Abstract Details


Name: Shivam Parashar
Affiliation: Physical Research Laboratory
Conference ID: TVS202510184
Title: Insights into ICME–ICME Interactions from ASPEX-SWIS Observations
Authors and Co-Authors: ASPEX Team
Abstract Type: Contributory Presentation
Abstract: Interactions between interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) in the heliosphere can significantly enhance their geoeffectiveness, often resulting in severe geomagnetic storms that threaten both space assets and human life–related technologies. Advancing our understanding of the macroscopic and microscopic processes that arise during the interaction of successive interplanetary CMEs (ICMEs) is therefore crucial. In May 2024, the largest geomagnetic storm of the past two decades occurred, offering a rare opportunity to study ICME–ICME interactions in an unprecedented detail. This event was characterized by successive CMEs launched from the Sun in quick succession, which interacted during their propagation and merged into complex ejecta before reaching near-Earth space. Such interactions resulted in enhanced plasma heating, shock formation, and magnetic field restructuring, ultimately driving an intense geomagnetic response at Earth. In this study, we utilize observations from the Solar Wind Ion Spectrometer (SWIS) of the ASPEX payload in the Aditya-L1, which provides directionally resolved ion energy flux measurements in two orthogonal planes. These measurements allow us to investigate the internal structures and plasma dynamics within the interacting ICMEs and their complex ejecta. We identify preserved features in the complex ejecta associated with ICME–ICME interactions. The results, which will be presented at this conference, highlight the critical role of in situ directional flux observations in unraveling the intricate physical processes governing ICME interactions and their geoeffective consequences.