Ayman Mahrous

Ionospheric disturbance dynamo associated to a coronal hole: Case study of 5–10 April 2010

In this paper we study the planetary magnetic disturbance during the magnetic storm occurring on 5 April 2010 associated with high-speed solar wind stream due to a coronal hole following a coronal mass ejection. We separate the magnetic disturbance associated to the ionospheric disturbance dynamo (Ddyn) from the magnetic disturbance associated to the prompt penetration of magnetospheric electric field (DP2). This event exhibits different responses of ionospheric disturbance dynamo in the different longitude sectors (European-African, Asian, and American). The strongest effect is observed in the European-African sector. The Ddyn disturbance reduces the amplitude of the daytime H component at low latitudes during four consecutive days in agreement with the Blanc and Richmonds model of ionospheric disturbance dynamo. The amplitude of Ddyn decreased with time during the 4 days. We discuss its diverse worldwide effects. The observed signature of magnetic disturbance process in specific longitude sector is strongly dependent on which Earths side faces the magnetic storms (i.e., there is a different response depending on which longitude sector is at noon when the SSC hits). Finally, we determined an average period of 22 h for Ddyn using wavelet analysis.

The Space Weather and Ultraviolet Solar Variability (SWUSV) Microsatellite Mission

We present the ambitions of the SWUSV (Space Weather and Ultraviolet Solar Variability) Microsatellite Mission that encompasses three major scientific objectives: (1) Space Weather including the prediction and detection of major eruptions and coronal mass ejections (Lyman-Alpha and Herzberg continuum imaging); (2) solar forcing on the climate through radiation and their interactions with the local stratosphere (UV spectral irradiance from 180 to 400 nm by bands of 20 nm, plus Lyman-Alpha and the CN bandhead); (3) simultaneous radiative budget of the Earth, UV to IR, with an accuracy better than 1% in differential. The paper briefly outlines the mission and describes the five proposed instruments of the model payload: SUAVE (Solar Ultraviolet Advanced Variability Experiment), an optimized telescope for FUV (Lyman-Alpha) and MUV (200–220 nm Herzberg continuum) imaging (sources of variability); UPR (Ultraviolet Passband Radiometers), with 64 UV filter radiometers; a vector magnetometer; thermal plasma measurements and Langmuir probes; and a total and spectral solar irradiance and Earth radiative budget ensemble (SERB, Solar irradiance & Earth Radiative Budget). SWUSV is proposed as a small mission to CNES and to ESA for a possible flight as early as 2017–2018.

The Space Weather & Ultraviolet Solar Variability Microsatellite Mission (SWUSV)

We present a summary of the scientific objectives, payload and mission profile of the Space Weather & Ultraviolet Solar Variability Microsatellite Mission (SWUSV) proposed to CNES and ESA (small mission).