Observations of Terrestrial Gamma Flashes with TETRA And LAGO

Terrestrial Gamma ray Flashes (TGFs) -- very short, intense bursts of electrons, positrons, and energetic photons originating from terrestrial thunderstorms -- have been detected with satellite instruments. The TGF and Energetic Thunderstorm Rooftop Array (TETRA), an array of NaI(Tl) scintillators at Louisiana State University, has now been used to detect similar bursts of 50 keV to over 2 MeV gamma rays at ground level. After 3.3 years of observation, twenty-eight events with durations 0.02 - 4.2 msec have been detected associated with nearby lightning, three of them coincident events observed by detectors separated by ~1000 m. Nine of the events occurred within 6 msec and 3 miles of negative polarity cloud-to-ground lightning strokes with measured currents in excess of 20 kA. The events reported here constitute the first catalog of TGFs observed at ground level in close proximity to the acceleration site. The ability to observe ground-level Terrestrial Gamma Flashes from close to the source also allows a unique analysis of the storm cells producing these events. The results of this analysis are presented here. In addition to the ground-based TETRA array, a balloon-borne detector (the Lightning-Associated Gamma-ray Observer, LAGO) has been constructed and flown. Results from an engineering flight of this balloon payload are presented. Plans for an upgraded version of the ground-based array are also included

TETRA Observation of Gamma Rays at Ground Level Associated with Nearby Thunderstorms

Terrestrial Gamma ray Flashes (TGFs) -- very short, intense bursts of electrons, positrons, and energetic photons originating from terrestrial thunderstorms -- have been detected with satellite instruments. TETRA, an array of NaI(Tl) scintillators at Louisiana State University, has now been used to detect similar bursts of 50 keV to over 2 MeV gamma rays at ground level. After 2.6 years of observation, twenty-four events with durations 0.02- 4.2 msec have been detected associated with nearby lightning, three of them coincident events observed by detectors separated by ~1000 m. Nine of the events occurred within 6 msec and 3 miles of negative polarity cloud-to-ground lightning strokes with measured currents in excess of 20 kA. The events reported here constitute the first catalog of TGFs observed at ground level in close proximity to the acceleration site.Comment: To be published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Phys. 118,

Kamodo’s model-agnostic satellite flythrough: Lowering the utilization barrier for heliophysics model outputs

Heliophysics model outputs are increasingly accessible, but typically are not usable by the majority of the community unless directly collaborating with the relevant model developers. Prohibitive factors include complex file output formats, cryptic metadata, unspecified and often customized coordinate systems, and non-linear coordinate grids. Some pockets of progress exist, giving interfaces to various simulation outputs, but only for a small set of outputs and typically not with open-source, freely available packages. Additionally, the increasing array of tools built upon these sporadic interfaces are typically model-specific. We present Kamodo’s model-agnostic satellite flythrough capabilities as the solution to the utilization barrier for heliophysics model outputs. Developed at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center, these flythrough capabilities are built in Python upon a network of model-agnostic interfaces developed in collaboration with model developers, providing interpolation results the community can trust. Kamodo’s flythrough capabilities present the user with a growing variety of flythrough tools based upon a rapidly expanding library of heliophysics model outputs in several domains, currently including a variety of Ionosphere-Thermosphere-Mesosphere and global magnetosphere model outputs. Each capability is designed to be easily accessible via simplistic model-agnostic syntax, with the entire package freely available in the cloud on Github. Here, we describe the tools developed, include several sample applications for common science questions, demonstrate interoperability with selected packages, and summarize ongoing developments

First Results from HaloSat – A CubeSat to Study the Hot Galactic Halo

HaloSat is the first CubeSat for astrophysics funded by NASA\u27s Science Mission Directorate and is designed to map soft X-ray oxygen line emission across the sky in order to constrain the mass and spatial distribution of hot gas in the Milky Way. HaloSat will help determine if hot halos with temperatures near a million degrees bound to galaxies make a significant contribution to the cosmological budget of the normal matter (baryons). HaloSat was deployed from the International Space Station in July 2018 and began routine science operations in October 2018. We describe the on-orbit performance including calibration of the X-ray detectors and initial scientific results including an observation of a halo field and an observation of solar wind charge exchange emission from the helium-focusing cone

Observations of m-SWCX from the Perspective of Open Science

<p>Invited presentation given at the OH-VLISM Seminar online. Go to www.heliosphere.community and look for recording of the Nov 15, 2023 talk. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UzOiY5m0p5upQoNOEYh92--BxwNUUKH8/view</p&gt

Open Science for Missions

Research shows that incorporating open science practices accelerates our work and brings a diversity of perspectives to the table. While incorporation of open science practices is being encouraged from multiple entities, guidance directly relevant to missions is lacking. We present a range of practical suggestions based on the general characteristics of the PUNCH mission, NASA’s SPD-41a policy, and the input of a growing number of collaborators across science to encourage a welcoming, open, and collaborative atmosphere, including advancing mission science, improving the quality of the mission products, and building public trust. We welcome feedback and collaboration on these suggestions as we work towards a more complete list of possible open science activities for missions in Heliophysics and across science

Navigating Privacy in an Open Science Framework

<p>Incorporating open science practices and methodologies promises to accelerate our science into a new generation of inspiration and discovery. However, not all components of a science project can be open before publication, and our community has a spectrum of comfort levels with openness. What technologies can be used together to make our research "as open as possible, but as closed as necessary"? We present one stack of technologies - the Open Science Framework, HelioCloud, and GitHub - as one possible solution to the spectrum of openness desired by the community. We use various combinations of privacy settings on the three platforms to demonstrate a spectrum of openness and privacy for research as part of the development of the Magnetopause Open Validation Experiment (MOVE, <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/V4DRT">https://www.doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/V4DRT</a>).</p><p>Oral Presentation at the 4th Jack Eddy Symposium, Oct 29 - Nov 3, 2023, Golden, CO, </p&gt