Search results for "physics.space-ph"
showing 10 items of 22 documents
On the timing between terrestrial gamma ray flashes, radio atmospherics, and optical lightning emission
2017
On 25 October 2012 the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscope Imager (RHESSI) and the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellites passed over a thunderstorm on the coast of Sri Lanka. RHESSI observed a terrestrial gamma ray flash (TGF) originating from this thunderstorm. Optical measurements of the causative lightning stroke were made by the lightning imaging sensor (LIS) on board TRMM. The World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) detected the very low frequency (VLF) radio emissions from the lightning stroke. The geolocation from WWLLN, which we also assume is the TGF source location, was in the convective core of the cloud. By using new information about both RHESSI a…
Origin and Ion Charge State Evolution of Solar Wind Transients during 4 – 7 August 2011
2016
We present study of the complex event consisting of several solar wind transients detected by Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) on 4 -- 7 August 2011, that caused a geomagnetic storm with Dst$=-$110 nT. The supposed coronal sources -- three flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) occurred on 2 -- 4 August 2011 in the active region (AR) 11261. To investigate the solar origin and formation of these transients we studied kinematic and thermodynamic properties of the expanding coronal structures using the Solar Dynamics Observatory/Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (SDO/AIA) EUV images and the differential emission measure (DEM) diagnostics. The Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) magnetic fie…
Understanding the Origins of Problem Geomagnetic Storms Associated with "Stealth" Coronal Mass Ejections.
2021
Geomagnetic storms are an important aspect of space weather and can result in significant impacts on space- and ground-based assets. The majority of strong storms are associated with the passage of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) in the near-Earth environment. In many cases, these ICMEs can be traced back unambiguously to a specific coronal mass ejection (CME) and solar activity on the frontside of the Sun. Hence, predicting the arrival of ICMEs at Earth from routine observations of CMEs and solar activity currently makes a major contribution to the forecasting of geomagnetic storms. However, it is clear that some ICMEs, which may also cause enhanced geomagnetic activity, cann…
Report of the COSPAR Mars special regions colloquium
2010
International audience; In this paper we present the findings of a COSPAR Mars Special Regions Colloquium held in Rome in 2007. We review and discuss the definition of Mars Special Regions, the physical parameters used to define Mars Special Regions, and physical features on Mars that can be interpreted as Mars Special Regions. We conclude that any region experiencing temperatures > -25 degrees C for a few hours a year and a water activity > 0.5 can potentially allow the replication of terrestrial microorganisms. Physical features on Mars that can be interpreted as meeting these conditions constitute a Mars Special Region. Based on current knowledge of the martian environment and the conser…
Radio emissions from double RHESSI TGFs
2016
Abstract A detailed analysis of Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) terrestrial gamma ray flashes (TGFs) is performed in association with World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) sources and very low frequency (VLF) sferics recorded at Duke University. RHESSI clock offset is evaluated and found to experience changes on the 5 August 2005 and 21 October 2013, based on the analysis of TGF‐WWLLN matches. The clock offsets were found for all three periods of observations with standard deviations less than 100 μs. This result opens the possibility for the precise comparative analyses of RHESSI TGFs with the other types of data (WWLLN, radio measurements, etc.) In ca…
Aalto-1, multi-payload CubeSat: Design, integration and launch
2021
The design, integration, testing, and launch of the first Finnish satellite Aalto-1 is briefly presented in this paper. Aalto-1, a three-unit CubeSat, launched into Sun-synchronous polar orbit at an altitude of approximately 500 km, is operational since June 2017. It carries three experimental payloads: Aalto Spectral Imager (AaSI), Radiation Monitor (RADMON), and Electrostatic Plasma Brake (EPB). AaSI is a hyperspectral imager in visible and near-infrared (NIR) wavelength bands, RADMON is an energetic particle detector and EPB is a de-orbiting technology demonstration payload. The platform was designed to accommodate multiple payloads while ensuring sufficient data, power, radio, mechanica…
Measurement of the cosmic ray energy spectrum using hybrid events of the Pierre Auger Observatory
2012
The energy spectrum of ultra-high energy cosmic rays above 10$^{18}$ eV is measured using the hybrid events collected by the Pierre Auger Observatory between November 2005 and September 2010. The large exposure of the Observatory allows the measurement of the main features of the energy spectrum with high statistics. Full Monte Carlo simulations of the extensive air showers (based on the CORSIKA code) and of the hybrid detector response are adopted here as an independent cross check of the standard analysis (Phys. Lett. B 685, 239 (2010)). The dependence on mass composition and other systematic uncertainties are discussed in detail and, in the full Monte Carlo approach, a region of confiden…
A new population of terrestrial gamma‐ray flashes in the RHESSI data
2015
Terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs) are the most energetic photon phenomenon occurring naturally on Earth. An outstanding question is as follows: Are these flashes just a rare exotic phenomenon or are they an intrinsic part of lightning discharges and therefore occurring more frequently than previously thought? All measurements of TGFs so far have been limited by the dynamic range and sensitivity of spaceborne instruments. In this paper we show that there is a new population of weak TGFs that has not been identified by search algorithms. We use the World Wide Lightning Location Network (WWLLN) to identify lightning that occurred in 2006 and 2012 within the 800 km field of view of Reuven Ra…
Enhanced detection of terrestrial gamma-ray flashes by AGILE
2015
Abstract At the end of March 2015 the onboard software configuration of the Astrorivelatore Gamma a Immagini Leggero (AGILE) satellite was modified in order to disable the veto signal of the anticoincidence shield for the minicalorimeter instrument. The motivation for such a change was the understanding that the dead time induced by the anticoincidence prevented the detection of a large fraction of Terrestrial Gamma‐Ray Flashes (TGFs). The configuration change was highly successful resulting in an increase of one order of magnitude in TGF detection rate. As expected, the largest fraction of the new events has short duration (<100 μs), and part of them has simultaneous association with light…
Effect of gravitational stratification on the propagation of a CME
2013
Our aim is to study the role of gravitational stratification on the propagation of CMEs. In particular, we assess how it influences the speed and shape of CMEs and under what conditions the flux rope ejection becomes a CME or when it is quenched. We ran a set of MHD simulations that adopt an eruptive initial magnetic configuration that has already been shown to be suitable for a flux rope ejection. We varied the temperature of the backgroud corona and the intensity of the initial magnetic field to tune the gravitational stratification and the amount of ejected magnetic flux. We used an automatic technique to track the expansion and the propagation of the magnetic flux rope in the MHD simula…