SHINE 2023 Sessions

Organizers: Chris “Gilly” Gilbert (SwRI), Alexandre “Leo” Brosius (GSFC, Penn State), Chris Lowder (SwRI), Cherilynn Morrow (SwRI)

The proposed session at the SHINE conference aims to bring together heliophysics professionals with varying degrees of outreach experience to discuss effective strategies for public engagement. Attendees will share their experiences, ideas, and strategies for effective public engagement events, and explore what support is needed to optimize their contributions. By providing a platform for cross-disciplinary collaboration and dialogue, the session has the potential to inspire new ideas and partnerships that will strengthen the connection between heliophysics research and the public, leading to more effective and engaging outreach events. The session aims to empower scientists as science communicators and inspire new approaches to communicating heliophysics research to a broad audience. The ultimate goal is to bridge the gap between researchers and outreach professionals in heliophysics and create lasting synergies across the field.

How can we design effective and engaging outreach activities in heliophysics that capture the attention and interest of the public?

How can we empower heliophysics researchers to become effective science communicators and engage with the public through outreach activities?

What strategies can we use to ensure that outreach activities in heliophysics are inclusive, diverse, and accessible to all members of the public?

TBA

Organizers: Sushant Mahajan, Shea Hess-Webber, J. Todd Hoeksema

Solar and stellar dynamos stem from the complex interaction of the magnetic field with small- and large-scale flows within their interiors. A Consequence Of Fields and Flows in the Interior and Exterior of the Sun (COFFIES) is the roughly 11-year quasi-periodic magnetic activity cycle. This varying magnetic field drives space weather and the dynamic environment throughout the heliosphere, and therefore an understanding of this variability, leading ultimately to reliable forecasts, is of paramount importance. Yet despite improved observations and years of theoretical modeling efforts, it is still not well understood how the Sun generates, replenishes, and maintains the magnetic field that creates the observed characteristics of the solar cycle, i.e., how the Sun’s dynamo operates. This session aims to drive collaborative discussion regarding the seat of the solar dynamo, whether it’s in the tachocline, bulk convection zone, or near the solar surface, in an effort to push our collective understanding forward.

Where is sunspot producing magnetic energy inside the Sun amplified? Tachocline v/s bulk convection zone v/s near-surface.

How do observations of the photosphere and the Corona help us understand generation of magnetic energy in the solar interior?

How does our understanding of the solar interior inform or limit our understanding of stellar dynamos and vice-versa.

Organizers: Brian Welsch, University of Wisconsin – Green Bay; Stuart Gilchrist, Planetary Science Institute (Boulder, CO)

Magnetic energy stored in electric currents flowing in the low corona are believed to supply the energy that is released in solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). Despite the central role such currents play in the release of magnetic energy in such events, the nature of these currents — such as their origins, spatial structure, and evolution — are not yet fully understood. A key challenge to learning more is that coronal currents cannot be directly observed, meaning that modeling and indirect inferences from observations must be used to study these currents. Additional resources to attack this topic are becoming available, such as the accumulation of large data catalogs (from SDO/HMI & AIA, IRIS, BBSO’s GST, etc.), the advent of new data sources (EOVSA, SO/PHI, DKIST, etc.), and continued development of modeling techniques (such as improved methods for NLFFF extrapolation and data-driven modeling). How can these resources be exploited to improve our understanding of active-region coronal electric currents?

ORIGINS: To what extent is the structure of active-region coronal currents determined by the properties of magnetic fields as they emerge from the interior, versus evolution after fields emerge?

STRUCTURE: What is the spatial distribution and topology of currents flowing in the corona?

EVOLUTION: How do active-region currents evolve (i) prior to flares & CMEs, and (ii) during such events?

Organizers: Kai Yang (University of Hawaii at Manoa); Yuta Notsu (University of Colorado Boulder); Alison O. Farrish (NASA/GSFC); Graham S. Kerr (NASA/GSFC)

Solar eruptions, including flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), are energetic phenomena that occur on a wide range of energy and spatial scales. Extensive studies, including both observations and models, have revealed the complex physics behind the plasma response to impulsive energy releases from magnetic field reconnection. However, the study of these events is limited by the rarity of extremely large events, such as the Carrington level flare, which has occurred only once since 1859.

