Space Weather Monitoring Research Articles

Near real time ionospheric monitoring system over Malaysia using GPS Data: My-Iono Service

Recently, real time information on the local ionospheric condition is becoming an important need for space and ground based technological systems which are prone to be affected by the local ionospheric state. Knowledge on the impact from the sun activity to the equatorial and low latitude ionosphere is crucial for research and development purpose in all developing nations which are relying on space-based technology systems such as the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). As the first action step to achieve deeper understanding and hands on experience on real time ionospheric monitoring, the National Space Agency of Malaysia (ANGKASA) in collaboration with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) has developed the first near real time ionospheric and space weather monitoring system for Malaysia (My-Iono) in year 2015. This web-based platform operates based on the National R&D GPS Continuously operating reference station network (NRC-net). The system runs based on a locally derived algorithm called Equatorial Ionosphere Index (EIX). The EIX was formulated based on 10 years (2004 to 2013) GPS derived empirical Total Electron Content (TEC) data obtained frpm 78 My-RTKnet stations around Malaysia. The fundamental of My-Iono Service consists of vertical TEC maps with a latency of ∼ 2 mins over Malaysia and information on the current ionospheric status; Normal, Medium and Severe, time series of Mean VTEC for station specific, time series of RAte of Change of tEc (RACE) for station specific and time series of Ionospheric Zenith (Iz) Delay for station specific estimated in near real time using GPS observations. This paper presents on the development of My-Iono Service in terms of system design and architecture.

Monitoring, analysis and post-casting of the Earth’s particle radiation environment during February 14–March 5, 2014

Internet-based system of Space Monitoring Data Center (SMDC) of Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics of Moscow State University (SINP MSU) has been developed to predict and analyze radiation conditions in near-Earth space. This system contains satellite measurement databases and operational models and devoted to collect, store and process space weather monitoring data in the near real-time. SMDC operational services acquire data from ACE, SDO, GOES, Electro-L, Meteor-M satellites and use them for forecasting, now-casting and post-casting of space weather factors. This paper is intended to give overview of operational services of SMDC Internet-based system and demonstrate their possibilities and limitations to analyze space weather phenomena and predict radiation and geomagnetic conditions in the near-Earth space during February 14–March 5, 2014. This prolonged period of high level solar and geomagnetic activity demonstrates various manifestations of the space weather: solar proton events, geomagnetic storms and outer radiation belt (RB) dynamics. Solar sources of interplanetary space disturbances and their influence on geomagnetic and radiation state of the Earth’s magnetosphere were described using output coming from SMDC’ Web-based applications. Validation of SMDC’s operational models was performed based on the quality of description of the physical conditions in near-Earth space during space weather events observed from February 14 to March 5, 2014. The advantages and disadvantages of SMDC operational services are illustrated and discussed based on comparison with data obtained from satellites.

A Case Study of the Stratospheric and Mesospheric Concentric Gravity Waves Excited by Thunderstorm in Northern China

In this paper, the complete process in which a concentric gravity wave (CGW), excited by a tropospheric thunderstorm, propagated into the stratosphere and mesosphere in Northern China is investigated. A strong thunderstorm developed in the middle of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region on the night of 10th August 2013. The stratospheric temperature perturbation, caused by the CGW, was observed by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) at 02:11 LT 11th August 2013. An all-sky OH imager at the Shuozhou station (39.8° N, 112.1° E), supported by the Meridian Space Weather Monitoring Project, measured the mesospheric CGW between 22:00 LT to 23:00 LT on the night. It was certified that both the stratospheric and mesospheric CGWs were triggered by the aforementioned thunderstorm, and the excitation source was calculated to be located at (40.59° N, 108.67° E) by employing the dispersion relation. The CGWs were excited in the initial stage of the thunderstorm. The temperature and wind field data obtained by SABER and meteoric radar, respectively, were used to evaluate the background properties of the respective propagation regions. The result shows that an obvious thermal duct structure, with a positive squared vertical wavenumber (m2) existed around the OH layer.

