SOLAR WIND INVESTIGATIONS BY OBSERVATIONS OF INTERPLANETARY SCINTILLATIONS OF COSMIC RADIO SOURCES AT DECAMETER WAVELENGTHS

Abstract

Purpose: Description of the solar wind investigation technique based on interplanetary scintillation observations of the decameter radio emission of space radio sources. Design/methodology/approach: The method is based on using the Feynman pass integral technique for calculation of statistic characteristics of interplanetary scintillations. Findings: The technique of determination of a stream structure of the solar wind beyond the Earth’s orbit is created. The technique is based on the analysis of temporary, frequency and space characteristics of the interplanetary scintillations of decameter radio emission of space radio sources. Identification of this kind stream structure opens unique opportunities for the interplanetary plasma physics study. In particular, the difference in parameters of interplanetary plasma streams can be used for investigation of high-speed streams of solar wind from coronal holes, identification and studying of dynamics of driving of coronal mass ejections in the interplanetary space. The latter will allow, for example, to develop a reliable technique for estimation of arrival time of coronal mass emissions to the Earth, being of undoubted interest from the space weather forecast viewpoint. Conclusions: It is shown that the modern progress in digital technique and data analysis methodologies allows to use the observations of the interplanetary scintillations of cosmic radio source radio emission for determination of the solar wind parameters, reconstruction of the solar wind stream structure, detection and investigation of dynamics of coronal mass ejections beyond the Earth’s orbit.

Keywords

• solar wind
• interplanetary scintillations
• decameter range