Magnetic lasso: a new solar wind propagation method and its application concerning space weather at 67P/C-G
Abstract
Concerning the increasing number of heliospheric space missions it is a key issue to foresee space weather conditions in the spacecraft's and the target object's neighborhood. Solar wind parameters are propagated to outer orbits by several ballistic and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) methods. The ballistic model presented here is enhanced by adjusting for the target movement during the propagation time through a two-step method. First, the magnetic field line connecting the Sun and the target has to be found. Once the proper magnetic field line is found, solar wind bulk velocity, density and magnetic field polarity is propagated assuming no change during travel time. The method was tested successfully during the Rosetta mission. While the spacecraft was investigating the close environment of the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko it was necessary to know the properties of the ambient solar wind in order to evaluate data and account for the dynamic changes.
- Publication:
-
European Planetary Science Congress
- Pub Date:
- September 2017
- Bibcode:
- 2017EPSC...11..635D