Using Eccentricity to Locate Ionospheric Exit Points of Magnetospheric Whistler Mode Waves

Whistler mode waves are a type of electromagnetic plasma wave and play a dominant role in the energy dynamics of the near-earth space environment and associated space weather processes. Ground-based observations of these waves are important for numerical model validation, space weather monitoring, and discovery science. Unfortunately, ground-based observations are often challenging to interpret since information about traversal through the ionosphere and distance propagated in the earth–ionosphere waveguide is rarely available. A new approach to identifying the ionospheric exit points of the magnetospheric whistler mode emissions is presented, which takes into account the observed wave polarization. The method relies on the initial circular polarization of the ducted magnetospheric emissions which is shown to convert to linear polarization after propagation in the earth–ionosphere waveguide at a predictable rate. Finite-difference time domain modeling of observed eccentricity provides a metric for determining distance from observer to ionospheric exit point. The method is shown to produce good agreement with observations of magnetospheric chorus emissions, artificially triggered emissions, and lightning-induced whistlers.

Impact of Assimilating the FORMOSAT‐3/COSMIC and FORMOSAT‐7/COSMIC‐2 RO Data on the Midlatitude and Low‐Latitude Ionospheric Specification

AbstractGlobal Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Radio Occultation (RO) missions, such as the Formosa Satellite‐3/Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (FORMOSAT‐3/COSMIC) and the upcoming FORMOSAT‐7/COSMIC‐2, provide valuable profiling of the ionized atmosphere for the monitoring of space weather. This study shows that the FORMOSAT‐3/COSMIC and FORMOSAT‐7/COSMIC‐2 missions' ability to monitor highly variable ionospheric weather can be considerably extended with the help of data assimilation. The Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) Ionosphere is a new data assimilation system designed specifically for the low‐latitude and midlatitude ionosphere. The capability of the GSI Ionosphere is first demonstrated with actual FORMOSAT‐3/COSMIC RO total electron content (TEC) data for January 2013. Features of the ionospheric equatorial ionization anomaly in a coupled plasmasphere ionosphere thermosphere model become more consistent with the TEC maps created with independent ground‐based GPS data. The consistency has improved by assimilation of FORMOSAT‐3/COSMIC RO data up to about 50% in comparison to the control simulation case without data assimilation. To evaluate the impact of future RO missions on ionospheric weather specification, comparative Observing System Simulation Experiments (OSSEs) are carried out with synthetic RO TEC data. An OSSE of FORMOSAT‐7/COSMIC‐2 shows that the GSI Ionosphere can improve the ionospheric specification within ±30° geomagnetic latitude by 67% over the control case, which is comparable to the improvement yielded by FORMOSAT‐3/COSMIC for 2009 (61%). These results indicate a great potential for improving the monitoring of realistic ionospheric weather with the help of FORMOSAT‐7/COSMIC‐2 RO TEC data.

Identification of Geoeffective Disturbances of Solar Wind in the Flux of Cosmic-Ray Muons

The method of flicker-noise spectroscopy is used for remote identification of geoeffective disturbances of the solar wind. The method is based on the study of short-term variations in the cosmic-ray flux that arise when it crosses the perturbed regions in the inner heliosphere. The magnitude of the effect is usually small and it is hidden in statistical noise. The analysis uses data from a continuous flux of secondary atmospheric muons. Bumps of the “nonstationarity” parameter of time series of muons indicate the emergence of advanced signals (predictors) 1–3 days before the disturbances enter the Earth’s magnetosphere. Geoeffective events with a low threshold (Ap > 30 nT) for various types of solar wind are analyzed. The results are obtained using a ground-based muon hodoscope URAGAN (Moscow). The technique can be used for continuous monitoring of space weather.

Daytime Ionospheric TEC Weather Study Over Latin America

AbstractThe present work is the first of a two‐part weather study of the ionospheric Total Electron Content (TEC), based on data collected by four ground‐based Global Navigation Satellite System networks that cover the whole Latin America from the Patagonia to the north of Mexico. From the best of our knowledge, the maps presented here are the first TEC maps obtained using ground‐based data that covers the entire Latin America region, which represent an advance to the space weather monitoring and forecasting of the ionosphere. This work provides a qualitative and quantitative daytime analysis of the ionospheric TEC variation, which encompasses: (a) the response of TEC to the solar flux at midday; (b) the seasonal variation of TEC in different latitudinal ranges; and (c) the North‐South asymmetry of TEC over Latin America. The response to the solar flux is based on day‐to‐day TEC variations during two periods of different solar activity conditions: 2011 (ascending phase) and 2014 (maximum). The approximations of meridional wind component derived from Horizontal Wind Model‐14 model and hmF2 obtained from International Reference Ionosphere model were used. Equinoctial asymmetries with an opposite configuration in high and moderate solar activity were identified in the TEC variation. For 2011, it was related to the solar flux change. However, in 2014, according to the hmF2 variation, the influence of neutral wind becomes dominant. Among the results, we highlight an absence of winter anomaly in the Northern Hemisphere in 2014 and a stronger annual anomaly for latitudes under −20∘.

