Energetic Particles Research Articles

The Random Hivemind: An ensemble deep learning application to the solar energetic particle prediction problem

The application of machine learning and deep learning techniques, including the wide use of non-ensemble, conventional neural networks (CoNN), for predicting various phenomena has become very popular in recent years thanks to the efficiencies and the abilities of these techniques to find relationships in data without human intervention. However, certain CoNN setups may not work on some datasets, especially if the parameters passed to it, including model parameters and hyperparameters, are arguably arbitrary in nature and need to continuously be updated with the need to retrain the model, especially if the additions of new features render old models obsolete. This concern can be partially alleviated by employing committees of neural networks that are identical in terms of input features and initialized randomly and “vote” on the decisions made by the committees as a whole. Yet, members of the committee have similar architectures and features passed to them, making it possible for the committee members to “agree” on identical sets of weights and biases for all nodes and edges. Members of these committees also cannot be expanded to accommodate new features and entire committees must therefore be retrained in order to do so. We propose the Random Hivemind (RH) approach, which helps to alleviate this concern by having multiple neural network estimators make decisions based on random permutations of features and prescribing a method to determine the weight of the decision of each individual estimator. The effectiveness of RH is demonstrated through experimentation in the predictions of hazardous Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) events by comparing it to that of using both CoNNs and the aforementioned setup of committees identical in input features in this application. Our results demonstrate that RH, while having a comparable or better performance than the CoNN and a Committee-based approach, demonstrates a lesser score spread for the individual experiments, and shows promising results with respect to capturing almost every single flare instance leading to SEPs.

Diffusive shock acceleration in relativistic, oblique shocks

Cosmic rays are charged particles that are accelerated to relativistic speeds by astrophysical shocks. Numerical models have been successful in confirming the acceleration process for (quasi-)parallel shocks, which have the magnetic field aligned with the direction of the shock motion. However, the process is less clear when it comes to (quasi-)perpendicular shocks, where the field makes a large angle with the shock-normal. For such shocks, the angle between the magnetic field and flow ensures that only highly energetic particles can travel upstream at all, reducing the upstream current. This process is further inhibited for relativistic shocks, since the shock can become superluminal when the required particle velocity exceeds the speed of light, effectively inhibiting any upstream particle flow. In order to determine whether such shocks can accelerate particles, we use the particle-in-cell (PIC) method to determine what fraction of particles gets reflected initially at the shock. We then use this as input for a new simulation that combines the PIC method with grid-based magnetohydrodynamics to follow the acceleration (if any) of the particles over a larger time-period in a two-dimensional grid. We find that quasi-perpendicular, relativistic shocks are capable of accelerating particles through the DSA process, provided that the shock has a sufficiently high Alfvénic Mach number.

Characterization of Radiation Exposure at Aviation Flight Altitudes Using the Nowcast of Aerospace Ionizing Radiation System (NAIRAS)

AbstractExposure to ionizing radiation from galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and solar energetic particles (SEP) at aircraft flight altitudes can have an adverse effect on human health. Although airline crews are classified as radiation workers by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP), in most countries, their level of exposure is unquantified and undocumented throughout the duration of their career. As such, there is a need to assess pilot ionizing radiation exposure. The Nowcast of Aerospace Ionizing RAdiation System (NAIRAS), a real‐time, global, physics‐based model is used to assess such exposure. The Automated Radiation Measurements for Aerospace Safety (ARMAS) measurement data set consists of high latitude, high altitude, and long‐duration aircraft flights between 2013 and 2023. Here, we characterize radiation exposure at aviation flight altitudes using the NAIRAS model and compare with 45 flight trajectories from the recent ARMAS flight measurement inventory.

Modeling Ion Conic Formation in Io's Auroral Footprint

AbstractEnergetic ions outflowing from Jupiter's atmosphere was observed during Juno's 12th perijove crossing (PJ12) in the vicinity of Io's auroral footprint and reported by prior studies. It was hypothesized that Wave‐Particle Interactions (WPI) with ion cyclotron waves observed coincident with the ion outflow may be responsible for the heating and subsequent outflow. This study uses numerical simulation and data model comparison to test whether ion cyclotron resonant heating is indeed a plausible mechanism to explain the intense ion outflow observed. Our simulations assume that the wave heating is of limited duration due to Io's footprint motion. The simulations are moreover compared to the previously published Jupiter Energetic Particle Detector Instruments (JEDI) observations at high energies, and the lower energy Jovian Auroral Distributions Experiment (JADE) observations that were not previously reported. We find that the ion cyclotron resonant heating mechanism can indeed lead to ion conic formation and strong vertical transport under certain assumptions about the distribution of wave power with altitude. We also find that the ion outflow is energized quickly with very rapid formation of the ion conic distribution. The implications of the intense ion outflow are also examined and it is found that such strong wave heating can lead to a depletion of the topside ionosphere.

CORHEL-CME: An Interactive Tool For Modeling Solar Eruptions

Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are immense eruptions of plasma and magnetic fields that are propelled outward from the Sun, sometimes with velocities greater than 2000 km/s. They are responsible for some of the most severe space weather at Earth, including geomagnetic storms and solar energetic particle (SEP) events. We have developed CORHEL-CME, an interactive tool that allows non-expert users to routinely model multiple CMEs in a realistic coronal and heliospheric environment. The tool features a web-based user interface that allows the user to select a time period of interest, and employs Regularized Biot-Savart Law (RBSL) flux ropes to create stable and unstable pre-eruptive configurations within a background global magnetic field. The properties of these configurations can first be explored in a zero-beta magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model, followed by complete CME simulations in thermodynamic MHD, with propagation out to 1 AU. We describe design features of the interface and computations, including the innovations required to efficiently compute results on practical timescales with moderate computational resources. CORHEL-CME is now implemented at NASA's Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC) using NASA Amazon Web Services (AWS). It will be available to the public in early 2024.

Energetic particle tracing in optimized quasi-symmetric stellarator equilibria

Recent developments in the design of magnetic confinement fusion devices have allowed the construction of exceptionally optimized stellarator configurations. The near-axis expansion in particular has been proven to enable the construction of magnetic configurations with good confinement properties while taking only a fraction of the usual computation time to generate optimized magnetic equilibria. However, not much is known about the overall features of fast-particle orbits computed in such analytical, yet simplified, equilibria when compared with those originating from accurate equilibrium solutions. This work aims to assess and demonstrate the potential of the near-axis expansion to provide accurate information on particle orbits and to compute loss fractions in moderate to high aspect ratios. The configurations used here are all scaled to fusion-relevant parameters and approximate quasi-symmetry to various degrees. This allows us to understand how deviations from quasi-symmetry affect particle orbits and what are their effects on the estimation of the loss fraction. Guiding-centre trajectories of fusion-born alpha particles are traced using gyronimo and SIMPLE codes under the NEAT framework, showing good numerical agreement. Discrepancies between near-axis and magnetohydrodynamic fields have minor effects on passing particles but significant effects on trapped particles, especially in quasi-helically symmetric magnetic fields. Effective expressions were found for estimating orbit widths and passing–trapped separatrix in quasi-symmetric near-axis fields. Loss fractions agree in the prompt losses regime but diverge afterwards.

Sulfur Implantation into Water Ice with Propane: Implications for Organic Chemistry on the Surface of Europa

We performed experiments of implantation of energetic sulfur ions (105 keV) into 2:1 water:propane ices at 80 K and analyzed the resulting refractory organic matter with ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry. Our goal was to characterize the organic matter processed in the surface conditions of Europa, where it would receive a heavy flux of energetic particles, including sulfur ions, and determine whether organosulfurs could be formed in these conditions, using the simplest alkane that can exist in solid form on Europa’s surface. We find that the produced organic matter contains a large variety of both aliphatic and aromatic compounds (several thousand unique formulae), including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), with masses up to 900 amu. A large number of aromatic hydrocarbons is found along with oxygenated, mostly aliphatic, compounds. Organosulfurs are found in both CHS and CHOS form, demonstrating they can be formed from any organic compound through sulfur implantation. These organosulfurs’ properties (aromaticity, mass) appear similar to the rest of the organic matter, albeit their low quantity does not allow for a thorough comparison. Our results have implications for the type of refractory organic matter that could be observed by the JUICE and Europa Clipper space missions and how the surface of Europa could generate complex organics, including PAHs and organosulfurs, that could then enrich the subsurface ocean. In particular, they indicate that a large diversity of organic matter, including organosulfurs, can be formed from simple precursors in a geologically short time frame under the ion flux that reaches Europa.

