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Spatial Mapping of Transient Structures in the Solar Wind: New Techniques and Implications


March 7, 2014, 3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Geology 6704

Presented By:
Tamitha M. Skov
Aerospace Corporation

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At 1 AU, the association between multiple spacecraft observations of solar transient structures is not always straightforward. Differences are apparent even when separation distances of the spacecraft are small. This means detailed understanding of the three-dimensional geometry of these transients and their associated sub-structures remains elusive. A new spatial mapping technique promises advancement beyond existing models (Mulligan et al., 2012) in that it creates contour maps of solar wind parameters to quantitatively follow spatial variations in both radial and azimuthal dimensions. What is distinctly different about this technique is that it reveals aspects of transient geometry and dynamics in a far more visually intuitive way than previously accomplished.