Comparison and Contrast of Solar Maximum and the Approach to Solar Minimum:
Transient Solar Disturbances and Recurrent High-Speed Solar Wind Streams
and Their Geospace Consequences
Conveners: Dan Baker (LASP/CUB) & Janet Luhmann (UC Berkeley)
We are planning a session at the upcoming April ISTP science team
meeting to consider the similarities and differences of the connected
sun-Earth system over the course of the 11-year solar cycle. The time of
solar (sunspot) maximum is characterized by powerful solar transient events
and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). These aperiodic disturbances can cause
nonrecurrent geomagnetic storms if the solar effluents reach the Earth. On
the other hand, during the approach to sunspot minimum, the solar corona is
characterized by large transequatorial coronal holes. These are the source
of powerful high-speed solar wind streams. Coronal holes can persist for
many solar rotation periods. The high-speed streams drive strong
geomagnetic activity (e.g., recurrent geomagnetic storms) and produce the
most substantial observed enhancements of the Earth's radiation belts. We
note that the years from 2002 to 2005 should be the time of the strongest
high-speed solar wind stream activity. We invite presentations that
consider the similarities and differences between the solar maximum and the
approach to solar minimum conditions for the sun, the interplanetary
medium, and the magnetosphere-ionosphere system.
Contributions relating to these and other relevant topics are solicited.
Interested participants should contact one of the organizers with details concerning the talks they wish to present.
Dan Baker (baker@orion.colorado.edu)
Janet Luhmann (jgluhman@SSL.Berkeley.EDU)