With the launch of the Kepler and TESS missions, as well as observations from ground-based telescopes, many superflares have been observed in great detail, and some indirect evidence of stellar CMEs has been reported. Additionally, beyond solar-type stars (G-type), K- and M-type stars have shown even more extreme events in space-based photometric observations. It is thought that these events have a similar magnetic origin as solar eruptions, providing an opportunity to extend our understanding of stellar eruptive events to even more extreme conditions.

How can solar-inspired flare models aid in explaining observations of stellar eruptions?

What types of stellar observations can help to constrain models inspired by solar-like eruptions?

What new physics can be gained from the study of stellar eruptions?

Organizers: Maurice Wilson (HAO) ; Samaiyah Farid (HAO) ; Sarah Gibson (HAO) ; Bin Chen (NJIT)

The mechanism for the storage and release of magnetic energy in coronal mass ejections (CMEs) remains a major unsolved problem of Heliophysics, so comprehensive observations of the coronal magnetic field before, during and after the eruption are crucial both for scientific progress and space weather predictions. For decades we have observed the magnetic field at the solar surface (photosphere) with ever-increasing spatial and temporal resolution, but the photospheric boundary alone is insufficient to constrain the coronal magnetic field, motivating observations in the corona. In the past couple of years, coronal magnetism has been mapped as never before, and a range of multiwavelength [radio, visible/infrared (VIR), ultraviolet (UV)] measurements yield direct information on the coronal magnetic field through sensitivities to a variety of physical mechanisms. Pulling together all of these measurements to infer the coronal magnetic environment of CMEs and their precursors requires modeling/inversion frameworks capable of incorporating multi-wavelength data (possibly from different viewing perspectives), and forward analysis tools and simulation testbeds to prioritize and establish observational priorities. We propose a focused SHINE session to discuss new scientific findings associated with multiwavelength observations of coronal magnetic fields, as well as modeling efforts to bring them together to understand the origins of CMEs.

What are the emergent multiwavelength coronal magnetic observational diagnostics?

How can these multiwavelength observations probe different aspects of CME magnetic energy buildup, onset and evolution?

How can models and inversion frameworks be applied to pull together these multiwavelength observations?

Organizers: Nishtha Sachdeva (Univ of Michigan), Camilla Scolini (Univ of New Hampshire), Judit Szente (Univ of Michigan)

There is an abundance of models or theories describing the initiation phase and associated physical mechanisms of CME initiation. These models are built upon remote-sensing and in-situ observations and studied using a variety of (physics-based, (semi-)empirical) local and global models. The goal of the session is to discuss and organize theoretical and numerical-modeling methodologies in order to quantify the different types of CME initiation mechanisms using observations.

How does the initial CME state determine the resulting physical measurables of the CME (heavy ion charge states and composition, spectral emission, SEP distribution and propagation, helicity, etc.)?

How to identify observables and quantify them to distinguish between different initiation mechanisms?

How to classify CMEs in a similar manner as solar wind types are established (slow/fast in case of the solar wind)?

Organizers: Bin Zhuang (University of New Hampshire), Nishtha Sachdeva (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor), and Fernando Carcaboso (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center – Catholic University of America)

The three-part structure (bright front, dark cavity, and bright core) of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in white-light coronagraphs has been studied for decades. However, its association with the CME physical substructures is still under debate, e.g., whether the bright core in coronagraphs consists of the filament material and/or magnetic flux rope structure associated with the CME eruption. Revisiting the CME three-part structure by combining the recent advanced remote-sensing observations (e.g., SDO, GOES-R, PSP, and SolO) and close-to-the-Sun in-situ measurements (e.g., BepiColombo, PSP, and SolO) is helpful for further understanding the physics of the CME initiation mechanisms, eruption and propagation processes, and the subsequent space weather effects.

What is the CME structure observed from the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) to white-light coronagraph images?

Can a consistent CME structure be identified in remote-sensing observations and in-situ measurements?

Where is the CME trailing edge?

Focus events:

• 2017-09-10 CME event (the famous event having clear remote observations of the CME three-part structure);
• 2022-03-10 CME event (remote and SolO in-situ observations);
• 2022-09-05 CME event (remote and PSP in-situ observations).

