This module provides quasi-real-time information on the current conditions of interplanetary space. Data come from the ACE spacecraft, located at the L1 Earth–Sun Lagrangian point, and are updated frequently to reflect plasma and magnetic-field environment around Earth.
The input data are sequences of plasma measurements acquired in quasi-real-time by the ACE spacecraft. This module handles all measurements acquired over the last 28 days (one full rotation of Parker’s spiral) and processes them to provide input parameters for the Parker’s spiral module.
Among the different measured quantities, we select the wind speed, the density, and the three components of the magnetic field. Data from the last 24 hours (1-min or 5-min averages) are extracted and plotted; they’re also used to compute the Alfvén speed and the wind Alfvénic Mach number.
Here we also show the evolution of the Dst index as provided by the Data Analysis Center for Geomagnetism, Kyoto University. During a geomagnetic storm, the Dst index reflects the intensification of ring currents around Earth and is a key indicator of geomagnetic activity.