Passage Of Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejections Research Articles

Martian M2 peak behavior in the dayside near-terminator ionosphere during interplanetary coronal mass ejections

The interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) can pose significant impacts on the Martian ionosphere, resulting in plasma depletion, variability, and escape to space. However, the connections between the ICMEs and the associated responses of the dayside near-terminator Martian ionospheric primary peak (M2) are not well understood. The present study primarily investigates the behavior of the ionospheric peak density (Nm) and height (hm) during the passage of ICMEs using observations from the Radio Occultation Science Experiment (ROSE) aboard MAVEN spacecraft. We have selected 8 such ICMEs (during 2017–2022) at Mars from the existing catalogs and studied the ROSE electron density profiles during quiet and disturbed time (ICMEs) for identical solar zenith angle range. We observed the elevation of the M2 peak (hm ∼ 4–16 km) during disturbed time (ICMEs) with a decrease in Nm (0.41–2.8 × 1010 m−3) in comparison to the quiet time. The present study, for the first time, addressed the influence of ICMEs on the M2 peak parameters (Nm and hm). We have proposed that the development of large vertical pressure gradient and electron temperature enhancement are plausible causes for ionospheric variability. Therefore, the present study provides new insights to understand peak plasma behavior in the dayside near-terminator ionosphere during ICMEs.

Upstream Proton Cyclotron Waves at Mars During the Passage of ICMEs

AbstractThe presence of proton cyclotron waves (PCWs) upstream from Mars indicates picked up protons originating from the Martian extended hydrogen (H) exosphere by the solar wind and loss of H to interplanetary space. The occurrences and properties of PCWs associated with normal solar wind conditions have been extensively investigated since their initial detection about 32 years ago, but little attention has been paid to PCW activity under extreme space weather conditions. Here we characterize PCWs during the passage of interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) through the Martian environment using the measurements by the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN spacecraft from December 2014 to February 2019. It is found that PCWs occur more frequently during perihelion periods (Ls = 180°–360°) than during aphelion periods (Ls = 0°–180°) for disturbed times of ICME passage. In the perihelion season, the PCW occurrence rate is increased on average by a factor of about 2 during the ICME phase relative to the pre‐ICME and post‐ICME phases. Moreover, PCWs reveal more pronounced wave characteristics with larger amplitudes, higher ellipticity, and smaller propagation angle with respect to the ambient magnetic field direction during the ICME phase.

Observations of the Venus Dramatic Response to an Extremely Strong Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejection

Abstract On 2011 November 5, Venus Express observed the impact of an extremely strong interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) on Venus. As a result, the Venusian induced magnetosphere dramatically fluctuated during the ICME passage: the bow shock was compressed and broadened by the sheath and the body of the ICME, respectively; an atypically strong magnetic barrier (over 250 nT) of Venus was detected; and the plasma sheet in the magnetotail flapped so rapidly that it was crossed by Venus Express 5 times within 1.5 minutes. The ionosphere was totally magnetized because of the very high magnetic pressure of the induced magnetosphere. However, the altitude of the ionopause did not decrease with respect to those in neighboring orbits, which is inconsistent with the ionopause descents reported by previous studies. We found that the ionosphere was greatly excited by the ICME as evidenced by the much higher heavy ion density. That is why the balance between the ionospheric thermal pressure and the strong magnetic pressure can be maintained at a relatively high altitude. We propose that a much stronger massloading effect resulting from the excited ionosphere is responsible for the anomalously high magnetic barrier because much more magnetic field lines were anchored. Our results also suggest that such ICMEs that can excite the ionosphere are substantially efficient in enhancing the atmospheric loss of Venus.

MARSIS Observations of the Martian Nightside Ionosphere During the September 2017 Solar Event

AbstractWe present topside ionospheric sounding on the nightside of Mars during the September 2017 solar event by Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS) on board Mars Express along with complementary dayside observations from Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN). The MARSIS and MAVEN observations during the event suggest that (i) the nightside bottomside ionosphere was significantly enhanced by solar energetic particles, (ii) the nightside peak electron density was increased to unusually high values of ∼1–2 ×104 cm−3 around 120 km altitudes owing to enhanced electron impact ionization, and (iii) the ionospheric magnetic field was globally amplified by the high dynamic pressure during the interplanetary coronal mass ejection passage. These multipoint measurements help elucidate the global response of the Martian upper ionosphere to the solar event.