Organizers: Fernando Carcaboso – NASA/Goddard, CUA, Erika Palmerio – Predictive Science Inc., Leng Ying Khoo – Princeton University, Teresa Nieves – NASA/Goddard

Large-scale structures (LSSs) are magnetically self-consistent dynamic structures observable in the interplanetary medium. During their evolution, they may interact with their surroundings, possibly leading to various physical processes, like deflection/rotation, deformation, deceleration, and erosion. On the one hand, the complexity of their analysis is also conditioned by, in most of the cases, the limitations of single-point observations, pushing the research community to approach their study using a wide variety of methodologies, such as modeling, statistical analysis, or machine learning techniques. On the other hand, the availability of data from different locations of the heliosphere, provided by the coordination between different missions such as Solar Orbiter and Parker Solar Probe, including upcoming ones such as HelioSwarm and IMAP, has pushed the community to take advantage of fortunate spacecraft alignments to investigate large-scale structures via multi-probe measurements.
In addition to enhancing our knowledge of the fundamental physics of the heliosphere, understanding the complexity of the LSS during their evolution has direct implications for space weather variability, as their properties are related to the geo-effectiveness of the potential magnetic storms impacting Earth. The aim of this session is to highlight recent progress in our understanding of LSSs in the heliosphere with the aid of multi-point observations supported by modeling and novel techniques, as well as to identify the most crucial knowledge gaps and the steps/approaches needed to reach a more holistic view of solar transients in the heliosphere and their effects on Earth and other planetary environments.

How does multi-spacecraft probing improve our understanding of large-scale structures and their effect (transient and/or long-term) in the inner heliosphere? How does it contribute to improving or envisioning the current and future modeling?

Can we actually identify the evolutionary processes that large-scale structures are experiencing during their propagation from a single point of view?

How could existing and future missions help to understand the internal structure and the impact of the evolution in the large-scale structures? Can artificial intelligence / machine learning new techniques help?

Organizers: Liang Zhao (UMich), Yeimy Rivera(CfA|Harvard & Smithsonian), Ryan Dewey(UMich), Yingjie Zhu (UMich), Daniel Carpenter (UMich), Natalia Zambrana Prado (CUA|NASA-GSFC) Shah M Bahauddin (Co-Chair) and Stephen J Bradshaw (Co-Chair)

Heavy ion and elemental composition is a key parameter to connect heliospheric structures to their solar sources. Presently, we are at an opportune time to study processes and structures connected through their compositional signatures with integrated measurements from missions throughout the heliosphere that can simultaneously observe the solar wind and its emerging structure in the corona. Effectively connecting these observations can serve as important discriminators for theories that seek to explain processes important to coronal dynamics and solar wind formation.The solar corona is tenuous and observational evidence favors impulsive heating, which yields strongly NLTE conditions with respect to ionization states and inter-species thermal equilibration. High resolution observations at X-ray, (E)UV, and visible wavelengths, and state-of-the-art modeling, show that coronal plasma at locations of impulsive energy release are far from equilibrium, and different ion species manifest distinct responses to the particular physics of the heating mechanism; for example, heavier ion species are more readily energized by ion cyclotron turbulence, whereas lighter species resonate more strongly with ion acoustic turbulence. These dependencies have important consequences for the distribution of ion populations measured in-situ in the solar wind and for the spectral diagnostics routinely used to analyze and interpret the line emission measured by remote sensing observations. For instance, assuming thermal equilibrium between electrons and ions can lead to incorrect conclusions in emission line formation if the ions are hotter than the electrons. It is important to recognize these issues, investigate how they can arise, determine how significant they can be for diagnostic measurements, and ultimately what they can reveal about corona-solar wind connectivity.

In this session, we plan to discuss the following questions:

What heavy ion observations could be used to distinguish among coronal sources of ambient and transient solar wind?

What insight can we gain from heavy ion observations to better understand acceleration processes of the ambient and transient solar wind?

Which in situ and remote observations are most complementary for the best connection science?1. How are multi-thermal populations created in the corona and seeded into the solar wind?

What can be deduced about coronal processes from multi-thermal populations in the solar wind?

Organizers: Christina Kay (NASA GSFC/CUA), Erika Palmerio (Predictive Science), Talwinder Singh (UAH), Enrico Camporeale (NOAA)

This session aims to discuss the current state of space weather forecasting, with a particular focus on coronal mass ejections (CMEs), solar energetic particles (SEPs), and other solar drivers of space weather activity. We will delve into the challenges associated with forecasting CMEs and SEPs and identify the sources of uncertainties in the models and data. Additionally, we will explore the potential of machine learning (ML) techniques and more advanced data assimilation in combination with modeling to improve forecasting for various space weather phenomena.

In the first half of the session, we will identify specific gaps in our understanding of solar science and space weather forecasting. We will discuss the limitations in our knowledge of physics, the lack of necessary observations, and the insufficiencies of existing models. We will also explore the underutilized capabilities of scientists that could benefit forecasters and examine the relative strengths and weaknesses in forecasting different solar phenomena.

In the second half of the session, we will discuss modern techniques, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and data assimilation, that could be employed to address these knowledge gaps. We will examine the potential of these advanced techniques to improve forecasting for CMEs, SEPs, as well as other solar drivers of space weather activity, including high-speed solar wind streams (HSSs) and stream interaction regions (SIRs).

How do the solar wind, CMEs, and SEPs drive space weather near Earth and other planetary environments?
What are the largest gaps in our abilities to forecast space weather that might be answered with focused scientific research?
How do we improve the “lag” between (simpler) operational models and more sophisticated models that are currently used only for hindcasts?

What are the reasons behind the lack of improvement in CME forecast accuracy with increasing model complexity?

What are some new data assimilation techniques that can address this issue?

What role can machine learning play in improving CME forecasts?

Organizers: Katie Whitman (NASA JSC SRAG), Phil Quinn (NASA JSC SRAG), Clayton Allison (NASA JSC SRAG)

Scene Setting Speakers:
Graham Barnes – lessons learned from the flare validation workshops and cross-model validation
Clayton Allison – comparison of iPATH and SEPMOD

Since 2018, organizers have been leading a SHINE solar energetic particle (SEP) model validation challenge aimed at creating an accepted validation approach along with the development of a benchmark data set and a tool (ultimately available for public use) to perform validation of SEP models. The scientific community has developed a wide variety of SEP prediction models with different approaches, inputs, and outputs. The validation challenge has so far focused on metrics to assess each type of prediction, e.g. peak flux, threshold crossing time, time profile. Now we aim to explore the question – with so much heterogeneity across models, how can they be correctly and effectively compared to each other?

To explore this problem, we ask:

What types of information must be the same to compare predictions from two models? In other words, do they need to use exactly the same, e.g., inputs, training periods, or prediction windows?

The reality is that the current models in the SEP community function very differently from one another. How may we do cross-model validation considering different prediction windows, forecast cadences, or combinations of inputs?

Is it possible to make cross-comparisons of models that output different quantities and how can we do this effectively?

Previous challenges have focused on these SEP events and non-events, but we will not be collecting predictions for this session. Rather, a separate effort (the SEPVAL working meeting) will focus on looking at validation of forecasts.

Organizers: Junxiang Hu (The University of Alabama in Huntsville/American University), Claudio Corti (NASA CCMC), Rohit Chhiber (NASA GSFC), William Matthaeus (University of Delaware)

Remote-sensing and in-situ observations have greatly improved our understanding of the properties and evolutions of solar wind turbulence in recent years. Different global heliospheric turbulence transport models have been further developed lately with the help of PSP and SolO observations. Multiple diffusion theories (e.g., quasi-linear theory, non-linear guiding center theory, weakly non-linear theory, unified non-linear transport theory) have been proposed to describe the diffusive transport of SEP (Solar Energetic Particles) and GCR (Galactic Cosmic Rays) in the turbulent magnetic field, each being valid in different regimes. The diffusive motion of these energetic particles along and across the magnetic field lines can be characterized by mean free paths parallel and perpendicular to the local magnetic field, which directly governs the spatial spreading of SEPs and modulation of GCRs in the heliosphere.
In this session, we intend to bring together the turbulence and SEP/GCR communities and discuss the following important science questions:

How do the parallel and perpendicular mean free paths vary at different locations in the heliosphere (e.g. radial evolution from inner to outer heliosphere, polar vs equatorial regions) based on theory and observations?

How do global heliospheric turbulence transport models compare with spacecraft observations, and which diffusion theory best describes the transport process of energetic particles throughout the heliosphere?

How can the SEP/GCR modeling community benefit from the recent advances in turbulence transport theory and observations? How can we validate or constrain turbulence and diffusion theories using SEP/GCR observations?

Organizers: J. Grant Mitchell – NASA/GSFC, Georgia de Nolfo – NASA/GSFC, Jim Ryan – UNH, Alessandro Bruno – CUA & NASA/GSFC

Solar flares are well known to accelerate ions and electrons to high energies. When these particles have access to open coronal magnetic field lines, they can escape the corona into interplanetary space where they can be measured by relatively well-connected spacecraft. However, many solar flares occur with a closed magnetic topology in which accelerated charged particles remain partially or totally trapped within the corona. In these cases, the secondary neutral emission (in particular x-rays, gamma-rays, and neutrons) produced in interactions with the dense solar atmosphere is our only insight into these otherwise inaccessible events. Measurements of solar neutrons and gamma rays can yield, among other things, valuable information regarding the temporal and spectral characteristics of the acceleration and transport mechanisms. Gamma-rays and neutrons, with different reaction thresholds, offer a method for examining how flare particle energization evolves in time. Furthermore, both gamma-rays and neutrons provide complementary insight into the composition of the chromosphere/photosphere and the energetic particles. That said, solar neutrons and gamma-rays are some of the least studied products of solar flares, and are arguably the most difficult to measure with the necessary accuracy and precision.

What important pieces of information do solar neutrons provide in understanding the question of solar flare energization? (N. Vilmer) (10min)

What can solar neutron measurements tell us about the connection between the low- and high-energy gamma-ray emission and specifically on the origin of long duration gamma-ray flare (LDGRF) emission? (J. Ryan) (10min)

What technological advances and complementary measurements (e.g. HXR, gamma-rays, neutrons, SEPs, ENAs) envisioned for an upcoming mission are needed to make meaningful observations to usher in a new age of understanding the highest energy solar eruptive events? (A. Shih) (15min)

Organizers: Sijie Yu (NJIT) & Vanessa Polito ((BAERI/LMSAL)

Recent advancements in multi-messenger observations have resulted in significant advancements in unraveling the origin of the slow solar wind. Notably, imaging spectroscopy observations in radio and X-ray wavelengths by state-of-the-art instruments, including LoFAR, VLA, MWA, and NuSTAR, have offered unprecedented resolution and sensitivity for examining energy release events in the Sun’s lower atmosphere. (E)UV and white-light imaging data from instruments such as SDO/AIA, GOES/SUVI, SOHO/EIT, and STEREO/COR, coupled with spectroscopic measurements from IRIS and Hinode/EIS, have provided crucial observations of the plasma flows emanating from the lower to extended corona. Furthermore, in-situ measurements from the Parker Solar Probe and Solar Orbiter, gathered from various vantage points within the heliosphere, have aided investigations into many aspects of the slow solar wind. The integration of these remote-sensing and in-situ measurement capabilities has facilitated a more comprehensive understanding of the origin and evolution of the slow solar wind. This session aims to leverage the latest advances to refine our inquiries about the slow solar wind and explore how collaborative observations from ground-based and spaceborne instruments can be used to address these questions in a unified manner.

Can we establish a correlation between the energy release signatures observed in the lower corona (such as type III radio storms, UV brightenings, and plasma upflows) and the generation of the slow solar wind?

To what extent can we enhance our comprehension of the slow solar wind by integrating remote sensing data acquired by ground-based/space-borne instruments with in-situ measurements and recent observations from Solar Orbiter and PSP?

What further observations and modeling endeavors are essential to fill the gaps and address the unresolved questions in our comprehension of the slow solar wind?

Organizers: Paul Cassak, West Virginia U, Gregory Howes, U Iowa, Jimmy Juno, Princeton Plasma Physics Lab, Jason TenBarge, Princeton U

The kinetic physics of how energy is converted from one form to another—e.g., bulk kinetic energy, internal energy, electromagnetic field energy—lies at the heart of how energy flows from the sun, through the interplanetary medium, to the planetary magnetospheres, and out to the outer boundary of the heliosphere. A number of fundamental plasma processes play a key role in the energy transport and conversion in the heliosphere, such as plasma turbulence, magnetic reconnection, collisionless shocks, and plasma instabilities. Yet, our understanding of exactly what are the channels by which energy is transferred from one form to another, and how we can diagnose these processes of energy transfer and conversion, remains incomplete. Furthermore, how to reconcile fluid and kinetic descriptions of this energy transfer has raised some unanswered questions in terms of the non-equilibrium thermodynamics of weakly collisional heliospheric plasmas.