First joint observations of space weather events over Mexico

Abstract. The Mexican Space Weather Service (SCiESMEX in Spanish) and National Space Weather Laboratory (LANCE in Spanish) were organized in 2014 and in 2016, respectively, to provide space weather monitoring and alerts, as well as scientific research in Mexico. In this work, we present the results of the first joint observations of two events (22 June and 29 September 2015) with our local network of instruments and their related products. This network includes the MEXART radio telescope (solar flare and radio burst), the Compact Astronomical Low-frequency, Low-cost Instrument for Spectroscopy in Transportable Observatories (CALLISTO) at the MEXART station (solar radio burst), the Mexico City Cosmic Ray Observatory (cosmic ray fluxes), GPS receiver networks (ionospheric disturbances), and the Teoloyucan Geomagnetic Observatory (geomagnetic field). The observations show that we detected significant space weather effects over the Mexican territory: geomagnetic and ionospheric disturbances (22 June 2015), variations in cosmic ray fluxes, and also radio communications' interferences (29 September 2015). The effects of these perturbations were registered, for the first time, using space weather products by SCiESMEX: total electron content (TEC) maps, regional geomagnetic index Kmex, radio spectrographs of low frequency, and cosmic ray fluxes. These results prove the importance of monitoring space weather phenomena in the region and the need to strengthening the instrumentation network. Keywords. Solar physics, astrophysics, and astronomy (instruments and techniques)

Optimization of Intersatellite Routing for Real-Time Data Download

The objective of this study is to develop a strategy to maximize the available bandwidth to Earth of a satellite constellation through intersatellite links. Optimal signal routing is achieved by mimicking the way in which ant colonies locate food sources, where the “ants” are explorative data packets aiming to find a near-optimal route to Earth. Demonstrating the method on a case study of a space weather monitoring constellation, we show the real-time downloadable rate to Earth.

Remote sensing of geomagnetic fields and atomic collisions in the mesosphere

Magnetic-field sensing has contributed to the formulation of the plate-tectonics theory, mapping of underground structures on Earth, and the study of magnetism of other planets. Filling the gap between space-based and near-Earth observations, we demonstrate a remote measurement of the geomagnetic field at an altitude of 85–100 km. The method consists of optical pumping of atomic sodium in the mesosphere with an intensity-modulated laser beam, and ground-based observation of the resultant magneto-optical resonance near the Larmor precession frequency. Here we validate this technique and measure the Larmor precession frequency of sodium and the corresponding magnetic field with an accuracy level of 0.28 mG Hz−1/2. These observations allow the characterization of atomic-collision processes in the mesosphere. Remote detection of mesospheric magnetic fields has potential applications such as mapping magnetic structures in the lithosphere, monitoring space weather, and electric currents in the ionosphere.

Satellite-based In-situ Monitoring of Space Weather: KSEM Mission and Data Application

Many recent satellites have mission periods longer than 10 years; thus, satellite-based local space weather monitoring is becoming more important than ever. This article describes the instruments and data applications of the Korea Space wEather Monitor (KSEM), which is a space weather payload of the GeoKompsat-2A (GK-2A) geostationary satellite. The KSEM payload consists of energetic particle detectors, magnetometers, and a satellite charging monitor. KSEM will provide accurate measurements of the energetic particle flux and three-axis magnetic field, which are the most essential elements of space weather events, and use sensors and external data such as GOES and DSCOVR to provide five essential space weather products. The longitude of GK-2A is 128.2° E, while those of the GOES satellite series are 75° W and 135° W. Multi-satellite measurements of a wide distribution of geostationary equatorial orbits by KSEM/GK-2A and other satellites will enable the development, improvement, and verification of new space weather forecasting models. KSEM employs a service-oriented magnetometer designed by ESA to reduce magnetic noise from the satellite in real time with a very short boom (1 m), which demonstrates that a satellite-based magnetometer can be made simpler and more convenient without losing any performance.