Passage of ICMEs, Their Associated Shock Structure, and Transient Modulation of Galactic Cosmic Rays

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the Sun propagate into interplanetary space and evolve to form a structure. When this structure is observed in near-Earth space, it consists in many cases of the CME ejecta and an extended shock region. Thus, while passing a point of observation (Earth/spacecraft), the interplanetary CME (ICME) structure may cross it from its near-central, intermediate, or near-end location. Therefore, galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) arriving at the Earth-based/space-borne detector may encounter solar plasma and field regimes of different strength, topology, and duration. We analyse the GCR intensity and the solar plasma/field parameters in three different situations when the ICME structure passes the detector from the central, intermediate, and the near-end portions of its extended structure. We study the behaviour of transient depressions in the GCR intensity in these three situations. Simultaneous changes in the solar plasma and field parameters are also studied. The differences in the amplitudes of the depression and the recovery characteristics during the passage of three groups of ICMEs are analysed and discussed.

Variations of the Martian plasma environment during the ICME passage on 8 March 2015: A time‐dependent MHD study

AbstractThe Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft observed a strong interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) impacting Mars on 8 March 2015. We use a time‐dependent global MHD model to investigate the response of the Martian ionosphere and induced magnetosphere to the large solar wind disturbance associated with the ICME. Taking observed upstream solar wind conditions from MAVEN as inputs to the MHD model, the variations of the Martian plasma environments are simulated realistically in a time period from 2.5 h prior to the arrival of the ICME shock to about 12 h after the impact. Detailed comparisons between the model results and the relevant MAVEN plasma measurements are presented, which clearly show that the time‐dependent multispecies single‐fluid MHD model is able to reproduce the main features observed by the spacecraft during the ICME passage. Model results suggest that the induced magnetosphere responds to solar wind variation on a very short time scale (approximately minutes). The variations of the plasma boundaries' distances from the planet along the subsolar line are examined in detail, which show a clear anticorrelation with the magnetosonic Mach number. Plasma properties in the ionosphere (especially the induced magnetic field) varied rapidly with solar wind changes. Model results also show that ion escape rates could be enhanced by an order of magnitude in response to the high solar wind dynamic pressure during the ICME event.

Study of the geoeffectiveness of coronal mass ejections, corotating interaction regions and their associated structures observed during Solar Cycle 23

The interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) and the corotating interaction regions (CIRs) are the two most important structures of the interplanetary medium affecting the Earth and the near-Earth space environment. We study the solar wind-magnetosphere coupling during the passage of ICMEs and CIRs, in the Solar Cycle 23 (Jan. 1995–Dec. 2009), and their relative geoeffectiveness. We utilize the timings of different features of these structures, their arrival and duration. As geomagnetic parameter, we utilize high time resolution data of Dst and $\mathit{AE}$ indices. In addition to these geomagnetic indices, we utilize the simultaneous and similar time resolution data of interplanetary plasma and field, namely, solar wind velocity, interplanetary magnetic field, its north-south component and dawn-dusk electric field. We apply the method of superposed epoch analysis. Utilizing the properties of various structures during the passage of ICMEs and CIRs, and variations observed in plasma and field parameters during their passage along with the simultaneous changes observed in geomagnetic parameters, we identify the interplanetary conditions, plasma/field parameters and their relative importance in solar wind-magnetosphere coupling. Geospace consequences of ICMEs and CIRs, and the implications of these results for solar wind-magnetosphere coupling are discussed.

MAVEN observations of magnetic flux ropes with a strong field amplitude in the Martian magnetosheath during the ICME passage on 8 March 2015

AbstractWe present initial results of strong field amplitude flux ropes observed by Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission around Mars during the interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) passage on 8 March 2015. The observed durations were shorter than 5 s and the magnetic field magnitudes peaked above 80 nT, which is a few times stronger than those usually seen in the magnetosheath barrier. These are the first unique observations that MAVEN detected such flux ropes with a strong field at high altitudes (>5000 km). Across these structures, MAVEN coincidentally measured planetary heavy ions with energies higher than a few keV. The spatial properties inferred from the Grad‐Shafranov equation suggest that the speed of the structure can be estimated at least an order of magnitude faster than those previously reported quiet‐time counterparts. Hence, the space weather event like the ICME passage can be responsible for generating the observed strong field, fast‐traveling flux ropes.

