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Title: Geosynchronous high-energy electron (1. 2 - 16 MeV) solar-wind correlation analysis. Master's thesis

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6169220

This thesis investigated the relationship between high-energy electron (1.2-16 MeV) count rates and solar-wind velocity. The analysis used daily averages for all variables. Two data sets were examined: the first, slightly after solar maximum; the second, slightly before solar minimum. The electron count rate data came from DOD satellite 1979-053 in geosynchronous orbit while the solar-wind data were collected by other satellites directly in the unobstructed solar wind. Methods used to analyze the data were daily average plots, frequency plots, probability plots, descriptive statistics, linear correlation analysis of both original and percentiled data, and event analysis. The solar-wind velocity correlates differently with high-energy electron count rated depending on where in the solar cycle the solar-wind events occur. Through event analysis two to three days prior to a significant rise in high energy (1.2-16 Mev) electron count rates, a significant rise in solar wind velocity also occurred. However, due to the low linear correlation results achieved (all R-Squared values were less than 0.50), it is likely that solar-wind velocity is only one of several variables determining the occurrences of high-energy electron events at earth geosynchronous altitude.

Research Organization:
Air Force Inst. of Tech., Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (USA). School of Engineering
OSTI ID:
6169220
Report Number(s):
AD-A-202653/2/XAB; AFIT/GSO/ENP-88D-8
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Thesis
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English