Contact Information:

Dr. Howard J. Singer, ChiefResearch and Development DivisionNOAA Space Environment Center325 BroadwayBoulder, CO 80305

303-497-6959303-497-5388howard.singer@noaa.gov

GOES Space Environment Monitor (SEM) and Solar Imaging: Achievements and Plans

• NOAA Space Environment Center (SEC)• Current GOES SEM Instruments and Societal Benefits• GOES-R+ SEM Instrument Baseline and Improvements• Trade Studies and User Input

GOES Users’ ConferenceBoulder, CO October 1, 2002

H. J. Singer, NOAA Space Envrionment Center

GOES Contributes to the SEC MissionNOAA Space Environment Center is the Nation's official source of space weather alerts and warnings. The Center continually monitors and forecasts Earth's space environment; provides accurate, reliable, and useful solar-terrestrial information; conducts and leads research and development programs to understand the environment and to improve services; advises policy makers and planners; plays a leadership role in the space weather community; and fosters a space weather services industry.

GOES Observations are a Key Component of SEC Mission

Space Weather Operations

Research and Development

NOAA Space Weather Scale Summary

Extreme

Severe

Strong

Moderate

Minor

  Geomagnetic Storms

Solar RadiationStorms

Radio Blackouts

  High Radiation

Hazard

 

Power Grid Instability

   

    HF Blackout

for an Hour 

 

Infrequent SEU 

Minor Impact on Satellites

   

Measures: Kp Geomagnetic GOES >10 MeV p GOES X-Rays Index

NOAA Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES)Instrumentation for SEC through GOES NO/PQ

Satellites: GOES 8 (Launch: 4/13/94, Operational) GOES 9 (Launch: 5/23/95, On-orbit storage)

(Launch: 4/25/97, Operational) GOES 11 (Launch: 5/13/00, On-orbit storage)

GOES 12 (Launch: 7/23/01, On-orbit storage) GOES NO/PQ (Boeing production, launch start 04)

GOES 10

Space Environment Monitor (SEM)

Energetic Particle Sensor (EPS) Monitors the energetic electron, proton, and alpha particle fluxes e: 0.03-4.0 MeV, p: 0.08-700 MeV, a: 4-3400 MeV

Magnetometer (MAG) Monitors the vector magnetic field 0.512 second samples, ~0.1 nT sensitivity, +/- 1000 nT

X-Ray & Extreme UltraViolet Sensors (XRS/EUV) Monitors whole-Sun x-ray brightness in two bands 1 - 8 Angstroms and 0.5 - 4 Angstroms 5 EUV Bands

GOES Solar X-ray Imager (SXI)

GOES 12 Solar X-Ray ImagerLaunched July 2001 on GOES 12

Air Force Funding(Movie shows 2 Solar Rotations)

• One - minute cadence, full disk• 5 arc sec pixels, 0.6 – 6 nm• 512 x 512 pixel array

• SXI will monitor:

• coronal hole locations for geomagnetic storm predictions.

• flare location for particle events.

• for changes indicating coronal mass ejections (CMEs).

• active regions beyond east limb for activity predictions.

• active region complexity for flare prediction.

GOES NO/PQ SEM Enhancement Summary

Magnetometer (MAG)• Two instruments operating

simultaneouslyEnergetic Particle Sensors (EPS)• Lower electron and proton energy

bands• More look-directionsX-Ray Sensor (XRS)• Eliminate electronic range-changingEUV Sensor (EUVS)• New instrumentSolar X-Ray Imager (SXI)• Improved sensitivity and resolution• Autonomous event response

0.1 1.0 10010 1000 10000Wavelength (nm)

So

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IRVISUVEUVX-RAY

GOES XRS

GOES SXI

GOES EUV

POESSBUV

NPOESS(SIM)

NPOESS(TIM)

Spectrum from Lean 1999

NOAA Observations Across the Solar Spectrum and Flux Variation with Solar Cycle

• EUV flux variation causes thermospheric temperature, density, composition, and scale height to vary with solar cycle

• Proposed GOES R+ observations will measure narrower EUV bands important to upper atmosphere conditions

GOES R+ SEM Operational Requirements Document

• SEC has completed “Space Environment Monitor (SEM) for the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES R+), Operational Requirements Document Version 2.00,” issued 5 February 2002

– This document provides the requirements and benefits for the SEM instrument capabilities for GOES R+, including changes from the NO/PQ series.

