Speed of space storms key to protecting astronauts and satellites from radiation
Speed as important as size in predicting potentially damaging impacts of
CMEs

Date:
June 10, 2020
Source:
University of Reading
Summary:
Measuring the speed of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) as they erupt
from the sun, in addition to their size, found to be crucial
in providing accurate early warnings that keep astronauts and
technology safe.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Space weather forecasters need to predict the speed of solar eruptions,
as much as their size, to protect satellites and the health of astronauts, scientists have found.


========================================================================== Scientists at the University of Reading found that by calculating the
speed of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) when they hit Earth, forecasters
could provide more useful early warnings. This would help operators of
critical infrastructure such as satellites know if they need to take
evasive action or switch off systems to protect them, and warn astronauts
when they need to shelter inside shielded parts of the International
Space Station.

Coronal mass ejections are caused by huge eruptions of material from the
sun, travelling through interplanetary space and disturbing the Earth's
own magnetic field system. Using solar imagers to measure the speed of
CMEs close to the Sun, it is possible to forecast the arrival time of
a CME at Earth.

Operators of technological systems, such as satellites, which are
vulnerable to space weather then have the opportunity to take action to
limit the damage.

However, scientists say such warnings could be more useful if combined
with more sophisticated information about the severity of a storm when
it hits Earth.

Professor Mathew Owens, space scientist at the University of Reading's Department of Meteorology, said: "Not all coronal mass ejections trigger
a severe storm, which means just by looking at the sun for activity,
we get a lot of `false alarms' where action is taken that isn't needed.

"While it is better to be safe than sorry, especially with the health of astronauts, sometimes the costs of repeatedly taking unnecessary action
to protect a satellite network could prove more costly than the potential space- weather damage itself." Space weather is listed as one of the
biggest threats to the UK and many other countries, due to the possibility
that computers, communication networks and electricity systems could be disrupted. Billions of dollars are currently being spent on new spacecraft
and systems to better forecast and measure eruptions when they occur.

In the new study, published today [Wednesday 10 June] in the scientific
journal Space Weather, the researchers outline a new way to quantify
the value of knowing CME arrival time. They show that the speed of the
CME at Earth is a useful extra piece of information that can be used to
reduce the number of false alarms and make forecasts more valuable.

The scientists say their new finding should help to guide future
efforts to improve space weather forecasts, helping to protect critical infrastructure and the health of astronauts in the future.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Reading. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. M. J. Owens, M. Lockwood, L. A. Barnard. The value of CME
arrival‐time forecasts for space weather mitigation. Space
Weather, 2020; DOI: 10.1029/2020SW002507 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200610094043.htm

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