Two HVCMOS active pixel ASIC designs for the Measurement of GCR and SEP with a combined dynamic range of >80 dB

The design of HVCMOS detectors for measuring Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) and Solar Energetic Particles (SEP) is presented, with the goal of covering a very wide dynamic range (from ∼0.5 fC to pC). Two different pixel designs are shown, one with low gain tailored to high energy depositions and one with high gain for low energy depositions. Both designs utilize a sensing diode consisting of a fully-depleted, high resistivity substrate and a segmented deep n-well on top. LFoundry 0.15 μm technology is used. The design choices are backed by simulation results and preliminary measurements.

Revision of the strongest solar energetic particle event of 23 February 1956 (GLE #5) based on the rediscovered original records

Aims. Intense solar eruptions can produce solar energetic particles (SEPs), potentially detectable by ground-based instruments such as neutron monitors (NMs). These events are called ground-level enhancements (GLEs). The strongest GLE with the hardest known SEP spectrum occurred on 23 February 1956 (conventionally numbered GLE #5), providing a benchmark reference for related studies. However, the existing datasets for GLE #5 were compiled from different sources, often secondary; these datasets exhibited significant discrepancies and internal inconsistencies leading to large uncertainties or biases. Here we resolve the inconsistencies and revisit the reconstructions of the energy spectra and angular characteristics of the SEPs for that event, based on our reanalyses on (somehow forgotten) original contemporary records. Methods. We collected, digitised, and verified the source records for NM measurements during GLE #5 based on contemporaneous publications and unpublished materials in the University of Chicago Archives. Using the revised datasets and full modelling, we critically revised the reconstruction of the energy spectra and angular characteristics of the SEPs and the event-integrated omnidirectional SEP flux (fluence) for GLE #5. Results. The energy spectrum of the SEPs during the initial and main phases of GLE #5 was revised based on the new dataset, resulting in a slightly softer, but still agreeing within the uncertainties of the recent studies, SEP spectral estimate. The SEP flux was found to be highly anisotropic in the early phase of the event. This provides a revised reference basis for further analyses and modelling of strong and extreme SEP events and their terrestrial impacts.

Energetic particle acceleration and transport with the novel Icarus+PARADISE model

With the rise of satellites and mankind's growing dependence on technology, there is an increasing awareness of space weather phenomena related to high-energy particles. Shock waves driven by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and corotating interaction regions (CIRs) occasionally act as potent particle accelerators, generating hazardous solar energetic particles (SEPs) that pose risks to satellite electronics and astronauts. Numerical simulation tools capable of modelling and predicting large SEP events are thus highly demanded. We introduce the new Icarus+PARADISE model as an advancement of the previous EUHFORIA+PARADISE model. Icarus, based on the MPI-AMRVAC framework, is a three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic code that models solar wind configurations from 0.1 au onwards, encompassing transient structures like CMEs or CIRs. Differing from EUHFORIA's uniform-only grid, Icarus incorporates solution adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) and grid stretching. The particle transport code PARADISE propagates energetic particles as test particles through these solar wind configurations by solving the focused transport equation in a stochastic manner. We validate our new model by reproducing EUHFORIA+PARADISE results. This is done by modelling the acceleration and transport of energetic particles in a synthetic solar wind configuration containing an embedded CIR. Subsequently, we illustrate how the simulation results vary with grid resolution by employing different levels of AMR.. The resulting intensity profiles illustrate increased particle acceleration with higher levels of AMR in the shock region, better capturing the effects of the shock.

A new ground level neutron monitor for space weather assessment

We report on a new ground-level neutron monitor design for studying cosmic rays and fluxes of solar energetic particles at the Earth’s surface. The first-of-its-kind instrument, named the NM-2023 after the year it was standardised and following convention, will be installed at a United Kingdom Meteorological Office observatory (expected completion mid 2024) and will reintroduce such monitoring in the UK for the first time since ca. 1984. Monte Carlo radiation transport code is used for the development and application of parameterised models to investigate alternative neutron detectors, their location and bulk material geometry in a realistic cosmic ray neutron field. Benchmarked against a model of the current and most widespread design standardised in 1964 (the NM-64), two main parameterisation studies are conducted; a simplified standard model and a concept slab parameterisation. We show that the NM-64 standard is well optimised for the intended large-diameter boron trifluoride (BF3\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$_3$$\\end{document}) proportional counters but not for multiple smaller diameter counters. The new design (based on a novel slab arrangement) produces comparable counting efficiencies to an NM-64 with six BF3\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$_3$$\\end{document} counters and has the added advantage of being more compact, lower cost and avoids the use of highly toxic BF3\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$_3$$\\end{document}.