– It includes updates to the original version with additional requirements set during a GOES-R Solar Imaging Workshop held October 23-25, 2001 in Boulder, Colorado [Eparvier, 2002].

– It recommends trade studies in areas that need better definition and prioritization.

• Extensive comments provided on the GOES R+ Operational Requirements Document (GORD) 0 - submitted in June 02

GOES R+ SEM: Proposed Improvements 1

Measurement Specifications Products

Magnetospheric Energetic Particles (EPEAD, MAGPD, MAGED)

Protons: 30* keV (was 80 KeV) to 0.8 MeV (*spec was in initial GOES NO/PQ requirement)

• Improved specification of medium energy radiation environment responsible for spacecraft charging

Earth’s Magnetic Field (MAG)

No Changes

Soft x-ray emissions from the integrated solar disk (XRS)

Dynamic Range 200,000 (was 100,000)

• Improved quality covering full solar dynamic range

Extreme ultraviolet emissions from the integrated solar disk(EUVS)

Eight EUV bands between 5 and 120 nm (was 5 bands)

• Improved height resolution in calculations of thermospheric heating rates and ionization rates; critical components in the modeling of the ionosphere and thermosphere

GOES R Solar Imaging

• Solar Imaging Workshop in Oct. 2001– High Priority Instruments

• SXI Follow-on• White Light Coronagraph

– Recommendations• SXI Design Trade Study on Spectral Band

Optimization• Coronagraph Design Study• Instrument Deployment Study

• NASA GSFC Image Synthesis and Analysis Laboratory– SXI Follow-on completed July 2002

• Solar X-ray Imager

– Increase dynamic range by 102-104

– Double sensitivity

– Double pixel sampling

• Coronagraph (recommended by Solar Imager Workshop 10/01)

– Detect Earth-directed coronal mass ejections up to 2500 km/s

– Must cover approx. 12 RSUN/hour with three images

LASCO C3 GOES R

GOES R+ SEM: Proposed Improvements 2Solar X-Ray Imager and Coronograph

GOES R+ SEM Workshops and Studies(in addition to Solar Imaging)

GOES Energetic Particle Workshop:

October 28-29, 2002 at NOAA SEC• Assess user needs and

requirements• Assess available technologies for:

– Heavy Ion Measurements– Low-energy Electrons– Modifications to current

measurements:angular resolution, energy

resolution, etc.

GOES EUV Workshop:

October 28-29, 2002 at NOAA SEC

• Assess user needs and requirements

• Assess available technologies:

– More EUV bands (tentative)

– Better visible light rejection (hopefully)

Proposed Additional Bands for GOES R+ EUV Sensor (red)

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130

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GOES N/Q EUV Sensor GOES R EUV Sensor

Hea

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Rat

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GOES EUV: Recently completed NASA GSFC Image Synthesis and Analysis Laboratory study

Future: Formulation Phase Studies

GOES SEM Measurements Benefit Users

“Highest priority space weather need for NASA SRAG is a “Healthy” NOAA SEC…” M. Golightly, NASA/SRAG

GOES Energetic Particle Measurements Support the ISS

As of a May 2000 report, 138 insured satellites in geosynchronous orbit valued at $20.1 B. “Space weather suggested as cause or contributor to over $500 M in insurance claims in past 4 years. “ U.S. Aviation Underwriters, Inc

Geosynchronous Assets

Polar airline routes lose ground communications due to solar x-rays and energetic particles: Alternate routes required; Uses more fuel; Flight delays

USA Japan

ES

A

Hubble

Variability in the EUV flux causes variability in the ionosphere.

Radio Communication & Navigation

GOES meaurements are useful for those concerned with: satellite drag; GPS uses; airline crew radiation exposure; electric power distribution….

Space Weather Week: Bridging the Gap of Research to Operations

An annual, and growing, event at NOAA SEC that includes:

• Space environment user effects• Impacts on economy, health, and safety• Information for decision makers • Relevant research• Service enhancements• Vendor meetings• Interagency coordination (National Space Weather Program)• International Space Environment Services meetings

GOES Space Environment Monitor measurements provide crucial data to our nation and the world for commercial and government applications and for basic research

NOAA services must expand to meet the needs of our nation’s increasing use of and reliance on the space environment

Baseline requirements and proposed enhancements have been defined

Plans are underway for additional trade studies and User / Instrument-provider / Partnership workshops that are needed to determine the highest priority needs and implementation strategy

Summary