Time-dependent tomography of heliospheric structures using IPS and Thomson scattering observations

ESA SP 535, 823−833, 2003

International Solar Cycle Studies (ISCS) Symposium:
Solar variability as an input to the Earth's environment
23−28 June 2003, Tatranská Lomnica, Slovak Republic
A. Wilson (ed.)
© ESA Publication Division

Time-dependent tomography of heliospheric structures using IPS and Thomson scattering observations

B.V. Jackson, P.P. Hick and A. Buffington
Center for Astrophysics and Space Science, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA

Abstract

The Air Force/NASA Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI) launched January 6, 2003 is now recording whole sky data on each 100-minute orbit. Precise photometric images of the heliosphere around Earth are expected from these data. To optimize the information available from this and similar instruments, we are developing a tomographic technique for analyzing remote sensing observations of the heliosphere using both interplanetary scintillation (IPS) and Thomson scattering data. The technique provides a three-dimensional reconstruction of heliospheric velocities and densities. We have refined our tomography program to analyze time-dependent phenomena such as evolving corotating heliospheric structures and more discrete events such as coronal mass ejections (CMEs).