Remote sensing of inner heliospheric plasmas
Abstract
Solar disturbances produce major effects on the corona, the solar wind, the interplanetary medium, and the Earth along with its magnetosphere. We have developed new techniques for studying plasma disturbances in the inner heliosphere by remotely sensing them. These techniques use data from the HELIOS spacecraft zodiacal light photometers, the ISEE-3 spacecraft kilometer radio-wave experiment, and a variety of other spacecraft and ground-based instruments. The zodiacal light photometers on board the two HELIOS spacecraft (data coverage from 1974 to 1986) provide the first good information about the heliospheric masses and shapes of propagating disturbances. Metric and kilometric type II and type III radiation caused by shock waves and fast moving electrons respectively are another way to remotely sense the structures which propagate outward from the Sun. The best kilometric radio wave sensing of inner heliospheric plasma is available from the ISEE-3 spacecraft. The investigations into the physics of the disturbances sensed by these techniques and the ability to forecast their occurrences are well underway.
- Publication:
-
California Univ., San Diego Report
- Pub Date:
- November 1991
- Bibcode:
- 1991ucsd.rept.....J
- Keywords:
-
- Heliosphere;
- Interplanetary Medium;
- Interplanetary Space;
- Shock Waves;
- Solar Activity;
- Solar Corona;
- Solar Wind;
- Astronomical Photometry;
- Radio Transmission;
- Remote Sensing;
- Remote Sensors;
- Spacecraft Instruments;
- Solar Physics