Citation
Abstract
Observations of density enhancement in the near corona (r < Sre) at solar cycle (sunspot) maximum have rather uncritically been interpreted to apply equally well to the extended corona (r > Sto), thus generating concern about the quality of outer planet navigational data at solar cycle maximum. Spacecraft have been deployed almost continuously during the recently completed solar cycle 20, providing two powerful new coronal investigatory data sources: (1) in-situ. spacecraft plasma measurements at approximately 1 AU, and (2) plasma effects on monochromatic spacecraft signals at all signal closest approach points. A comprehensive review of these (solar cycle 20) data leads to the somewhat surprising conclusion that for the region of interest of navigational data (r 2 30re), the highest levels of charged-particle corruption of navigational data can be expected to occur at solar cycle minimum, rather than solar cycle maximum, as previously believed.
Details
- Volume
- 42-43
- Published
- February 15, 1978
- Pages
- 110–124
- File Size
- 1.2 MB