In recent years, three different models of energy transport in collisionless plasma dynamics have been proposed: a fluid model introduced by Yang et al. (2017); a kinetic model introduced by Howes et al. (2018); and a non-equilibrium thermodynamic model by Cassak et al. (2023). Associated with these different models are different methods to diagnose the energy conversion processes in heliospheric plasmas, including the Pi-D method, the field-particle correlation technique, and the “first law of kinetic theory.” All of these models and techniques underlie the fundamentals of energy flow through the heliosphere. This SHINE discussion session will summarize the state of knowledge on this topic at present, highlight how the results and concepts complement each other, and identify specific strategies to collectively interpret them.

Under what circumstances are the fluid and kinetic descriptions most appropriate?

What specific simulations will enable us to test the predictions of the different energy transport models specified above?

Can we construct observational tests that can provide closure on our understanding of the energy transport and conversion in heliospheric plasma environments?

Organizers: Lingling Zhao (University of Alabama in Huntsville); Rohit Chhiber (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/University of Delaware);Hui Li (Los Alamos National Laboratory); Jason TenBarge (Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory).

Solar wind turbulence has been central to heliophysics research for decades. However, the question of the basic building blocks of solar wind turbulence – a superposition of random waves or composed of nonlinearly interacting structures? – remains contentious. What progress has been made in recent years and how has a new generation of observations contributed to the debate? What is the current state of theory and simulations about the fundamental role of structures versus waves, and what of the incompressibility-compressibility dichotomy? New and emerging theories and simulations promise important advances in clarifying the role of waves, structures, and compressibility to our understanding of turbulence throughout the heliosphere. For example, analyses that include frequency information can identify wave dispersion relations and non-propagating structures. This session will bring together discussions about analysis techniques, observational results from current and planned missions, theoretical investigations, and related simulations that address the question of what are the building blocks of solar wind turbulence.

What are the properties and character of MHD waves and nonlinear structures in the solar wind and their relative importance, and what is the relative contribution to heliospheric turbulence and its derived properties?

How do we incorporate waves and nonlinear structures, incompressibility and compressibility, and sources of turbulence into tractable descriptions of turbulence transport in the inhomogeneous solar corona and throughout the solar wind?

What is the relative importance of waves and nonlinear structures to the dissipation of turbulence, heating processes in the solar wind, and the turbulent scattering and transport of energetic particles?

Organizers: Riddhi Bandyopadhyay (Princeton University), Alexandros Chasapis (LASP, University of Colorado Boulder), William H. Matthaeus (University of Delaware)

Current generation heliospheric missions and modern simulations have made it possible to investigate space plasma turbulence across a broad range of scales ranging from the injection scales to ion and electron scales. Properties across all these scales are important in understanding fundamental space plasma phenomena ranging from coronal heating and acceleration to energetic particle propagation. Yet the scales are linked dynamically through turbulence cascade and energy conversion processes, necessitating study of the turbulence at both microscopic and system levels. This session addresses broad aspects of the observed heliospheric turbulence ranging from Parker Solar Probe (PSP) and coronal remote sensing, to ACE, Wind, Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS), as well as future missions like HelioSwarm. These are complemented by increasingly capable magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations with large grid resolution, particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations with large particle numbers, and Eulerian Vlasov models with improving velocity space resolution.

What controls the ion versus electron heating across the inertial range of scale?

Do inertial range properties such as scale locality and involvement of reconnection vary with large scale driving and plasma parameters?

How do these large scale properties/driving affect the termination of the inertial range and related dissipative processes?

Organizers: Sarah A. Spitzer, University of Michigan, Marc Kornbleuth, Boston University, Federico Fraternale, The University of Alabama in Huntsville

As revealed by Voyagers 1&2, IBEX, and Hubble, the interaction between the heliosphere and the Local Interstellar Medium (LISM) is highly dynamic and time dependent. Interstellar neutrals (ISN) and dust can penetrate into the heliosphere, but experience filtration due to ionization processes such as charge exchange, electron impact ionization, and photoionization. Newly created pickup ions (PUIs) from these ionization processes, such as those observed in situ by New Horizons, constitute a non-thermal population which is energetically dominant in the distant solar wind and strongly affects the local and global properties of the heliosphere. PUIs can in turn be neutralized in either the solar wind regions or in the outer heliosheath, giving birth to energetic neutral atoms (ENAs) detectable by IBEX, Cassini, and the future IMAP mission. The purpose of this session is to discuss the fundamental, time dependent properties of the outer heliospheric plasma and magnetic fields, the shape of the heliosphere and the LISM properties as derived from in situ and remote observations, and related theoretical and numerical models.

