Research Topics of Working Group 3

We have organized the studies which are of most interest to WG3 into 5 general research topics. These are:

1. The origins of solar activity, including CMEs, flares and erupting filaments, especially with regard to the evolution of solar magnetic fields.
2. The origins of the solar wind and the propagation of disturbances through it. This includes magnetic clouds and other in-situ measurements of plasma and field structures.
3. Studies of the modulation of galactic cosmic rays, of the acceleration and propagation of SEPs, and of interplanetary shock waves.
4. Space weather studies, including the forecasting of geoeffective solar and interplanetary disturbances.
5. Studies involving interplanetary scintillation (IPS) observations. Although this not strictly a research topic, an important subset of WG3 members and ground-based facilities are involved in making these measurements.

The topic area of most interest is the first on the origins of solar activity. This is followed in a close grouping by the topics on studies of galactic cosmic rays, SEPs and interplanetary shocks, of space weather, and of the origins of the solar wind and the propagation of disturbances through it. Five individuals and/or groups are performing studies involving the use of IPS observations.

The studies of WG3 will be performed both by the individual researchers working at their institutions and in collaboration with others as appropriate, and in topical or event-driven studies involving several researchers and research groups. The topical studies are being organized under the general umbrella of the five topical groups, but most of the individual studies will be on specific subtopics. Examples of these are: the geoeffectiveness of halo CMEs observed by LASCO, recent Fe-rich SEP events observed at ACE, and how interplanetary shocks are accelerated or decelerated.

Event-driven studies are those which revolve about: 1) a single event, 2) a series of events closely spaced in time or of a particular type, 3) events which occur during a predeclared campaign period or 4) which occur during a retrospective time interval of special interest. Examples of such studies of interest to WG3 are, respectively: 1) the January 1997 Sun-Earth connection/ISTP event, 2) the class of large erupting filament-associated CMEs, 3) campaigns associated with particular SOHO observing programs, and 4) the entire April-May 1998 period.

The April-May 1998 two month period has been declared as a special study interval by several groups, including the Space Weather Working Group of SCOSTEP's SRAMP (STEP Results, Applications, & Modeling Phase) and the NASA ISTP program. This period represents one of the first times of the new cycle when repetitious and strong solar activity occurred over a period of weeks and included major flares, fast CMEs, energetic proton events and consequent strong effects at Earth, including the formation of a new radiation belt and adverse anomalies on satellites. The ISCS program has also made this interval its first joint study period. Because of its significant and prolonged effects on the heliosphere and at Earth, this interval will also be a focus of Working Group 3.