Wind SMS Key Parameter 4-hour Data: Solar Wind Ion Measurements

Combined SWICS and STICS data containing 4-hour averaged alpha particle velocity, C/O abundance ratio, and carbon and oxygen ionization temperatures. The averages are computed over 4-hour intervals, with helium velocity and kinetic temperature data available at a higher 3-minute cadence. The dataset is produced by NASA's Wind spacecraft instruments, referencing methodology from Space Science Reviews 71:79-124, 1995.

Use Cases

• Analyze solar wind velocity trends based on 4-hour averaged alpha particle velocity.
• Study elemental abundance ratios in the solar wind based on the C/O abundance ratio.
• Model plasma ionization states based on carbon and oxygen ionization temperatures.
• Compare high-cadence helium properties with averaged ion data based on the separate 3-minute helium measurements.

Strengths

• Data is averaged over 4-hour intervals, providing stable measurements for trend analysis.
• Specific calculation methods are referenced, using tables from Arnaud and Rothenflug, 1985.
• Includes higher-frequency (3-minute) helium velocity and kinetic temperature data from a separate source.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Last updated 2026-03-13 03:47:36.746449; freshness should be verified.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Combined data from Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer (SWICS) and Supra-Thermal Ion Composition Spectrometer (STICS) instruments on the Wind spacecraft.