Realistic Worst Case for a Severe Space Weather Event Driven by a Fast Solar Wind Stream.

ABSTRACT: Satellite charging is one of the most important risks for satellites on orbit. Satellite charging can lead to an electrostatic discharge resulting in component damage, phantom commands, and loss of service and in exceptional cases total satellite loss. Here we construct a realistic worst case for a fast solar wind stream event lasting 5 days or more and use a physical model to calculate the maximum electron flux greater than 2 MeV for geostationary orbit. We find that the flux tends toward a value of 10⁶ cm^-2·s^-1·sr^-1 after 5 days and remains high for another 5 days. The resulting flux is comparable to a 1 in 150-year event found from an independent statistical analysis of electron data. Approximately 2.5 mm of Al shielding would be required to r

SUBMITTER: Horne RB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6473668 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature