HR: 1340h
AN: SH53B-0323    [Abstracts]
TI: Space Weather Drivers in the ACE Era
AU: Vogt, M
EM: marissav@mit.edu
AF: Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307 United States
AU: Puhl-Quinn, P
EM: Pamela.Puhlquinn@unh.edu
AF: Space Science Center, Morse Hall, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824 United States
AU: Jordanova, V K
EM: Vania.Jordanova@unh.edu
AF: Space Science Center, Morse Hall, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824 United States
AU: * Smith, C W
EM: Charles.Smith@unh.edu
AF: Space Science Center, Morse Hall, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824 United States
AU: Cohen, C M
EM: cohen@srl.caltech.edu
AF: Space Radiation Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 United States
AB: The Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft was launched Aug.~25, 1997 [{\it Stone et al.}, 1998]. Beginning shortly after launch and continuing to the present day ACE has provided real-time data telemetry of solar wind conditions upstream of the Earth. The real-time data includes solar wind speed and density, magnetic field direction and magnitude, and a range of energetic particle intensities [{\it Zwickl et al.}, 1999]. The real-time data product is provided within 5 minutes of observation and many partners from both industry and science use these data for a variety of purposes. The most common purpose of practical industrial application involves mitigation of lost services arising from magnetospheric storm activity. Many space weather efforts are directed at providing improved predictions of magnetospheric response that can be applied to real-time data in the hope of better predicting the vulnerability and required action of industry to approaching disturbances. It therefore seems prudent that following 6 years of activity including one solar maximum period we should evaluate the nature and strength of the largest disturbances observed with the hope of better assessing the industrial response. Simply put: ``Did ACE observe disturbances that were as large as those seen previously during the space age?'' If not, it may be the case that industry must evaluate its response to the real-time warnings and not become complacent by the simple act of survival. We compare the most intense space weather events of the ACE era with those recorded on the Omnitape data set spanning 40+ years of spacecraft measurements in the near-Earth environment. We compare both magnetospheric response parameters and solar wind drivers. In addition, we compare the large energetic particle events over the same time frame. Stone, E.~C., et al., Space Science Rev., 86(1-4), 357-408, 1998. Zwickl, R.~D., et al., Space Science Rev., 86(1-4), 633-648, 1998.
DE: 2111 Ejecta, driver gases, and magnetic clouds
DE: 2114 Energetic particles, heliospheric (7514)
DE: 2722 Forecasting
DE: 2788 Storms and substorms
SC: SPA-Solar and Heliospheric Physics [SH]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting