Preface to measurement, specification and forecasting of the Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) environment and Ground Level Enhancements (GLEs)

Alexander Mishev,Piers Jiggens

doi:10.1051/swsc/2019003

Abstract

The Sun emits energetic particles following eruptive events such as solar flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs). Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs) arrive in bursts known as Solar Particle Events (SPEs), which penetrate into the Earth’s magnetosphere. SEPs with large enough energy induce a complicated atmospheric cascade, which secondary particles lead to an enhancement of count rate of ground-based detectors e.g. Neutron Monitors (NMs). This class of SEPs is therefore referred as Ground Level Enhancements (GLEs). The characterisation of the high-energy SEPs environment with corresponding space weather effects is important for space flights, aviation, and satellite industry. In this topical issue recent developments, addressing important user needs in the space radiation environment domain are published. Some articles are relevant to the specification of the SEP environment whilst others focus on space weather prediction of SEP fluxes. Catalogues based on measurement and processing of SEPs including ground-based data, and modelling of aircrew radiation exposure during major events are also presented.

Highlights

Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs) are produced during eruptive events at the Sun such as solar flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) (e.g. Reames, 2013; Desai & Giacalone, 2016, and references therein)
In order to derive the necessary information of cosmic rays and energetic particles, SEPs near Earth, it is necessary to provide a good basis for their study, usually based on statistical analysis (e.g. Kudela, 2016, and references therein)
We would like the stress that the inclusion of Nitrates as a proxy for past extreme Solar Particle Events (SPEs) is included only for illustration and historical reasons, represents author’s personal point of view, because this method is not suitable for scientific analysis according to recent study by Mekhaldi et al (2017). This volume is comprised of a set of articles with recent findings in the field of space weather and space physics, related to the measurements and specification of SEP environment

Summary

Introduction

Solar Energetic Particles (SEPs) are produced during eruptive events at the Sun such as solar flares and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) (e.g. Reames, 2013; Desai & Giacalone, 2016, and references therein). In this volume several recent achievements in the field are presented, based on experimental data with the corresponding analysis and modelling. In order to derive the necessary information of cosmic rays and energetic particles, SEPs near Earth, it is necessary to provide a good basis for their study, usually based on statistical analysis (e.g. Kudela, 2016, and references therein).

Results

Conclusion