Global ionospheric modeling based on multi-GNSS, satellite altimetry, and Formosat-3/COSMIC data

Ionosphere total electron content (TEC) from global ionospheric maps (GIM) is widely applied in both ionospheric delay correction and research on space weather monitoring. Global ionospheric modeling based on multisource data is an effective method to improve conventional GIM accuracy and reliability. In this study, a global ionospheric model is constructed from multi-GNSS (here, GPS/GLONASS/BDS), satellite altimetry and Formosat-3/COSMIC (F3/C) observations using a spherical harmonic (SH) function. The results show that compared to the conventional GIM derived from GPS/GLONASS data, the combined GIM performance from multisource data improves significantly; the RMS versus external data decreases from [2, 5] to [2, 3] TECU, and the BIAS decreases from [− 3, 1] to [− 1, 1] TECU. Specifically, BDS observations improve the IPP distributions, especially over the region of Australia; compared with GPS-based ionospheric TEC. Our calculated GIM with BDS data has better performance than that without BDS data. By combining JASON 2 and GPS/GLONASS data, the residual distribution is more concentrated, and the RMS is improved effectively in mid-high latitudes of the southern hemisphere and in the equatorial region. F3/C TEC also exhibits relatively minor improvements on GIM; the standard deviation reduces from 2.89 to 1.92 TECU, and the BIAS regarding extra F3/C data decreases from − 2.02 to − 1.71 TECU.

IONOLAB-MAP: An automatic spatial interpolation algorithm for total electron content

Investigation of the variability of total electron content (TEC) is one of the most important parameters of the observation and monitoring of space weather, which is the main cause of signal disturbance in space-based communication, positioning, and navigation systems. TEC is defined as the total number of electrons on a ray path. The Global Positioning System (GPS) provides a cost-effective solution for the estimation of TEC. Due to various physical and operational disturbances, TEC may have temporal and spatial domain gaps. Global ionospheric maps (GIMs) provide worldwide TEC with 1- to 2-h temporal resolution and $2.5^{\circ}\, \times 5^{\circ}$ spatial resolution in latitude and longitude, respectively. The GIM-TEC with the highest possible accuracy can be obtained 10 days after the recording of the signals. Therefore, a high-resolution and accurate interpolation of TEC is necessary to image and monitor the regional distribution of TEC in near-real time. In this study, a novel spatiotemporal interpolation algorithm with automatic gridding is developed for 2-D TEC imaging by data fusion of GPS-TEC and GIM-TEC. The algorithm automatically implements optimum spatial resolution and desired temporal resolution with universal kriging with linear trend for midlatitude regions and ordinary kriging for other regions. The theoretical semivariogram function is estimated from GPS network data using a Matern family, whose parameters are determined with a particle swarm optimization algorithm. The developed algorithm is applied to the Turkish National Permanent GPS Network (TNPGN-Active), a dense midlatitude GPS network. For the first time in the literature, high spatial resolution TEC maps are obtained between May 2009 and May 2012 with a 2.5-min temporal update period. These TEC maps will be used to investigate the spatiotemporal variability of the ionosphere over the diurnal and annual trend structure, including seasonal anomalies and geomagnetic and seismic disturbances over ionosphere.

Evaluating the Skill of Forecasts of the Near‐Earth Solar Wind Using a Space Weather Monitor at L5

AbstractForecasting space weather is an essential activity for increasing the resilience of modern technological infrastructure to hazards from the Sun. To provide an accurate forecast, space weather monitors positioned at L5 are proposed that carry in situ plasma detectors. Here we use data from the STEREO and ACE missions to investigate how well it is possible to predict the solar wind when there are two spacecraft located with the same longitudinal separation as from L5 to Earth. There are four intervals when this is the case: STEREO‐to‐STEREO both on the Earth's side and the far side of the Sun, STEREO‐B to ACE and ACE to STEREO‐A. We forecast the solar wind by mapping the observed solar wind at the first spacecraft to the second using a time delay calculated using the spacecraft's heliographic longitudinal separation and the difference in radial distance from the Sun, allowing for the solar wind speed. Using forecasting skill scores, we find that the predicted and observed solar wind data are, in general, in very good agreement with each of the four periods, including observed corotating interaction regions. However, there are some notable exceptions when corotating interaction regions have been missed by the forecast. The skill improves further for all time periods when removing coronal mass ejections, which cannot be predicted in this method. We suggest that an L5 monitor should be located at the same heliographic latitude as the Earth to optimize the forecasting ability of the monitor and to reduce the chance of missing important events.