Study of the Cosmic-Ray Modulation During the Passage of ICMEs and CIRs

We compare the cosmic-ray response to interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) and corotating interaction regions (CIRs) during their passage in near-Earth space. We study the relative importance of various structures/features identified during the passage of the ICMEs and CIRs observed during Cycle 23 (1995 – 2009). The identified ICME structures are the shock front, the sheath, and the CME ejecta. We isolate the shock arrival time, the passage of the sheath region, the arrival of ejecta, and the end time of their passage. Similarly, we isolate the CIR arrival, the associated forward shock, the stream interface, and the reverse shock during the passage of a CIR. For the cosmic-ray intensity, we utilize the data from high counting rate neutron monitors. In addition to neutron monitor data, we utilize near-simultaneous and same time-resolution data of interplanetary plasma and field, namely the solar-wind velocity, the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) vector, and its variance. Further, we also utilize some derived interplanetary parameters. We apply the method of the superposed-epoch analysis. As the plasma and field properties are different during the passage of different structures, both in ICMEs and CIRs, we systematically vary the epoch time in our superposed-epoch analysis one by one. In this way, we study the role and effects of each of the identified individual structures/features during the passage of the ICMEs and CIRs. Relating the properties of various structures and the corresponding variations in plasma and field parameters with changes of the cosmic-ray intensity, we identify the relative importance of the plasma/field parameters in influencing the amplitude and time profiles of the cosmic-ray intensity variations during the passage of the ICMEs and CIRs.

Analysis of the potential radiation hazard of the 23 July 2012 SEP event observed by STEREO A using the EMMREM model and LRO/CRaTER

AbstractWe present a study of the potential radiation hazard of the powerful, superfast interplanetary coronal mass ejection (ICME) observed by STEREO A on 23 July 2012. Using energetic proton flux data from the High Energy Telescope and Low Energy Telescope instruments aboard STEREO A together with the Earth‐Moon‐Mars Radiation Environment Module, we compute dose rates and accumulated doses during the event for both skin/eye and blood forming organs using four physically relevant levels of shielding. For spacesuit equivalent shielding, we compute a peak skin/eye dose rate of 1970 cGy‐Eq/d, a value far greater than those of the 2003 Halloween storms or the January and March solar energetic particle events of 2012. However, due to the relative brevity of the event, the resulting accumulated dose was just 383 cGy‐Eq, which is more aligned with the total doses of the 2003 Halloween and 2012 January/March events. Additionally, we use dose rates at STEREO B and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter/Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (LRO/CRaTER) during the event to show how the radiation impact is affected by the position of the ICME relative to the observer. Specifically, we find that the energetic particle event associated with the local shock and ICME passage at STEREO A caused greatly enhanced dose rates when compared to STEREO B and LRO/CRaTER, which were longitudinally distant from the ICME. The STEREO A/B dose rates used here will soon be made available to the community as a tool for studying the energetic particle radiation of solar events from different longitudes as a part of NASA's Heliophysics Virtual Observatories and on the Predictions of radiation from REleASE, EMMREM, and Data Incorporating CRaTER, COSTEP, and other SEP measurements (PREDICCS) and CRaTER websites.

M–I coupling across the auroral oval at dusk and midnight: repetitive substorm activity driven by interplanetary coronal mass ejections (CMEs)

Abstract. We study substorms from two perspectives, i.e., magnetosphere–ionosphere coupling across the auroral oval at dusk and at midnight magnetic local times. By this approach we monitor the activations/expansions of basic elements of the substorm current system (Bostrøm type I centered at midnight and Bostrøm type II maximizing at dawn and dusk) during the evolution of the substorm activity. Emphasis is placed on the R1 and R2 types of field-aligned current (FAC) coupling across the Harang reversal at dusk. We distinguish between two distinct activity levels in the substorm expansion phase, i.e., an initial transient phase and a persistent phase. These activities/phases are discussed in relation to polar cap convection which is continuously monitored by the polar cap north (PCN) index. The substorm activity we selected occurred during a long interval of continuously strong solar wind forcing at the interplanetary coronal mass ejection passage on 18 August 2003. The advantage of our scientific approach lies in the combination of (i) continuous ground observations of the ionospheric signatures within wide latitude ranges across the auroral oval at dusk and midnight by meridian chain magnetometer data, (ii) "snapshot" satellite (DMSP F13) observations of FAC/precipitation/ion drift profiles, and (iii) observations of current disruption/near-Earth magnetic field dipolarizations at geostationary altitude. Under the prevailing fortunate circumstances we are able to discriminate between the roles of the dayside and nightside sources of polar cap convection. For the nightside source we distinguish between the roles of inductive and potential electric fields in the two substages of the substorm expansion phase. According to our estimates the observed dipolarization rate (δ Bz/δt) and the inferred large spatial scales (in radial and azimuthal dimensions) of the dipolarization process in these strong substorm expansions may lead to 50–100 kV enhancements of the cross-polar-cap potential due to inductive electric field coupling.