Prompt identification of solar wind stream interaction regions from Survey Burst 1 Mode observations of the Radio and Plasma Wave experiment on Solar Orbiter

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that multiple trigger activations in the Radio and Plasma Wave instrument on Solar Orbiter can effectively identify and analyze solar wind stream interaction regions, aiding in space weather prediction.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method of using SBM1 trigger mode activations as markers for SIRs, enhancing real-time detection capabilities from in-situ spacecraft data.

Findings

Over 50% of recorded days showed multiple trigger activations.

63% of these activations occurred within four hours, indicating rapid SIR dynamics.

Trigger events correlated with high-speed solar wind streams and compression regions.

Abstract

Studying stream interaction regions (SIRs), from their inception and the dynamics of their development, can provide insight into solar-terrestrial connections. Some in-situ instruments on the Solar Orbiter (SolO) space mission are designed to measure solar wind (SW) and interplanetary magnetic field parameters along the flight path. These instruments are ideal for studying the dynamics of SIR evolution at heliocentric distances of 0.28-1.0 AU and with changes in heliolatitude of $0^\circ$- $33^\circ$. To address the challenges of promptly identifying SIRs and predicting their arrival time on Earth, we consider using trigger events from the Radio and Plasma Wave (RPW)/SolO instrument, which are transmitted in telemetry data packages. We suggest that multiple activations of the trigger mode (SBM1 mode) in the RPW instrument over an interval of up to four hours may reflect the fine structure of large-scale events in SW. Such events can serve as markers for the spacecraft's location within the SIR. In this regard, the 2023 analysis revealed that multiple activations of the SBM1 trigger mode throughout the day accounted for more than 50$\%$ of the total number of days for which such events were recorded. Of this number, 63$\%$ were events when the trigger algorithm was prompted repeatedly within a time interval of up to four hours. A comparison of the registration times of SBM1 trigger events with the SW parameters obtained from the SWA-PAS and MAG instruments showed that repeated activations of the trigger algorithm occurred at the stream interface surface when a high-speed SW stream and a formed compression region were present.