Constraints on the ultra-high energy cosmic ray output of gamma-ray bursts

Abstract Ultra-high energy cosmic rays are the most extreme energetic particles detected on Earth, however, their acceleration sites are still mysterious. We explore the contribution of low-luminosity gamma-ray bursts to the ultra-high energy cosmic ray flux, since they form the bulk of the nearby population. We analyse a representative sample of these bursts detected by BeppoSAX, INTEGRAL and Swift between 1998-2016, and found that in order to reconcile our theoretical flux with the observed flux, these bursts should accelerate at most 10−13 M⊙ of ultra-high energy cosmic rays.

High-energy particle observations from the Moon.

The Moon is a unique natural laboratory for the study of the deep space plasma and energetic particles environment. During more than 3/4 of its orbit around the Earth it is exposed to the solar wind. Being an unmagnetized body and lacking a substantial atmosphere, solar wind and solar energetic particles bombardthe Moon's surface, interacting with the lunar regolith and the tenuous lunar exosphere. Energetic particles arriving at the Moon's surface can be absorbed, or scattered, or can remove another particle from the lunar regolith by sputtering or desorption. A similar phenomenon occurs also with the galactic cosmic rays, which have fluxes and energy spectra representative of interplanetary space. During the remaining part of its orbit the Moon crosses the tail of the terrestrial magnetosphere. It then provides the opportunity to study in-situ the terrestrial magnetotail plasma environment as well as atmospheric escape from the Earth's ionosphere, in the form of heavy ions accelerated and streaming downtail. The lunar environment is thus a unique natural laboratory for analysing the interaction of the solar wind, the cosmic rays and the Earth's magnetosphere with the surface, the immediate subsurface, and the surface-bounded exosphere of an unmagnetized planetary body. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Astronomy from the Moon: the next decades (part 2)'.

Observation of solar energetic particles with Metis on board Solar Orbiter on February 25, 2023

The Solar Orbiter Metis coronagraph captures images of the solar corona in both visible (VL) and ultraviolet (UV) light. Tracks ascribable to the passage of galactic and solar particles appear in the Metis images. An algorithm implemented in the Metis processing electronics allows us to separate the pixels fired by VL photons from those crossed by high-energy particles. These spurious pixels are stored in cosmic-ray matrices that can be visually analyzed for particle monitoring deep into the spacecraft's interior. This algorithm has been enabled for the VL instrument only, since the process of separating the particle tracks from pixels fired by photons in the UV images was shown to be quite challenging with respect to a quantitative analysis. This work is aimed at studying galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) and solar energetic particles (SEPs) with the Metis cosmic-ray matrices in February 2023. We compared a visual analysis of Metis cosmic-ray matrices gathered on February 22, 2023, with GCRs only, and on February 25, 2023 with both GCRs and SEPs, to Monte Carlo simulations of the VL instrument during the same days. We estimated the solar modulation parameter associated with the GCR proton energy spectrum in February 2023. We show that Metis plays the role of monitoring galactic and solar protons. The Metis particle observations are used for the diagnostics of the VL instrument performance and to study the spacecraft inner charging from solar minimum towards the next solar maximum. These achievements have been attained with the benefit of the joint observations of Metis, the Energetic Particle Detector/High Energy Telescope, and near-Earth and Earth-based instruments.

Correlation of Coronal Mass Ejection Shock Temperature with Solar Energetic Particle Intensity

Solar energetic particle (SEP) events have been observed by the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) spacecraft since its launch in 2018. These events include sources from solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The IS⊙IS instrument suite on board PSP is measuring ions over energies from ∼ 20 keV nucleon−1 to 200 MeV nucleon−1 and electrons from ∼ 20 keV to 6 MeV. Previous studies sought to group CME characteristics based on their plasma conditions and arrived at general descriptions with large statistical errors, leaving open questions on how to properly group CMEs based solely on their plasma conditions. To help resolve these open questions, the plasma properties of CMEs have been examined in relation to SEPs. Here, we reexamine one plasma property, the solar wind proton temperature, and compare it to the proton SEP intensity in a region immediately downstream of a CME-driven shock for seven CMEs observed at radial distances within 1 au. We find a statistically strong correlation between proton SEP intensity and bulk proton temperature, indicating a clear relationship between SEPs and the conditions in the solar wind. Furthermore, we propose that an indirect coupling of SEP intensity to the level of turbulence and the amount of energy dissipation that results is mainly responsible for the observed correlation between SEP intensity and proton temperature. These results are key to understanding the interaction of SEPs with the bulk solar wind in CME-driven shocks and will improve our ability to model the interplay of shock evolution and particle acceleration.

