Search Publications
The detection of ultra-relativistic electrons in low Earth orbit
Dammasch, Ingolf E.; Berghmans, David; Dominique, Marie +6 more
Aims: To better understand the radiation environment in low Earth orbit (LEO), the analysis of in-situ observations of a variety of particles, at different atmospheric heights, and in a wide range of energies, is needed.
Methods: We present an analysis of energetic particles, indirectly detected by the large yield radiometer (LYRA) instr…
Multi-instrument observations of the solar eclipse on 20 March 2015 and its effects on the ionosphere over Belgium and Europe
De Keyser, Johan; Berghmans, David; West, Matthew J. +19 more
A total solar eclipse occurred on 20 March 2015, with a totality path passing mostly above the North Atlantic Ocean, which resulted in a partial solar eclipse over Belgium and large parts of Europe. In anticipation of this event, a dedicated observational campaign was set up at the Belgian Solar-Terrestrial Centre of Excellence (STCE). The objecti…
Solar signatures and eruption mechanism of the August 14, 2010 coronal mass ejection (CME)
Poedts, Stefaan; Berghmans, David; Seaton, Daniel B. +2 more
On August 14, 2010 a wide-angled coronal mass ejection (CME) was observed. This solar eruption originated from a destabilized filament that connected two active regions and the unwinding of this filament gave the eruption an untwisting motion that drew the attention of many observers. In addition to the erupting filament and the associated CME, se…
Validation of Earth atmosphere models using solar EUV observations from the CORONAS and PROBA2 satellites in occultation mode
Berghmans, David; Slemzin, Vladimir; Kuzin, Sergey +4 more
Aims: Knowledge of properties of the Earth's upper atmosphere is important for predicting the lifetime of low-orbit spacecraft as well as for planning operation of space instruments whose data may be distorted by atmospheric effects. The accuracy of the models commonly used for simulating the structure of the atmosphere is limited by the scarcity …
The PAC2MAN mission: a new tool to understand and predict solar energetic events
Musset, Sophie; Amaya, Jorge; Diercke, Andrea +12 more
An accurate forecast of flare and coronal mass ejection (CME) initiation requires precise measurements of the magnetic energy buildup and release in the active regions of the solar atmosphere. We designed a new space weather mission that performs such measurements using new optical instruments based on the Hanle and Zeeman effects. The mission con…
New observation strategies for the solar UV spectral irradiance
Dudok de Wit, Thierry; Kretzschmar, Matthieu; Lilensten, Jean +2 more
Many applications in space weather and in space situational awareness require continuous solar spectral irradiance measurements in the UV, and to a lesser degree in the visible band. Most space-borne solar radiometers are made out of two different parts: (i) a front filter that selects the passband and (ii) a detector that is usually based on sili…
Extreme ultraviolet solar irradiance during the rising phase of solar cycle 24 observed by PROBA2/LYRA
Dammasch, Ingolf E.; Kretzschmar, Matthieu; Dominique, Marie +3 more
The Large-Yield Radiometer (LYRA) is a radiometer that has monitored the solar irradiance at high cadence and in four pass bands since January 2010. Both the instrument and its spacecraft, PROBA2 (Project for OnBoard Autonomy), have several innovative features for space instrumentation, which makes the data reduction necessary to retrieve the long…