IPS and SMEI Analyses Using Tomographic 3-D Reconstructions

首席调查员(PI)开发了一种层析成像技术，该技术使用来自单一观测地点的多个视线的数据来重建日球层中日冕物质抛射和同向旋转等离子体结构的三维等离子体密度和速度分布。在这项工作中，PI将应用他的层析成像技术，使用来自日本日地环境实验室的实时日光层观测，来自太阳质量抛射成像器(SMEI)航天器的白光观测，以及来自印度的Ooty射电望远镜以及墨西哥和俄罗斯的其他观测站的星际闪烁(IPS)射电数据。PI还预计，在该项目期间，由美国国家科学基金会资助的在西澳大利亚建造的Murchison Widefield阵列射电望远镜将提供类似的无线电数据。利用地面和天基数据，他计划确定全球日球层等离子体的结构，重建远程和现场观测到的等离子体结构的形状，并评估和改进他的层析分析技术。最后，PI将把包括磁场在内的太阳风模型纳入到太阳风速和等离子体密度的断层重建中。PI指出，他的层析分析技术为从地球观察星际空间提供了一种全新的方式，并将对日地物理领域产生广泛影响。这项调查将使太阳和地球之间难以描绘的太空区域变得可见，从而直接影响空间天气预报。这种层析成像方法产生的日球层等离子体重建结果产生了门外汉很容易获得的彩色图像和电影，为研究和教育提供了宝贵的工具。

The Principal Investigator (PI) has developed a tomographic technique that uses data from multiple lines-of-sight at a single observing location to reconstruct the three dimensional plasma density and velocity distribution of coronal mass ejections and co-rotating plasma structures in the heliosphere. In this effort, the PI will apply his tomography technique using real-time heliospheric observations from Japan's Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory, white-light observations from the Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI) spacecraft, and interplanetary scintillation (IPS) radio data from the Ooty Radio Telescope in India and other observatory sites in Mexico and Russia. The PI also anticipates the availability of similar radio data during this project from the NSF-funded Murchison Widefield Array radiotelescope being constructed in Western Australia. Using ground-based and space-based data, he plans to determine the global heliospheric plasma configuration, to reconstruct the shapes of plasma structures observed remotely and in situ, and to evaluate and refine his tomographic analysis technique. Finally, the PI will incorporate solar wind models including magnetic fields into this tomographic reconstruction of solar wind velocity and plasma density. The PI notes that his tomographic analysis technique provides an entirely new way of viewing interplanetary space from Earth and will have a broad impact on the field of solar-terrestrial physics. This investigation will directly impact space weather predictions by making visible the difficult-to-depict region of space between the Sun and the Earth. The heliospheric plasma reconstructions produced by this tomographic method result in colorful images and movies that are easily accessible to the layman, and provide a valuable tool for research and education.