Ulysses SWOOPS: Solar Wind Ion Density, Temperature, and Velocity Averages

NASA's Ulysses mission collected this data on solar wind plasma from the SWOOPS instrument. The dataset contains one-hour averages of ion density (cm^-3), temperature (°K), and velocity (km/s) from observations over the sun's poles. Principal Investigator D.J. McComas and contact B.E. Goldstein are cited, with reference to Astron. Astrophys. Suppl. Ser., 92(2), 237-265, 1992.

Use Cases

• Modeling solar wind propagation based on ion velocity and density measurements.
• Analyzing plasma temperature variations in the polar regions of the sun.
• Correlating solar activity with in-situ solar wind parameters from the Ulysses mission.
• Validating heliospheric simulations using observational ion data.

Strengths

• Data originates from the NASA Ulysses mission, a dedicated solar polar orbiter.
• Variables are clearly defined with standard units (cm^-3, °K, km/s).
• Data is cited in a peer-reviewed publication (Astron. Astrophys. Suppl. Ser., 92(2), 237-265, 1992).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and file formats are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), via the Ulysses mission SWOOPS instrument.

Collection Method

One-hour averages of in-situ measurements from the Solar Wind Observations Over the Poles of the Sun (SWOOPS) instrument.

Time Range

Temporal coverage is not explicitly stated, but the dataset references the Ulysses mission period.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 05:28:09.065060; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Spatial coverage is the heliosphere, specifically the polar regions of the sun.