Solar Wind Science

Glossary

CME

Large amounts of plasma (consisting of mostly electrons and protons) ejected from the sun.

Gamma-Ray Bursts

Short bursts of gamma-rays (very high frequency electromagentic radiation) with very energetic explosions. These bursts can last from a few milliseconds to a few about an hour.

Geomagnetic Storms

A disturbance in the Earth's magnetosphere caused by changes in space weather such as solar erutptions.

Heliosphere

The region around the sun that is filled with the Sun's gases, solar winds, and magentic fields.

IMF

The magnetic field produced by the Sun that is carried through by solar winds.

Ionosphere

The uppermost part of the atmosphere. It also forms the inner surface of the magnetosphere and is reponsible for radio communication between distant places on Earth.

Lagrangian Point

Equilibrium points in space where the gravitational pull by a massive body is equal to that of another body.

Magnetosphere

Forms when a stream of charged particles, such as a solar wind, interacts with the magnetic field of a planet.

Photosphere

The surface of the sun that you see.

Solar Eruptions

These are sudden intense bursts of energy in the sun. They may develop in a few minutes and last for several hours.

Solar Wind

A constant stream pf charged particles, such as electrons and protons, that are continuously ejected from the upper atmosphere of the Sun.

Suprathermal Ions

Ions, charged particles, that have more energy than similar particles of the same type.

Can’t find the word here? Check out our full glossary

WIND Mission Science

WIND, since its launch has witnessed numerous solar-terrestrial interactions and many rare events. From May 10th through 12th, of 1999, the solar wind that constantly shoots out from the Sun became incredibly faint. It dropped to only two percent of the normal particle-density and half of the normal wind speed. During this rare event, scientists can view the Sun's corona directly. During this short window, scientists are able to observe the Sun with very little disturbances compared to normal viewing conditions.

WIND also was the first spacecraft to detect gamma ray bursts that led to the confirmation of "magnetars."

Started in October of 1998, WIND entered a "petal orbit" which brought the spacecraft out of the ecliptic plane