of the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN) under grant PID2019- 105510GB-C31 and through the ‘Center of Excellence María de Maeztu 2020-2023’ award to the ICCUB (CEX2019-000918- M). F.C. acknowledges the financial support by the Spanish MINECO-FPI-2016 predoctoral grant with FSE. E.A. would like to acknowledge the financial support by the Academy of Finland (Postdoctoral Grant No 322455). V.K. acknowledges the support by NASA under grants 18-2HSWO218_2-0010 and 19-HSR-19_2-0143. Solar Orbiter magnetometer operations are funded by the UK Space Agency (grant ST/T001062/1). T.S.H. is supported by STFC grant ST/S000364/1. T.L. and S.D. acknowledge support from the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC; grant ST/R000425/1).

Since its launch, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer - 02 (AMS-02) has delivered outstanding quality measurements of the spectra of cosmic-ray (CR) species, $\bar{p}$, $e^{\pm}$, and nuclei, $_1$H-$_8$O, $_{10}$Ne, $_{12}$Mg, $_{14}$Si, which resulted in a number of breakthroughs. One of the latest long awaited surprises is the spectrum of $_{26}$Fe just published by AMS-02. Because of the large fragmentation cross section and large ionization energy losses, most of CR iron at low energies is local, and may harbor some features associated with relatively recent supernova (SN) activity in the solar neighborhood. Our analysis of new iron spectrum together with Voyager 1 and ACE-CRIS data reveals an unexpected bump in the iron spectrum and in the Fe/He, Fe/O, and Fe/Si ratios at 1-2 GV, while a similar feature in the spectra of He, O, Si, and in their ratios is absent, hinting at a local source of low-energy CRs. The found excess fits well with recent discoveries of radioactive $^{60}$Fe deposits in terrestrial and lunar samples, and in CRs. We provide an updated local interstellar spectrum (LIS) of iron in the energy range from 1 MeV nucleon$^{-1}$ to $\sim$10 TeV nucleon$^{-1}$. Our calculations employ the GalProp-HelMod framework that is proved to be a reliable tool in deriving the LIS of CR $\bar{p}$, $e^{-}$, and nuclei $Z\le28$., 12 pages, 9 figures, 5 tables; Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2006.01337

We present the characteristics of DH type II bursts for the Solar Cycles 23 and 24. The bursts are classified according to their end frequencies into three categories, i.e. Low Frequency Group (LFG; 20 kHz $\leq$ $f$ $\leq$ 200 kHz), Medium Frequency Group (MFG; 200 kHz $, Comment: 33 pages, 20 Figures. Accepted in Solar Physics

Context. In the vicinity of the Sun or other stars, the motion of the coronal and stellar wind plasma must include some amount of corotation, which could affect the dynamics of charged dust particles. In the case of the Sun, this region is now investigated in situ by the Parker Solar Probe. Charged dust particles coming from the vicinity of the Sun can also reach, and possibly be detected by, the Solar Orbiter. Aims. We use numerical simulations and theoretical models to study the effect of plasma corotation on the motion of charged nanodust particles released from the parent bodies moving in Keplerian orbits, with particular attention to the case of trapped particles. Methods. We used two methods: the motion of nanodust is described either by numerical solutions of full equations of motion, or by a two-dimensional (distance vs. radial velocity) model based on the guiding centre approximation. The models of the plasma and magnetic field in the vicinity of the star are based on analytical solutions that satisfy the freezing-in equations. Results. Including plasma corotation does not prevent trapping of nanodust in the vicinity of the Sun or other stars. This result can be understood with the help of the model based on the guiding centre approximation. For the amount of corotation expected near the Sun, the outer limit of the trapped region is almost unaffected. If the corotation persists outside the trapping region, the speed of particles ejected from the Sun is moderately increased. A strong effect of plasma corotation on charged particle dynamics occurs for the star with a high rotation rate and/or a low value of the stellar wind speed.

Context. The FIELDS instrument onboard Parker Solar Probe (PSP) observes dust impacts on the spacecraft. The derived dust flux rates suggest that the particles originate from the vicinities of the Sun and are ejected by radiation pressure. Radiation pressure typically ejects particles of several 100 nm and smaller, which are also affected by the electromagnetic force. Aims. We aim to understand the influence of the electromagnetic force on the dust trajectories and to predict the dust fluxes along the orbit of PSP, within 1 AU and near Earth. Methods. We study the trajectories of dust particles influenced by gravity, radiation pressure, and the electromagnetic force assuming that pitch-angle scattering can be neglected (scatter-free approximation). We estimate the dust fluxes along the second orbit of PSP and in the vicinity of the Earth based on average dust velocities derived from the trajectory calculations and dust production rates derived from a fragmentation model. Results. The calculated cumulative flux of dust particles larger than 100 nm is of the same order (within a factor of ~2) as implied by PSP observations. In this size interval, the dynamics of most particles is dominated by the radiation pressure force. The Lorentz force becomes more important for smaller particles and fluxes can vary with magnetic field conditions. The calculated flux of the 30 to 75 nm particles at the PSP is negligible for most of the second orbit, except for an isolated peak at the perihelion. The 30–75 nm particles that were created inwards from 0.16 AU from the Sun are in trapped orbits if the radiation pressure force is weaker than gravity, which is the case for dust from asteroids and for cometary dust that was altered in space. Conclusions. The inner Solar System is the most likely source of dust smaller than 100 nm that enters Earth’s atmosphere and our results suggest the flux is time-variable.

The shape and dynamics of an unusual disturbance in the Pc1 geomagnetic pulsation range recorded by ground-based induction magnetometers during the morning hours (03–06 MLT) on September 11, 2017, in the late recovery phase of a strong magnetic storm were analyzed in the context of changes in the parameters of the interplanetary medium. Pulsations were observed in the auroral and subauroral zones, as well as at midlatitudes, and had a complex structure in the form of multiplet “pearls” (1–1.5 Hz range) and two series of narrow-band bursts (2–3 Hz range) with a repetition period of ~5 and ~20 min. Pulsations in the form of a series of bursts are a rare event and are recorded mainly during the daytime hours. Comparison of the dynamics of Pc1 pulsations with the parameters of the interplanetary medium was carried out with data from the DSCOVR and THEMIS satellites. A change in the carrier frequency and intensity of multiplet pearls was a response to a jump in the plasma density of the solar wind. A series of bursts with a period of ~5 min could be initiated by a simultaneous increase in the solar-wind velocity and the By-component of the interplanetary magnetic field, which was observed ~40 min after the density jump. We associate bursts with a period of ~20 min either with the response of the magnetosphere to the short-term excursion of the daytime magnetopause to the Earth or with oscillations of a close period in the transition region ahead of the front of the density perturbation. The frequency, period, and amplitude of the pulsations are estimated.

It is now well established that Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) may produce shocks in near Sun and interplanetary medium. A Type-II radio burst is characterized by shock and associated emission with very slow frequency drift rate (∼0.1 MHz/sec). A CME driven shock and their velocity, acceleration/deceleration signature can be observed by a Type-II solar radio burst which drifts with the shock speed and is split in bands of plasma radio emission. These emissions can be seen in radio spectrographs as split bands both in fundamental and harmonic frequencies close to a ratio of 1:2. In this paper, we present an analysis of a CME associated with a band splitting Type-II radio burst observed using multi-instruments in multi-wavelengths. We observed the CME event that occurred in 02 May 2013 (05:24 UT) and is associated with an M1.1 class solar flare from the active region NOAA 11731 located at N10W23 on the solar disk. We use the widely accepted Newkirk coronal density model to estimate the height in the solar atmosphere to compare our results. We conclude that the speed of CME is high enough to produce a Type-II solar radio burst. The analysis of this paper also involved an estimation of the coronal ambient magnetic field and its comparison with the empirical active region magnetic field model (Dulk and McLean in Sol. Phys. 57:279, 1978). This shows the good results. Observations provide sufficient evidence that the unusual patch signature in Type-II solar radio burst is due to the CME–CME interaction.

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) largely influence the space weather and cause geomagnetic perturbations. Hence, the statistical studies pertaining to the occurrence of CMEs over the solar cycles and their consequence at the near-Earth region are extremely important. For an in-depth understanding, such studies need to be carried out considering various observational aspects of CMEs. With this motivation, here we present a statistical study of radio-loud (RL) and radio-quiet (RQ) CMEs during solar cycles 23 and 24. We also assess their geo-effectiveness and analyze their influence on cosmic ray intensity (CRI). The RL and RQ CMEs constitute 40% and 60% cases, respectively, of the total population of CMEs that arrive the near-Earth region at 1 AU. The mean speed of RL CMEs (≈1170 km s−1) was found to be significantly higher (almost twice) than the mean speed of RQ CMEs (≈519 km s−1) in the low corona while their speed became comparable (≈536 km s−1 for RL and ≈452 km s−1 for RQ CMEs) at near-Earth region. The yearly-averaged speeds of Earth-reaching CMEs follow solar cycle variations. The CRI and geomagnetic Dst index are found to have good negative correlation with speed of Earth-reaching CMEs. RL CMEs were found to be more effective in producing CRI depressions and geomagnetic storms (GSs) in comparison to RQ CMEs; in about 70% cases RL CMEs produced CRI depression and GSs earlier than the RQ CMEs. Superposed epoch analysis suggests strongest depression in CRI occurs 2-5 days and 4-9 days after the onset of RL and RQ CMEs, respectively. Further, GS events show a time-lag of 1-5 days and 3-8 days, respectively, with respect to RL and RQ CMEs.

It is shown that the Langmuir waves are excited similar to critical fluctuations during phase transitions when the negative absorption due to electron beam traveling radially outward in the solar atmosphere is balanced by the positive absorption due to collisions in the corona and due to scattering on electron density inhomogeneities in the interplanetary medium. The effective temperature of the Langmuir fluctuations range from 10(11) to 10(13) K, explaining the majority of the type III bursts. The Rayleigh scattering and direct coupling due to density gradient as well as due to density inhomogeneities are discussed in the context of fundamental radiation and the combination scattering for second harmonic. The number density of electrons in type III beams is estimated and compared with observations. It is also shown that the stabilization of type III beams is achieved automatically since the instability does not develop in the case of critical fluctuations.

Fluences of solar energetic particles (SEPs) are not easy to evaluate, especially for high-energy events (i.e. ground-level enhancements, GLEs). Earlier estimates of event-integrated SEP fluences for GLEs were based on partly outdated assumptions and data, and they required revisions. Here, we present the results of a full revision of the spectral fluences for most major SEP events (GLEs) for the period from 1956 -- 2017 using updated low-energy flux estimates along with greatly revisited high-energy flux data and applying the newly invented reconstruction method including an improved neutron-monitor yield function. Low- and high-energy parts of the SEP fluence were estimated using a revised space-borne/ionospheric data and ground-based neutron monitors, respectively. The measured data were fitted by the modified Band function spectral shape. The best-fit parameters and their uncertainties were assessed using a direct Monte Carlo method. As a result, a full reconstruction of the event-integrated spectral fluences was performed in the energy range above 30 MeV, parametrised, and tabulated for easy use along with estimates of the 68% confidence intervals. This forms a solid basis for more precise studies of the physics of solar eruptive events and the transport of energetic particles in the interplanetary medium, as well as the related applications., 19 pages, 3 figures, to be published in Astronomy and Astrophysics

The Earth's magnetosphere represents a natural plasma laboratory that allows us to study the behavior of particle distribution functions in the absence of Coulomb collisions, typically described by the Kappa distributions. We have investigated the properties of these functions for ions and electrons in different magnetospheric regions, thereby making it possible to reveal the $\kappa$-parameters for a wide range of plasma beta ($\beta$) values (from $10^{-3}$ to $10^{2}$). This was done using simultaneous ion and electron measurements from the five Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) spacecraft spanning the years 2008 to 2018. It was found that for a fixed plasma $\beta$, the $\kappa$-index and core energy ($E_c$) of the distribution can be modeled by the power-law $\kappa=AE_c^\gamma$ for both species, and the relation between $\beta$, $\kappa$, and $E_c$ is much more complex than earlier reported: both $A$ and $\gamma$ exhibit systematic dependencies with $\beta$. Our results indicate that $\beta \sim 0.1-0.3$ is a range where the plasma is more dynamic since it is influenced by both the magnetic field and temperature fluctuations, which suggests that the transition between magnetically dominated plasmas to kinetically dominated plasmas occurs at these values of $\beta$. For $\beta > 1 $, both $A$ and $\gamma$ take nearly constant values, a feature that is especially notable for the electrons and might be related to their demagnetization. The relation between $\beta$, $\kappa$, and $E_c$ that we present is an important result that can be used by theoretical models in the future., Comment: 20 pages, 13 figures, to be published in Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series

Gas has been detected in many exoplanetary systems ($>$10 Myr), thought to be released in the destruction of volatile-rich planetesimals orbiting in exo-Kuiper belts. In this letter, we aim to explore whether gas is also expected in the Kuiper belt (KB) in our Solar System. To quantify the gas release in our Solar System, we use models for gas release that have been applied to extrasolar planetary systems, as well as a physical model that accounts for gas released due to the progressive internal warming of large planetesimals. We find that only bodies larger than about 4 km can still contain CO ice after 4.6 Gyr of evolution. This finding may provide a clue as to why Jupiter-family comets, thought to originate in the Kuiper belt, are deficient in CO compared to Oort-clouds comets. We predict that gas is still produced in the KB right now at a rate of $2 \times 10^{-8}$ M$_\oplus$/Myr for CO and orders of magnitude more when the Sun was younger. Once released, the gas is quickly pushed out by the Solar wind. Therefore, we predict a gas wind in our Solar System starting at the KB location and extending far beyond with regards to the heliosphere with a current total CO mass of $\sim 2 \times 10^{-12}$ M$_\oplus$. We also predict the existence of a slightly more massive atomic gas wind made of carbon and oxygen (neutral and ionized) with a mass of $\sim 10^{-11}$ M$_\oplus$. We predict that gas is currently present in our Solar System beyond the Kuiper belt and that although it cannot be detected with current instrumentation, it could be observed in the future with an in situ mission using an instrument similar to Alice on New Horizons with larger detectors. Our model of gas release due to slow heating may also work for exoplanetary systems and provide the first real physical mechanism for the gas observations., accepted for publication as a Letter to the editor in A&A; abstract shortened; 15 pages, 5 figures, 4 tables

The determination of the chemical composition of interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) plasma is an open issue. More specifically, it is not yet fully understood how remote sensing observations of the solar corona plasma during solar disturbances evolve into plasma properties measured in situ away from the Sun. The ambient conditions of the background interplanetary plasma are important for space weather because they influence the evolutions, arrival times, and geo-effectiveness of the disturbances. The Reverse In situ and MHD APproach (RIMAP) is a technique to reconstruct the heliosphere on the ecliptic plane (including the magnetic Parker spiral) directly from in situ measurements acquired at 1 AU. It combines analytical and numerical approaches, preserving the small-scale longitudinal variability of the wind flow lines. In this work, we use RIMAP to test the interaction of an ICME with the interplanetary medium. We model the propagation of a homogeneous non-magnetised (i.e. with no internal flux rope) cloud starting at 800 km s-1 at 0.1 AU out to 1.1 AU. Our 3D magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulation made with the PLUTO MHD code shows the formation of a compression front ahead of the ICME, continuously driven by the cloud expansion. Using a passive tracer, we find that the initial ICME material does not fragment behind the front during its propagation, and we quantify the mixing of the propagating plasma cloud with the ambient solar wind plasma, which can be detected at 1 AU., Movie available at https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/olm/2021/10/aa41892-21/aa41892-21.html

Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs) are an intrinsic part of the heliospheric radiation environment, and an inevitable challenge to long-term space exploration. Here we show solar cycle induced GCR modulation at Mars in the period 2005-2020, along with GCR radial gradients, by utilising Mars Express and Rosetta engineering parameters compared to sunspot number time series. The engineering parameter used is called EDAC (Error Detection And Correction), a cumulative counter which is triggered by charged energetic particle causing memory errors in on-board computers. EDAC data provides a new way of gaining insight into the field of particle transport in the heliosphere, allowing us to circumvent the need for dedicated instrumentation as EDAC software is present on all spacecraft.This data set can be used to capture variations of GCRs in both space and time, yielding the same qualitative information as ground-based neutron monitors. Our analysis of the Mars Express EDAC parameter reveals a strong solar cycle GCR modulation, yielding an anticorrelation coefficient of -0.5 at a time lag of ~5.5 months. By combining Mars Express with Rosetta data, we calculate a 5.3% increase in EDAC count rates per astronomical unit, attributed to a radial gradient in GCR fluxes in accordance with established literature.The potential of engineering data for scientific purposes remains mostly unexplored. The results obtained from this work demonstrates, for the first time for heliophysics purposes, the usefulness of the EDAC engineering parameter, data mining and the utility of keeping missions operational for many years, providing complimentary data to nominal science instruments.

Solar radio bursts are often early indicators of space weather events such as coronal mass ejections (CMEs). In this study, we determined the properties of a sample of 40 high-starting-frequency (≥ 150 MHz) type II radio bursts and the characteristics of the associated CMEs such as width, location and speed during 2010–2016. The high starting frequency implies shock formation closer to the solar surface, which has important ramifications for the analysis of particle acceleration near the Sun. We found the CME heliocentric distances at the onset time of metric type II bursts range from 1.16 to 1.90 solar radii (Rs). The study was also extended to 128 metric type II bursts to include lower-starting-frequency events for further analysis. The projected CME heights range from 1.15 to 2.85 Rs. The lower starting frequency correspond to shocks forming at larger heights. A weak correlation was found between the type-II starting frequency and CME heights, which is consistent with the density decline in the inner corona. The analysis confirmed a good correlation between the drift rate and the starting frequency of type II bursts (correlation coefficient ∼ 0.8). Taking into account the radial variation of CMEs speeds from the inner corona to the interplanetary medium, we observed the deviations from the universal drift-rate spectrum of type II bursts and confirmed the previous results relating type II bursts to CMEs.

Interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) are magnetic structures propagating from the Sun's corona to the interplanetary medium. With over 20 years of observations at the L1 libration point, ACE offers hundreds of ICMEs detected at different times during several solar cycles and with different features such as the propagation speed. We investigate a revisited catalog of more than 400 ICMEs using the superposed epoch method on the mean, median, and the most probable values of the distribution of magnetic and plasma parameters. We also investigate the effects of the speed of ICMEs relative to the solar wind, the solar cycle, and the existence of a magnetic cloud on the generic ICME profile. We find that fast-propagating ICMEs (relatively to the solar wind in front) still show signs of compression at 1 au, as seen by the compressed sheath and the asymmetric profile of the magnetic field. While the solar cycle evolution does not impact the generic features of ICMEs, there are more extreme events during the active part of the cycle, widening the distributions of all parameters. Finally, we find that ICMEs with or without a detected magnetic cloud show similar profiles, which confirms the hypothesis that ICMEs with no detected magnetic clouds are crossed further away from the flux rope core. Such a study provides a generic understanding of processes that shape the overall features of ICMEs in the solar wind and can be extended with future missions at different locations in the solar system., 30 pages, 7 figures. The two first links in the acknowledgments might not work because of the _ which can be taken as a blank. Here you have the two links: MAG data http://www.srl.caltech.edu/ACE/ASC/level2/lvl2DATA_MAG.html and SWEPAM data http://www.srl.caltech.edu/ACE/ASC/level2/lvl2DATA_SWEPAM.html

The solar photon pressure provides a viable source of thrust for spacecraft in the solar system. Theoretically it could also enable interstellar missions, but an extremely small mass per cross section area is required to overcome the solar gravity. We identify aerographite, a synthetic carbon-based foam with a density of 0.18 kg m-3 (15 000 times more lightweight than aluminum) as a versatile material for highly efficient propulsion with sunlight. A hollow aerographite sphere with a shell thickness shl = 1 mm could go interstellar upon submission to solar radiation in interplanetary space. Upon launch at 1 AU from the Sun, an aerographite shell with shl = 0.5 mm arrives at the orbit of Mars in 60 d and at Pluto's orbit in 4.3 yr. Release of an aerographite hollow sphere, whose shell is 1 μm thick, at 0.04 AU (the closest approach of the Parker Solar Probe) results in an escape speed of nearly 6900 km s-1 and 185 yr of travel to the distance of our nearest star, Proxima Centauri. The infrared signature of a meter-sized aerographite sail could be observed with JWST up to 2 AU from the Sun, beyond the orbit of Mars. An aerographite hollow sphere, whose shell is 100 μm thick, of 1 m (5 m) radius weighs 230 mg (5.7 g) and has a 2.2 g (55 g) mass margin to allow interstellar escape. The payload margin is ten times the mass of the spacecraft, whereas the payload on chemical interstellar rockets is typically a thousandth of the weight of the rocket. Using 1 g (10 g) of this margin (e.g., for miniature communication technology with Earth), it would reach the orbit of Pluto 4.7 yr (2.8 yr) after interplanetary launch at 1 AU. Simplistic communication would enable studies of the interplanetary medium and a search for the suspected Planet Nine, and would serve as a precursor mission to α Centauri. We estimate prototype developments costs of 1 million USD, a price of 1000 USD per sail, and a total of < 10 million USD including launch for a piggyback concept with an interplanetary mission., This work made use of NASA’s ADS Bibliographic Services. RH is supported by the German space agency (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt) under PLATO Data Center grant 50OO1501. GAE is supported by a MINECO/Spain fellowship grant (RYC-2017-22489) and his contribution to this research was enabled thanks to a Gauss Professorship granted by the Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen.

International audience; The close approach of comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) to Mars in 2014 October provided a unique opportunity to observe a dynamically new Oort cloud comet with potential for interaction with a planet's atmosphere. The water-originating hydrogen coma of the comet extended to over 20 million km from the nucleus. Determining the properties of this coma contributes to characterizing the comet's water content and production rate. The present study analyzes a unique data set of high spectral resolution UV observations of comet C/2013 A1 Siding Spring measured by the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft. The Siding Spring observations capture Lyα emissions from the Martian corona, the interplanetary medium, as well as the cometary H and D reservoirs. The isolated cometary spectra are analyzed to reveal a velocity distribution of H atoms that are consistent with model estimates of H2O photodissociated H emissions and of OH photodissociated H emissions, Doppler shifted from the main comet H emission line center by 18 km s−1 and 8 km s−1, respectively. The variations in comet H brightness with distance from the nucleus are used to constrain cometary water production to a rate of 0.5 × 1028 molecules s−1 at a time when Siding Spring was at 1.5 au, pre-perihelion.

