IPS Observations at 140 MHz to Study Solar Wind Speeds and Density Fluctuations by MEXART.

Abstract:

The interplanetary scintillation (IPS) technique is a remote-sensing method for monitoring the inner heliosphere. These observations supply information on solar wind conditions covering heliocentric ranges that no other technique can provide. The Mexican Array Radio Telescope (MEXART) is a single-station instrument operating at 140 MHz, fully dedicated to perform solar-wind studies employing the IPS technique. We present MEXART solar-wind measurements (scintillation indices and solar-wind speeds), reporting the first observations of four IPS sources (3C273, 3C283, 3C286, 3C298) detected by MEXART during October-December 2014. We present the first MEXART measurements of the transit of an IPS radio source (3C298) from weak to strong scattering regions, and the initial MEXART heliographic maps of solar wind conditions. The MEXART observations will complement the solar wind IPS studies using other frequencies, and the tracking of solar wind disturbances by other stations located at different longitudes. These solar wind measurements, provided in real time, can have space weather forecasting applications.