Extended solar wind helium distribution functions in high-speed streams

Magnetosphere response to high-speed solar wind streams: A comparison of weak and strong driving and the importance of extended periods of fast solar wind

[1] Much attention has been focused on the reaction of the magnetosphere to the solar wind during the recent extended solar minimum (2006–2010). Although this period was exceptionally quiet when categorized by some parameters (e.g., the number of sunspots) the solar wind still contained features which impacted the Earth’s magnetosphere and caused geomagnetic disturbances. Recurrent corotating i...

Changes in thermospheric temperature induced by high-speed solar wind streams

Periodic modulations in thermospheric composition by solar wind high speed streams

[1] SO/N2 ratios in the Earth’s thermosphere are measured by the Global Ultraviolet Imager (GUVI) on the TIMED satellite, and demonstrate strong 9 and 7 day oscillations in 2005 and 2006, respectively, that are well correlated with the solar wind speed and Kp index. This work builds on the recently discovered connection between rotating solar coronal holes and thermospheric mass density variati...

Significance of two types of high-speed solar wind streams in modulating cosmic ray intensity

One of the most dynamical interplanetary phenomena of solar terrestrial physics is definitely the passage of solar wind streams near the Earth environment. In this work, we have identified the two types of high-speed solar wind streams using the spacecraft data during high amplitude days. The behaviour of high-speed solar wind streams during high amplitude anisotropic wave trains is investigate...

Predicting the arrival of high-speed solar wind streams at Earth using the STEREO Heliospheric Imagers

[1] High-speed solar wind streams modify the Earth’s geomagnetic environment, perturbing the ionosphere, modulating the flux of cosmic rays into the Earth atmosphere, and triggering substorms. Such activity can affect modern technological systems. To investigate the potential for predicting the arrival of such streams at Earth, images taken by the Heliospheric Imager (HI) on the STEREO-A spacec...