Solar type II radio bursts are the signature of particle acceleration by shock waves in the solar corona and interplanetary medium. The shocks originate in solar eruptions involving coronal mass ejections (CMEs) moving at super-Alfvenic speeds. Type II bursts occur at frequencies ranging from hundreds of MHz to tens of kHz, which correspond to plasma frequencies prevailing in the inner heliosphere from the base of the solar corona to the vicinity of Earth. Type II radio bursts occurring at frequencies below the ionospheric cutoff are of particular importance, because they are due to very energetic CMEs that can disturb a large volume of the heliosphere. The underlying shocks accelerate not only electrons that produce the type II bursts, but also protons and heavy ions that have serious implications for space weather. The type II radio burst catalog (this https URL) presented here provides detailed information on the bursts observed by the Radio and Plasma Wave Experiment (WAVES) on board the Wind Spacecraft. The catalog is enhanced by compiling the associated flares, CMEs, solar energetic particle (SEP) events including their basic properties. We also present the statistical properties of the radio bursts and the associated phenomena, including solar-cycle variation of the occurrence rate of the type II bursts.

Context. Findings by the Helios and STEREO mission have indicated the presence of a resonant circumsolar ring of dust associated with Venus. Attempts to model this phenomenon as an analogue to the resonant ring of Earth – as a result of migrating dust trapped in external mean-motion resonances (MMRs) – have so far been unable to reproduce the observed dust feature. Other theories of origin have recently been put forward. However, the reason for the low trapping efficiency of Venus’s external MMRs remains unclear. Aims. Here we look into the nature of the dust trapping resonant phenomena that arise from the multi-planet configuration of the inner Solar System, aiming to add to the existent understanding of resonant dust rings in single planet systems. Methods. We numerically modelled resonant dust features associated with the inner planets and specifically looked into the dependency of these structures and the trapping efficiency of particular resonances on the configuration of planets. Results. Besides Mercury showing no resonant interaction with the migrating dust cloud, we find Venus, Earth, and Mars to considerably interfere with each other’s resonances, influencing their ability to form circumsolar rings. We find that the single most important reason for the weakness of Venus’s external MMR ring is the perturbing influence of its outer neighbour – Earth. In addition, we find Mercury and Mars to produce crescent-shaped density features, caused by a directed apsidal precession occurring in particles traversing their orbital region.

Composition and spectra of Galactic cosmic rays (CRs) are vital for studies of high-energy processes in a variety of environments and on different scales, for interpretation of gamma-ray and microwave observations, disentangling possible signatures of new phenomena, and for understanding of our local Galactic neighborhood. Since its launch, AMS-02 has delivered outstanding quality measurements of the spectra of antiprotons, electrons, positrons, and nuclei: H-O, Ne, Mg, Si. These measurements resulted in a number of breakthroughs, however, spectra of heavier nuclei and especially low-abundance nuclei are not expected until later in the mission. Meanwhile, a comparison of published AMS-02 results with earlier data from HEAO-3-C2 indicate that HEAO-3-C2 data may be affected by undocumented systematic errors. Utilizing such data to compensate for the lack of AMS-02 measurements could result in significant errors. In this paper we show that a fraction of HEAO-3-C2 data match available AMS-02 measurements quite well and can be used together with Voyager 1 and ACE-CRIS data to make predictions for the local interstellar spectra (LIS) of nuclei that are not yet released by AMS-02. We are also updating our already published LIS to provide a complete set from H-Ni in the energy range from 1 MeV/nucleon to ~100-500 TeV/nucleon thus covering 8-9 orders of magnitude in energy. Our calculations employ the GalProp-HelMod framework that is proved to be a reliable tool in deriving the LIS of CR antiprotons, electrons, and nuclei H-O., Comment: 90 pages, 36 figures, 60 tables, ApJS; Fixed typos in Eqs.(C2) and (C32)

Galactic cosmic-ray (GCR) flux short-term variations ($$ 400 km s$^{-1}$ and/or the IP magnetic field intensity $>$ 10 nT. It is shown that the amplitude and evolution of individual modulations depend in a unique way on both IP plasma parameters and particle flux intensity before HSS and ICMEs transit. By comparing the LPF data with those gathered contemporaneously with the magnetic spectrometer experiment AMS-02 on board the International Space Station and with those of Earth polar neutron monitors, the GCR flux modulation was studied at different energies during recurrent short-term variations. It is also aimed to set the near real-time particle observation requirements to disentangle the role of long and short-term variations of the GCR flux to evaluate the performance of high-sensitivity instruments in space such as the future interferometers for gravitational wave detection. Finally, the association between recurrent GCR flux variation observations in L1 and weak to moderate geomagnetic activity in 2016-2017 is discussed. Short-term recurrent GCR flux variations are good proxies of recurrent geomagnetic activity when the B$_z$ component of the IP magnetic field is directed northern.

