Overview of IPS observations in China

Abstract

The Sun influences the physical phenomenon of our earth in many ways, especially through the material in the interplanetary space coming from coronal expansion in the form of inhomogeneous plasma flow called solar wind. Solar wind is the main source of the interplanetary medium, which is also the main influence factor of the space weather. Therefore, studying and monitoring the solar wind is of great importance to research the solar-earth environment and to forecast the space weather. Ground-based Interplanetary Scintillation (IPS) observation provides an efficient and economical way to study the solar wind, the random intensity fluctuation of interplanetary plasma and the interplanetary space, where space satellites can’t reach. The data thus obtained would be extremely useful in examining the shock wave and also the Coronal Mass Ejection (CME). Interplanetary Scintillation observation with ground based facilities has both scientific research and application value. China started IPS observations fairly late (since 1999), first with the Miyun Synthesis Radio Telescope, then with some other domestic single dish radio telescopes. After the hard work for nearly two decades, some important progress has been achieved recently.