Evidence for in situ particle energization during the May-2024 event based on ASPEX instrument on board Aditya-L1

TL;DR

This study presents new in situ observations of particle energization during ICME interactions in May 2024, revealing how shock-driven regions energize solar wind ions, based on data from India's Aditya-L1 mission.

Contribution

It provides the first two-orthogonal-plane perspective of ICME interactions and particle energization at the L1 point, enhancing understanding of solar wind particle dynamics during such events.

Findings

Identification of a 13-hour downstream interaction region

Evidence of proton and alpha particle energization

Confirmation of shock presence via energetic particle flux

Abstract

The interaction between interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejection (ICME) structures can alter the geo-effectiveness of the ICME events in myriad ways. Many aspects of these interaction processes are not well-understood till date. Using the energy spectra measured in two mutually orthogonal top hat analyzers (THA 1 and 2), which are part of the Solar Wind Ion Spectrometer (SWIS) subsystem of the Aditya Solar Wind Particle EXperiment (ASPEX) on board India's Aditya L1 mission, we gain insights into intricate features of ICME ICME interactions during May 2024 solar event. We report here an unprecedented two-orthogonal-plane perspective of ICME ICME interactions for the first time from the L1 point. The investigation reveals a special interaction region formed by the propagation of the forward shock driven by complex ejecta in the preceding ICME. The interaction causes the formation of a downstream region spanning over 13 hours, which propagates in the interplanetary medium. The observations reveal that this region serves as a site for proton and alpha particle energization, and the particles within this region get distributed from one plane to the other. The presence of forward shock and particle energization is confirmed by the energetic particle flux measurements by the SupraThermal and Energetic Particle Spectrometer (STEPS) of ASPEX. These observations provide an unprecedented perspective on how solar wind ions become energized and distributed in an ICME-ICME interaction region.