Radar and optical simultaneous observations of meteors are important to understand the size distribution of the interplanetary dust. However, faint meteors detected by high power large aperture radar observations, which are typically as faint as 10 mag. in optical, have not been detected until recently in optical observations, mainly due to insufficient sensitivity of the optical observations. In this paper, two radar and optical simultaneous observations were organized. The first observation was carried out in 2009 to 2010 using Middle and Upper Atmosphere Radar (MU radar) and an image-intensified CCD camera. The second observation was carried out in 2018 using the MU radar and a mosaic CMOS camera, Tomo-e Gozen, mounted on the 1.05-m Kiso Schmidt Telescope. In total, 331 simultaneous meteors were detected. The relationship between radar cross sections and optical V-band magnitudes was well approximated by a linear function. A transformation function from the radar cross section to the V-band magnitude was derived for sporadic meteors. The transformation function was applied to about 150,000 meteors detected by the MU radar in 2009--2015, large part of which are sporadic, and a luminosity function was derived in the magnitude range of $-1.5$ to $9.5$ mag. The luminosity function was well approximated by a single power-law function with the population index of $r = 3.52{\pm}0.12$. The present observation indicates that the MU radar has capability to detect interplanetary dust of $10^{-5}$ to $10^{0}$ g in mass as meteors., Comment: Accepted for publication in Planetary & Space Science. 20 pages, 8 figures

Pulsar dispersion measure (DM) accounts for the total electron content between a pulsar and us. High-precision observations for projects of pulsar timing arrays show temporal DM variations of millisecond pulsars. The aim of this paper is to decompose the DM variations of 30 millisecond pulsars by using Hilbert-Huang Transform (HHT) method, so that we can determine the general DM trends from interstellar clouds and the annual DM variation curves from solar wind, interplanetary medium and/or ionosphere. We find that the decomposed annual variation curves of 22 pulsars exhibit quasi-sinusoidal, one component and double components features of different origins. The amplitudes and phases of the curve peaks are related to ecliptic latitude and longitude of pulsars, respectively.

International audience; We propose a simple model that computes the spectral profile of the solar irradiance in the hydrogen Lyman alpha line, H Ly-α(121.567nm), from 1947 to present. Such a model is relevant for the study of many astronomical environments, from planetary atmospheres to interplanetary medium. This empirical model is based on the SOHO/SUMER observations of the Ly-α irradiance over Solar Cycle 23 and the Ly-α disk-integrated irradiance composite. The model reproduces the temporal variability of the spectral profile and matches the independent SORCE/SOLSTICE spectral observations from 2003 to 2007 with an accuracy better than 10%.

Quasiperiodic variations of various manifestations of solar activity, parameters of the interplanetary medium, and the flux of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) are studied using the data of stratospheric sounding and measurements with neutron monitors. Groups of spectral components with periods of ~2, 1.3, and ~1 year are identified in the range of periods shorter than 5 years. Particular attention is paid to quasi-2-year GCR variations that are induced by similar variations of the mean magnetic field of the Sun and are integral to the processes of solar activity.

The quasi-biennial variations in the flux of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) have been studied based on the data of stratospheric sensing and measurements by neutron monitors, as well as in various manifestations of solar activity and interplanetary medium parameters. It has been shown that quasi-biennial GCR variations are caused by variations with the same period in the mean magnetic field of the Sun that coincide with them over time and have been identified in the anti-phase, which respond to the sign of this field. The variations in the quasi-biennial cosmic ray are caused by quasi-biennial variations in the mean magnetic field of the Sun via the quasi-biennial variations in the interplanetary magnetic field.