We introduce a new solar energetic particle (SEP) transport code that aims at studying the effects of different solar wind configurations on SEP events. We focus on the influence of varying solar wind velocities on the energy changes of SEPs, and study how a non-Parker background solar wind can trap particles temporarily at small heliocentric radial distances (r<1.5 AU). Our model computes particle distributions by solving the focused transport equation (FTE) in a stochastic manner by propagating particles in a solar wind generated by the heliospheric MHD model EUHFORIA. We solve the FTE, including all solar wind effects and cross-field diffusion. As initial conditions, we inject 4 MeV protons impulsively, and spread uniformly over a selected region at the inner boundary of the model. To verify the model, we first assume nominal undisturbed fast and slow solar winds. Thereafter, we analyse the propagation of particles in a solar wind containing a corotating interaction region (CIR). The intensity-time profiles obtained in the simulations using the nominal solar winds illustrate the considerable adiabatic deceleration undergone by SEPs when propagating in a fast solar wind. For the solar wind containing a CIR, we observe particles accelerating when propagating in the compression and shock waves bounding the CIR. These waves and the magnetic configuration near the stream interface also act as a magnetic mirror, producing long-lasting high intensities at small radial distances. We also illustrate how the efficiency of the cross-field diffusion in the heliosphere is altered due to compressed magnetic fields. Finally, cross-field diffusion enables some particles to reach the forward shock wave, resulting in the formation of an accelerated particle population centred on the forward shock, despite the lack of magnetic connection between the particle injection region and this shock wave.
We model the energetic storm particle (ESP) event of 14 July 2012 using the energetic particle acceleration and transport model named PARADISE, together with the solar wind and coronal mass ejection (CME) model named EUHFORIA. The simulation results illustrate both the capabilities and limitations of the utilised models. We show that the models capture some essential structural features of the ESP event; however, for some aspects the simulations and observations diverge. We describe and, to some extent, assess the sources of errors in the modelling chain of EUHFORIA and PARADISE and discuss ho…
We present the implementation of coupling the EUropean Heliospheric FORcasting Information Asset (EUHFORIA) and the improved Particle Acceleration and Transport in the Heliosphere (iPATH) model and simulate the widespread solar energetic particle (SEP) event of 2020 November 29. We compare the simulated time intensity profiles with measurements at Parker Solar Probe (PSP), the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO)-A, SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and Solar Orbiter (SolO). We focus on the influence of the history of shock acceleration on the varying SEP time intensity pro…
We investigate energetic particle transport in Corotating Interaction Regions (CIRs) through a case study. The CIR event we study occurred on $2008$ February $08$ and was observed by both the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) and the twin Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO)-B spacecraft. An in-situ reverse shock was observed by STEREO-B ($1.0$ AU) but not ACE ($0.98$ AU). Using STEREO-B observations and assuming the CIR structure does not vary significantly in the corotating frame, we estimate the shock location at later times for both the STEREO-B and ACE observations. Further …
In this paper we examine suprathermal He ions measured by the SIT (Suprathermal Ion Telescope) instrument associated with tilted corotating interaction regions (CIRs). We use observations of the two STEREO spacecraft (s/c) for the first 2.7 years of the mission, along with ground-based measurements of the solar magnetic field during the unusually long minimum of Solar Cycle 23. Due to the unique configuration of the STEREO s/c orbits we are able to investigate spatial variations in the intensity of the corotating ions on time scales of less than one solar rotation. The observations reveal that…
We report observations of the acceleration and trapping of energetic ions and electrons between a pair of corotating interaction regions (CIRs). The event occurred in Carrington Rotation 2060. Observed at spacecraft STEREO-B, the two CIRs were separated by less than 5 days. In contrast to other CIR events, the fluxes of energetic ions and electrons in this event reached their maxima between the trailing-edge of the first CIR and the leading edge of the second CIR. The radial magnetic field (Br) reversed its sense and the anisotropy of the flux also changed from sunward to anti-sunward between …
The dearth of observations between 1 au and 3 au limits our understanding of energetic particle acceleration processes in interplanetary space. We present the first-of-their-kind observations of the energetic particle acceleration in a Corotating Interaction Region (CIR) using data from two vantage points, 1 au (near Earth) and 1.5 au (near Mars). The CIR event of June 2015 was observed by the particle detectors aboard the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) satellite as well as the SEP (Solar Energetic Particle) instrument aboard the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft s…
The response of Martian ionosphere to the passage of Corotating Interaction Region (CIR) of June 2015 is studied using observations from several instruments aboard the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission. An intense CIR arrived at Mars on 22 June 2015, during which the upstream solar wind and interplanetary conditions were monitored by the Solar Wind Ion Analyzer (SWIA), Solar Wind Electron Analyzer (SWEA), Magnetometer (MAG), and Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) instruments aboard MAVEN. The CIR event was characterized by enhancements in solar wind density, velocity, and dyna…