What mechanisms affect the evolving PUIs in the heliosphere, and how do these mechanisms influence ENAs observed by IBEX, Cassini, and the future IMAP mission?

What are the properties of the LISM and the result of its interaction with the heliosphere, and how do those properties evolve over time?

What are the physical processes underlying the neutral H and He atom distributions observed by IBEX and relevant to the future IMAP mission.

Organizers: Sherry Chhabra (George Mason University / Naval Research Laboratory), Samuel Schonfeld (Institute for Scientific Research, Boston College), Shaheda Begum Shaik (George Mason University / Naval Research Laboratory), Surajit Mondal (Center for Solar-Terrestrial Research, New Jersey Institute of Technology)

Almost every phenomenon that occurs in the heliosphere shows a signature within the radio band, revealing information that is distinct from and complementary to what can be observed in other wavelengths and through other observation modes. This includes probing the propagation of energetic particles and plasma in the solar corona and inner heliosphere, investigating the magnetic field strength, dynamics, and topology at reconnection sites, observing shocks in flares and CMEs, and measuring solar wind densities and velocities from interplanetary scintillations, just to name a few.
Modern radio instruments regularly and simultaneously observe these phenomena and more everywhere from the upper chromosphere out to the edges of the inner heliosphere, with high cadence and spectral resolution. Yet these observations are often used only by a small subset of “specialists” and have not achieved a level of “standard” use like that of other community data such as EUV images of the solar corona or properties of the bulk solar wind observed in situ. This session invites the community to explore how these radio data can be used today and how future radio observations and data products can be developed to support SHINE science.

What do existing radio observations reveal about the Sun and the Heliosphere?

What obstacles prevent members of the SHINE community from using radio data?

What capabilities can future radio observatories provide to help the SHINE community address their science questions?

Organizers: James M. Ryan, Pierre-Simon Mangeard, Ashraf Moradi

Neutron monitors are employed for a variety of SHINE-related topics. Today neutron monitors occupy a unique position in the arsenal of particle measuring devices on the ground and in space and when employed with spacecraft observations (and vice versa) reveal new science of solar and galactic cosmic rays. Furthermore, they constitute an important component in our attempt to understand space weather and the deleterious effect of radiation in the local environment, both terrestrial and space-based. Material covered in this session includes the status, outlook and capabilities of the current US (Simpson Network) and global systems and new observational and theoretical studies enabled by the global NM network.

What capabilities of the global system should be planned or improved, e.g., solar neutron coverage, GLEs, GLE spectral measurement with pairs of detectors,.filling a potential Russia gap for anisotropy measurements, higher time resolution for impulsive events, a southern Spaceship Earth, a more comprehensive global GLE alarm system for FAA and space assets, etc.

What can the NMs tell us about the transport of the SEPs from the Sun to the magnetopause and the characteristics of incoming and passing CMEs and CME-associated shocks?

For the latest generation of heliospheric scientists, we will have a short primer on what NMs do, how they work and how they are used.

Organizers: Joe Borovsky, Space Science Institute, Katariina Nykyri, Embry-Riddle University, Samantha Wallace (NASA/GSFC), Yeimy Rivera (Harvard CfA), Nicholeen Viall (NASA/GSFC)

In the excitement of the 2024 Heliophysics Decadal Survey and associated Helio 2050 workshops, several solar mission concepts have materialized – from bleeding-edge concepts to those that have undergone full engineering analysis. While these ideas remain fresh in our minds, and as the Heliophysics Decadal Survey is underway considering the merits of future missions, a community-level discussion focused on transformative and innovative future solar mission concepts is timely. In this session, we solicit contributions of future mission concepts, regardless of their maturity, with the goal of facilitating discussion on measurements required to address outstanding questions in solar physics, and how to obtain them.

What science questions need to be solved?

What future measurements are needed to address the outstanding questions in solar and solar wind physics?

What are the barriers to future mission concepts from becoming fully realized (e.g. engineering, cost, funding)?.