S lar-Terrestrial Weather

1. S lar-Terrestrial Weather `.* Becca Kolias *.` `.* Michelle LeBlanc *.`

2. What is Space Weather? Space weather originates on the sun. Activity on the surface of the sun, such as solar flares, can cause high levels of radiation in space. This radiation can come as plasma (particles) or electromagnetic radiation (light).” -Fairview Highschooler • Sources of Space Weather • Solar Flares • Radiation • Coronal Mass Ejections • Interplanetary Shock • Solar Energetic Particles • Other Distubances

3. So... Why Should YOU Care? The magnetosphere protects the earth from the massive amounts of radiation given off by the sun. Solar events can disrupt satelite connections; for example, cell phone service may be cut off. Major solar storms have been known to cause entire cities to lose power. On an aesthetic note, solar events cause the beautiful aurora. For health reasons... Solar activity produces radiation that could be harmful to astronauts and those who fly long distances on a plane. "Even though we may not realize it, the Sun is the major driver, not only of Earth's weather, but also of the electromagnetic activity that can affect the technical system on which society depends." -James West

4. The Magnetosphere The magnetosphere is specific to not only Earth, but also to other bodies: planets, moons, and stars. The magnetosphere is called the magnetosphere because it acts much like a magnet. “Did you know that the Earth's environment extends all the way from the sun to the Earth and beyond? It is not an empty wasteland of space. Instead, near-Earth space is full of streaming particles, electromagnetic radiation, and constantly changing electric and magnetic fields. All of these things make up our magnetosphere.” -Dr. Frank Six

5. Interplanetary Shock A strong jump from upstream to downstream electromagnetic fields during which the properties of the plasma are altered... Plasma is heated Density of the plasma increases Plasma changes its form Velocity is changed* * the velocity of the shock is what we are researching

6. ::: :: : : :Project Overview: : : :: ::: We researched how an interplanetary shock wave propagates throughout the Earth's magnetosphere We were curious as to whether the interplanetary shock wave would gain or lose velocity as it travels from the solar wind and passes through the bow shock, the magnetopause, and the magnetosphere. Global simulations of the Earth's magnetosphere will be used to examine how an interplanetary shock interacts with the magnetosphere Similar plots could be used to predict when a spacecraft may come in contact with an interplanetary shock, so that the electronics of that spacecraft could be shut down or protected before being destroyed

7. *`~- Research Process -~' * We plotted graphs from computer simulations using J. Raeder's program. Each of these graphs shows various data on a specific point in the simulation. By comparing these graphs, we were able to analyze velocity and discover how an interplanetary shock propagates across the magnetosphere. Time

8. D a t a A n a l y s i s

9. O b s e r v a t i o n s The velocity of the disturbance in the solar wind was less than it was in the magnetosphere. As the interplanetary shock reached the bow shock, the bow shock was at first compressed towards the earth, and then moved back outwards. Region (x 1,z 1) (x 2,z 2) Dd Dt Velocity

10. Conclusions Interplanetary shocks gather velocity as they propagate through the magnetosphere. The bow shock is also influenced by interplanetary shock waves, moving in at first towards the magnetosphere, but then bounces back sunward, with a net Earthward movement The propagation of interplanetary shock waves is similar to the domino effect in that the term 'wave' refers more to a chain of events than a single sweep. Time

11. Works Cited Dr. Frank Six. “What is Space Weather.” MSFC Space Plasma Physics. Sep. 24, 1996. <http://science.nasa.gov/ssl/pad/sppb/edu/magnetosphere/bullets.html> NASA. July 19, 2004. James West. “Solar Scientists Prepare for Storms.” USAToday.com 2002 <http://www.usatoday.com/weather/solar/ws031600a.htm> March 16, 2000. Fairview Highschooler. “Space Weather: FAQ.” Space.com 2004. Imaginova Corp. <http://www.space.com/spacewatch/solar_faq.html#g1> NOAA. Other Intersting Sites of Additional and Relevant Information http://www.tycho7.com/Space/solar_weather.htm#About%20this%20solar%20image1 http://www.space.com/spacewatch/aurora_cam.html http://koronis.sr.unh.edu/jraeder/pub/grl_1997_l_fig3.gif Special Thanksto Dan Seaton John Dorelli Jimmy Raeder Bernie Vasquez