We study how a high-speed solar wind stream embedded in a slow solar wind influences the spread of solar energetic protons in interplanetary space. To model the energetic protons, we used a recently developed particle transport code that computes particle distributions in the heliosphere by solving the focused transport equation in a stochastic manner. The particles are propagated in a solar wind containing a CIR, which was generated by the heliospheric magnetohydrodynamic model, EUHFORIA. We study four cases in which we assume a delta injection of 4 MeV protons spread uniformly over different…
We study how a high-speed solar wind stream embedded in a slow solar wind affects the transport and energy changes of solar energetic protons in interplanetary space, assuming different levels of cross-field diffusion. This is done using a particle transport model that computes directional particle intensities and first order parallel anisotropies in a background solar wind generated by the magnetohydrodynamic model EUHFORIA. In particular, we consider a mono-energetic 4 MeV proton injection over an extended region located at a heliographic radial distance of 0.1 AU. By using different values …
We report on a study that compares energetic particle fluxes in corotating interaction regions (CIRs) associated with type III radio storm with those in nonstorm CIRs. In a case study, we compare the CIR particle events on 2010October 21 and 2005 November 2. The two events have similar solar and solar wind circumstances, except that the former is associated with a type III radio storm and has a higher CIR particle flux and fluence. We also perform a statistical study, which shows that the proton and electron fluences are higher in the storm associated CIRs by factor of about 6 and 8, respectiv…
The Parker Solar Probe was launched on 2018 August 12 and completed its second orbit on 2019 June 19 with perihelion of 35.7 solar radii. During this time, the Energetic particle Instrument-Hi (EPI-Hi, one of the two energetic particle instruments comprising the Integrated Science Investigation of the Sun, ISOIS) measured seven proton intensity increases associated with stream interaction regions (SIRs), two of which appear to be occurring in the same region corotating with the Sun. The events are relatively weak, with observed proton spectra extending to only a few MeV and lasting for a few d…
The Integrated Science Investigations of the Sun (IS$\odot$IS) instrument suite includes two Energetic Particle instruments: EPI-Hi, designed to measure ions from ~1-200 MeV/nuc, and EPI-Lo, designed to measure ions from ~20 keV/nuc to ~15 MeV/nuc. We present an analysis of eight energetic proton events observed across the energy range of both instruments during PSP's first two orbits in order to examine their combined energy spectra. Background corrections are applied to help resolve spectral breaks between the two instruments and are shown to be effective. In doing so we demonstrate that, ev…
Context. Interplanetary (IP) shocks are known to be accelerators of energetic charged particles observed in-situ in the heliosphere. However, the acceleration of near-relativistic electrons by shocks in the interplanetary medium is often questioned. On 9 August 2011 a Corotating Interaction Region (CIR) passed STEREO B (STB) that resulted in a flux increase in the electron and ion channels of the Solar Electron and Proton Telescope (SEPT). Because electron measurements in the few keV to several 100 keV range rely on the so-called magnet foil technique, which is utilized by SEPT, ions can contr…
August 1 to November 15, 2016 period was characterized by the presence of Corotating Interaction Regions (CIRs) and a few weak Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) in the heliosphere. In this study we show recurrent energetic electron and proton enhancements observed near Earth (1 AU) and Mars (1.43-1.38 AU) during this period. The observations near Earth are using data from instruments aboard ACE, SOHO, and SDO whereas those near Mars are by the SEP, SWIA, and MAG instruments aboard MAVEN. During this period, the energetic electron fluxes observed near Earth and Mars showed prominent periodic enhanc…
Corotation of particle-filled magnetic flux tubes is generally thought to have a minor influence on the time-intensity profiles of gradual Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) events. For this reason many models solve the focussed transport equation within the corotating frame, thus neglecting corotation effects. We study the effects of corotation on gradual SEP intensity profiles at a range of observer longitudinal positions relative to the solar source. We study how corotation affects the duration and decay time constant of SEP events and the variation of peak intensity with observer position. We …
We study the effect of the magnetic gradient and curvature drifts on the pitch-angle dependent transport of solar energetic particles (SEPs), focusing on 3 - 36 MeV protons. By considering observers located at various positions in the heliosphere, we investigate how drifts may alter the measured intensity-time profiles and energy spectra. We focus on the decay phase of solar energetic proton events during which a temporal invariant spectrum and disappearing spatial intensity gradients are often observed; a phenomenon known as the 'reservoir effect' or the 'SEP flood'. We study the effects of d…
After providing an overview of solar activity as measured by the sunspot number (SSN) and space weather events during solar cycles (SCs) 21-24, we focus on the weak solar activity in SC 24. The weak solar activity reduces the number of energetic eruptions from the Sun and hence the number of space weather events. The speeds of coronal mass ejections (CMEs), interplanetary (IP) shocks, and the background solar wind all declined in SC 24. One of the main heliospheric consequences of weak solar activity is the reduced total (magnetic + gas) pressure, magnetic field strength, and Alfvén speed. The…
The remoteness of the Sun and the harsh conditions prevailing in the solar corona have so far limited the observational data used in the study of solar physics to remote-sensing observations taken either from the ground or from space. In contrast, the `solar wind laboratory' is directly measured in situ by a fleet of spacecraft measuring the properties of the plasma and magnetic fields at specific points in space. Since 2007, the solar-terrestrial relations observatory (STEREO) has been providing images of the solar wind that flows between the solar corona and spacecraft making in-situ measure…