Superflare rate variability on M dwarfs

ABSTRACT M dwarfs are often highly flare productive, and changes in the rate of flaring can potentially affect the radiation and energetic particles an exoplanet is exposed to. Rate variability has been found to be rare on G-type stars, and there has been limited study of the variability of flaring on M dwarfs. Using data from the TESS mission up to Observation Sector 66, we analyse 658 stars ranging from K7 to M5 to test for superflare rate variability by calculating an optimal piecewise constant-rate model for flare occurrence using a Bayesian algorithm and identify 66 stars with rate changes, a larger proportion than our previous study into G-type stars (7 out of 270 stars). We find that rate variability does not depend on the stellar parameters for our sample. We investigate how the flare-frequency distribution for these stars varies and whether this variation affects exoplanet habitability. No stars in our sample provide sufficient UV flux to support prebiotic chemistry. We investigate the phase distributions on the rate variable stars, finding 11 cases of potential phase dependence in flaring across seven stars. We also compare the Bayesian method to another measure of activity, the fraction of flux emitted through flares, and do not observe a consistent relationship between this flaring activity metric and the optimal Bayesian model. We discuss the possible reasons for the discrepancy and identify a problem with the flaring activity metric due to the power-law distribution of the flare events.

Preferential acceleration of heavy ions in magnetic reconnection: Hybrid-kinetic simulations with electron inertia

Solar energetic particles (SEPs) in the energy range 10s KeV/nucleon - 100s MeV/nucleon originate from the Sun. Their high flux near Earth may damage the space-borne electronics and generate secondary radiation that is harmful for life on Earth. Thus, understanding their energization on the Sun is important for space weather prediction. Impulsive (or $ $He-rich) SEP events are associated with the acceleration of charge particles in solar flares by magnetic reconnection and related processes. The preferential acceleration of heavy ions and the extraordinary abundance enhancement of $ ^3$He in the impulsive SEP events are not understood yet. In this paper we study the acceleration of heavy ions and its consequences for their abundance enhancements by magnetic reconnection, an established acceleration source for impulsive SEP events in which heavy-ion enhancement is observed We employed a two-dimensional hybrid-kinetic plasma model (kinetic ions and inertial electron fluid) to simulate magnetic reconnection. All the ion species are treated self-consistently in our simulations. We find that heavy ions are preferentially accelerated to energies many times higher than their initial thermal energies by a variety of acceleration mechanisms operating in reconnection. The most efficient acceleration takes place in the flux pileup regions of magnetic reconnection. Heavy ions with sufficiently low values of charge-to-mass ratio ($Q/M$) can be accelerated by pickup mechanism in outflow regions even before any magnetic flux is piled up. The energy spectra of heavy ions develop a shoulder-like region, a nonthermal feature, as a result of the acceleration. The spectral index of the power-law fit to the shoulder region of the spectra varies approximately as $(Q/M)^ $. The abundance enhancement factor, defined as the number of particles above a threshold energy normalized to the total number of particles, scales as $(Q/M)^ alpha $, where alpha increases with the energy threshold. We discuss our simulation results in the light of the SEP observations.

Preparation and properties of nano B/NC/AP@F2602 double-layer energetic fiber

The nano-boron powder (n-B) exhibits remarkable efficacy as a combustion catalyst, making it a prime candidate for use in solid propellant metal burners. Nevertheless, throughout the storage phase, the surface of n-B powder is prone to oxidation and substantial agglomeration, resulting in challenges with ignition and incomplete energy dissipation when utilizing boron powder. In this study, we utilized the coaxial electrospinning technique to produce nanofibers comprised of nano-boron /nitrocellulose/ammonium perchlorate@fluororubber (n-B/NC/AP@F2602), with the nano boron uniformly distributed within the core-shell fibers. In the course of combustion, the fibrous composite of n-B/NC/AP@F2602 undergoes an escalation in the rates of energy output and energy release, owing to the constraints imposed by external F2602((C₂H₂F₂)n and (C₃F₆)n). The n-B/NC/AP@F2602 demonstrates a 1.4-fold increase in peak pressure and a 3.6-fold increase in maximum boost rate when compared to the n-B/NC/AP. The energy performance evaluation results reveal that the mean molecular weight (MC) of combusted products from n-B/NC/AP@F2602 is 29.2 g·mol−1, representing a substantial increase compared to that of n-B/NC/AP. The aforementioned findings exemplify that coaxial electrospinning is an exceedingly efficacious technique for enhancing nanostructures, thereby amplifying the reactivity of energetic particles and offering novel insights into their application in energetic materials.

An Assessment of the GLE Alert++ Warning System

Over the last years the Athens Cosmic Ray Group of the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens has implemented a warning tool called GLE Alert, which is a highly credible application that issues alerts when a ground level enhancement (GLE) starts due to very high energy solar energetic particles reaching the Earth. This application warns of a high intensity solar energetic particle event up to several minutes before it reaches near the near-Earth space environment. In this work, an assessment of the latest updated version of GLE Alert, GLE Alert++, is presented. GLE Alert++ is a federated product of the ESA S2P SWE Space Radiation Expert Service Centre, which is part of the ESA Space WEather Service NETwork (SWESNET) project. The assessment of the GLE Alert++, which was finalized in October 2022, focused on: (a) the availability of the real-time data provided by the neutron monitor stations that contribute to the GLE Alert++, (b) the behaviour of each station regarding the different Alert levels status (Watch, Warning and Alert), and (c) the definition of the real-time assessment index. The results of this work are of essential importance since they ensure a reliable and trustworthy warning tool, and can be highly useful in protecting humans during extreme solar energetic events.

Ground Electric Field, Atmospheric Weather and Electric Grid Variations in Northeast Greece Influenced by the March 2012 Solar Activity and the Moderate to Intense Geomagnetic Storms

In a recent paper, we extended a previous study on the solar solar influence to the generation of the March 2012 heatwave in the northeastern USA. In the present study we check the possible relationship of solar activity with the early March 2012 bad weather in northeast Thrace, Greece. To this end, we examined data from various remote sensing instrumentation monitoring the Sun (SDO satellite), Interplanetary space (ACE satellite), the Earth’s magnetosphere (Earth-based measurements, NOAA-19 satellite), the top of the clouds (Terra and Aqua satellites), and the near ground atmosphere. Our comparative data analysis suggests that: (i) the winter-like weather (rainfall, fast winds, decreased temperature) in Thrace started on 6 March 2012, the same day as the heatwave started in USA, (ii) during the March 2012 winter-like event in Thrace (6–15 March), the ACE satellite recorded enhanced fluxes of solar energetic particles (SEPs), while SOHO and PAMELA recorded solar protons at very high energies (>500 MeV), (iii) Between 3–31 March, the temperature in Alexandoupoli and the ACE/EPAM solar high energy (1.88–4.70 MeV) proton flux were strongly anticorelated (r = −0.75, p = 0.5). (iv) Thrace experienced particularly intense cyclonic circulation, during periods of magnetic storms on 8–10 and 12–13 March, which occurred after the arrival at ACE of two interplanetary shock waves, on March 8 and March 11, respectively, (v) at the beginning of the two above mentioned periods large atmospheric electric fields were recorded, with values ranging between ~−2000 V/m and ~1800 V/m on 8 March, (vi) the winter-like weather on 8–10 March 2012 occurred after the detection of the main SEP event related with a coronal mass ejection released in interplanetary space as a result of intense solar flare activity observed by SDO on 7 March 2012, (vi) the 8–10 March weather was related with a deep drop of ~63 °C in the cloud top temperature measured by MODIS/Terra, which favors strong precipitation. Finally, we analyzed data from the electric power network in Thrace (~41°N) and we found, for the first time sudden voltage changes of ~3.5 kV in the electric grid in Greece, during the decay phase of the March 2012 storm series. We discuss the winter-like March 2012 event in Thrace regarding the influence of solar cosmic rays on the low troposphere mediated by positive North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Finally, we infer that the novel finding of the geomagnetic effects on the electric power grid in Thrace may open a new window into space weather applications research.