Automated interplanetary shock detection and its application to Wind observations

Abstract

We present an automated two-step detection algorithm for identification of interplanetary (IP) shocks regardless their type in a real-time data stream. This algorithm is aimed for implementation on board the future Solar Orbiter mission for triggering the transmission of the high-resolution data to the Earth. The first step of the algorithm is based on a determination of a quality factor, Q indicating abrupt changes of plasma parameters (proton density and bulk velocity) and magnetic field strength. We test two sets of weighting coefficients for Q determination and propose the second step consisting of three additional constraints that increase the effectiveness of the algorithm. We checked the algorithm using Wind (at 1 AU) and Helios (at distances from 0.29 to 1 AU) data and compared obtained results with already existing lists of IP shocks. The efficiency of the presented algorithm for the Wind shock lists varies from 60% to 84% for two Q thresholds. The final shock candidate list provided by the presented algorithm contains the real IP shocks, as well as different discontinuities. The detection rate of the IP shocks equals to 64% and 29% for two Q thresholds. The algorithm detected all IP shocks associated with the solar wind transient structures triggering intense (Dst