Speaker
Description
The availability of clean measurements of relativistic electrons is an important aspect of space radiation predictions as provided by the REleASE forecasting method. The system makes short-term predictions of the incoming flux of several tenths of MeV protons. The SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) was launched in December 1995 with the Electron Proton Helium INstrument (EPHIN) measuring electrons from 150 keV to several MeV and has been providing these data in real time since then. In particular, the HESPERIA REleASE system relies on these data to make forecasts for the Earth-Sun L1 point. In an accompanying contribution, we adapted the REleASE system to STEREO HET measurements.
In order to validate and compare the L1 predictions with those from STEREO it is necessary to utilize the same energy ranges for electrons and protons in both systems. To achieve this goal, EPHIN high-energy electron channels were used. However, these channels can be significantly contaminated by protons. Therefore, the data are corrected for potential contamination that can be identified through energy loss data.
Here, we report the methodology and compare the results of both REleASE systems. In order to highlight the importance of clean electron measurements, we also show how the forecasts would be affected if no corrections were made for EPHIN.
