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Voyager 2 observations related to the October–November 2003 solar events
Author(s) -
Burlaga L. F.,
Ness N. F.,
Stone E. C.,
McDonald F. B.,
Richardson J. D.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2004gl021480
Subject(s) - ejecta , cosmic ray , forbush decrease , physics , shock (circulatory) , astrophysics , heliosphere , flux (metallurgy) , solar wind , intensity (physics) , astronomy , coronal mass ejection , plasma , supernova , optics , nuclear physics , medicine , materials science , metallurgy
A transient flow system observed at 1 AU from October 24–November 7, 2003 (consisting of several shocks, ejecta and possibly other flows) moved away from the Sun for ≈180 days to 73 AU, where Voyager 2 (V2) observed a large Merged Interaction Region (MIR) associated with a fast (560 km/s) stream that followed a forward shock and moved past V2 for ≈1.5 solar rotations. The MIR and stream were associated with a large decrease in the cosmic ray intensity and an exceptionally large enhancement in the flux of ≈2.5 MeV protons. The speed and the cosmic ray profiles observed by V2 were very simple, resembling the profiles of a shock/sheath/ejecta flow and a Forbush decrease, respectively, at 1 AU, but rescaled by a factor by a factor of ≈10. The onset of the MIR‐associated decrease in the cosmic ray intensity occurred 10 days after the shock, lasting several days, with a full recovery ≈70 days after the onset.