Proxy Index Derived From All Sky Imagers for Space Weather Impact on GPS

AbstractGlobal Positioning System (GPS) signals passing through the auroral ionosphere, which exhibits multiscreen electron density structuring, maybe scintillated causing observation and possibly positioning errors. It is advantageous to determine the magnitude of GPS signal scintillation associated with a given level of auroral brightness observed around the signal's ionospheric pierce point (IPP). Such information would enable the exploitation of auroral image observations in space weather monitoring and help in assessment of impact on infrastructure/services reliant on GNSS. Studies have observed a general positive correlation between auroral brightness and GPS phase scintillation but not a definite one‐to‐one relationship. In this study a correlation coefficient of 0.38 is observed between the phase scintillation and the level of auroral arc brightness around the GPS signal's raypath for a data set of 292 events in the Canadian sector. Alternatively, a new pseudo‐scintillation index, Rate of change of Brightness index, is introduced in this study which is derived from the changing auroral brightness around the satellite's IPP. This Rate of change of Brightness index is highly positively correlated (correlation coefficient: 0.75) with GPS phase scintillation. Spatial and spectral relationships between auroral brightness around the satellite's IPP and phase scintillation were also analyzed. It is observed that probability of GPS signals experiencing phase scintillation is high when the auroral brightness around the satellite's IPP has dominant fluctuations in the frequency band ~0.06 to 0.16 Hz. These results indicate that GPS signal scintillation is related to the dynamics of the brightness around the satellite's IPP as the satellite signal propagates through the aurora.

Response of the total electron content at Brazilian low latitudes to corotating interaction region and high-speed streams during solar minimum 2008

In this work, we investigate the Brazilian low-latitude ionospheric response to two corotating interaction regions (CIRs) and high-speed streams (HSSs) events during the solar minimum of solar cycle 23, in 2008. The studied intervals are enclosed in the whole heliospheric interval, studied by other authors, for distinct longitudinal sectors. CIRs/HSSs are structures commonly observed during the descending and low solar activity, and they are related to the occurrence of coronal holes. These events cause weak-to-moderate recurrent geomagnetic storms characterized by negative excursions of the interplanetary magnetic field, IMF_Bz, as well as long-duration auroral activity, considered as a favorable scenario for continuous prompt penetration interplanetary electric field (PPEF). In this study, we used the vertical total electron content (VTEC) calculated from GPS receivers database from the Brazilian Continuous Monitoring Network managed by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. Moreover, we analyzed the F-layer peak height, hmF2 and the critical plasma frequency, foF2, taken from a Digisonde installed at the southern crest of the equatorial ionization anomaly, in Cachoeira Paulista, CP. It was observed that during the CIRs/HSSs-driven geomagnetic disturbances VTEC increased more than 120% over the quiet times averaged values, which is comparable to intense geomagnetic storms. On the other hand, VTEC decreases were also observed during the recovery phase of the storm. Spectral analysis using gapped wavelet technique (GWT) revealed periodicities of 7, 9, 13.5 days, which are sub-harmonics of the solar rotation period, ~ 27 days. These periods in VTEC are closely associated with those observed in solar and geomagnetic indices such as Vsw, IMF_Bz and AE during CIRs/HSSs intervals. We discuss PPEF associated to IMF_Bz reconnection processes and the auroral activity as the most probable causes for the VTEC variations. These results can be of interest for studies related to space weather monitoring, modeling and forecasting, especially during low solar activity.

Morphological characteristics and coupling mechanism of the ionospheric disturbance caused by Super Typhoon Sarika in 2016

The temporal and spatial morphological characteristics of the ionospheric disturbance caused by Super Typhoon Sarika (ST-Sarika) in 2016 are investigated using tomography sounding data observed using a Digisonde-4D portable sounder installed on the FuKe Station (FKS) of the Meridian Space Weather Monitoring Project of China. The results show that significant ionospheric disturbances were found and correlated to ST-Sarika. The electrons in E and F1 layers decreased and even disappeared during the period from 00:00 to 03:00 UTC in the forenoon of Oct 17, 2016, the 1st day before ST-Sarika landed on Hainan Province. However, the electron density in E and F1 layers increased in the afternoon of ST-Sarika landfall day and the next day. As the ascending and descending airflows of ST-Sarika alternately passed above the FKS, the anomalies of profile electron density in the F2 layer periodically appeared at 4-h intervals. When the strongest ascending airflow of ST-Sarika eyewall was above FKS UT 12:00 (Sunset) of Oct 18, the extent of electron density profile anomaly in the F2 layer was the largest with the maximum of 0.8 ∗ 106 e/cm3, and the electrons in the F2 layer above 350-km altitude disappeared. Additionally, the ionospheric vertical drift above the FKS was mainly downward, and its mean daily velocity reached the maximum of 6.8 m/s on Oct 18, but the ionospheric vertical drift velocity suddenly increased to 70 m/s and lasted for a few minutes before typhoon center arrived above the FKS. On the basis of these temporal and spatial morphological characteristics of the ionospheric disturbances, the coupling mechanism was explained by the combined action of turbulent layer movement, photochemical reaction, neutral wind, electric field, and gravity waves from the interaction between ST-Sarika airflow and the varied topography.

Modeling ionospheric [formula omitted] response during geomagnetic storms using neural network and linear regression techniques

In this paper, the modeling of the ionospheric foF2 changes during geomagnetic storms by means of neural network (NN) and linear regression (LR) techniques is presented. The results will lead to a valuable tool to model the complex ionospheric changes during disturbed days in an operational space weather monitoring and forecasting environment. The storm-time foF2 data during 1996–2014 from Grahamstown (33.3°S, 26.5°E), South Africa ionosonde station was used in modeling. In this paper, six storms were reserved to validate the models and hence not used in the modeling process. We found that the performance of both NN and LR models is comparable during selected storms which fell within the data period (1996–2014) used in modeling. However, when validated on storm periods beyond 1996–2014, the NN model gives a better performance (R = 0.62) compared to LR model (R = 0.56) for a storm that reached a minimum Dst index of −155 nT during 19–23 December 2015. We also found that both NN and LR models are capable of capturing the ionospheric foF2 responses during two great geomagnetic storms (28 October–1 November 2003 and 6–12 November 2004) which have been demonstrated to be difficult storms to model in previous studies.

Measurements of Forbush decreases at Mars: both by MSL on ground and by MAVEN in orbit

The Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD), on board Mars Science Laboratory’s (MSL) Curiosity rover, has been measuring ground level particle fluxes along with the radiation dose rate at the surface of Mars since August 2012. Similar to neutron monitors at Earth, RAD sees many Forbush decreases (FDs) in the galactic cosmic ray (GCR) induced surface fluxes and dose rates. These FDs are associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and/or stream/corotating interaction regions (SIRs/CIRs). Orbiting above the Martian atmosphere, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft has also been monitoring space weather conditions at Mars since September 2014. The penetrating particle flux channels in the solar energetic particle (SEP) instrument onboard MAVEN can also be employed to detect FDs. For the first time, we study the statistics and properties of a list of FDs observed in-situ at Mars, seen both on the surface by MSL/RAD and in orbit detected by the MAVEN/SEP instrument. Such a list of FDs can be used for studying interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICME) propagation and SIR evolution through the inner heliosphere. The magnitudes of different FDs can be well-fitted by a power-law distribution. The systematic difference between the magnitudes of the FDs within and outside the Martian atmosphere may be mostly attributed to the energy-dependent modulation of the GCR particles by both the pass-by ICMEs/SIRs and the Martian atmosphere.

Parallel optimization of signal detection in active magnetospheric signal injection experiments

Signal detection and extraction requires substantial manual parameter tuning at different stages in the processing pipeline. Time-series data depends on domain-specific signal properties, necessitating unique parameter selection for a given problem. The large potential search space makes this parameter selection process time-consuming and subject to variability. We introduce a technique to search and prune such parameter search spaces in parallel and select parameters for time series filters using breadth- and depth-first search strategies to increase the likelihood of detecting signals of interest in the field of magnetospheric physics. We focus on studying geomagnetic activity in the extremely and very low frequency ranges (ELF/VLF) using ELF/VLF transmissions from Siple Station, Antarctica, received at Québec, Canada. Our technique successfully detects amplified transmissions and achieves substantial speedup performance gains as compared to an exhaustive parameter search. We present examples where our algorithmic approach reduces the search from hundreds of seconds down to less than 1 s, with a ranked signal detection in the top 99th percentile, thus making it valuable for real-time monitoring. We also present empirical performance models quantifying the trade-off between the quality of signal recovered and the algorithm response time required for signal extraction. In the future, improved signal extraction in scenarios like the Siple experiment will enable better real-time diagnostics of conditions of the Earth's magnetosphere for monitoring space weather activity.