Space Weather research in Turin Observatory: the SWELTO project

Alessandro Bemporad - INAF - Turin Astrophysical Observatory; Lucia Abbo - INAF - Turin Astrophysical Observatory, Italy; Dario Barghini - INAF - Turin Astrophysical Observatory, Italy; Carlo Benna - INAF - Turin Astrophysical Observatory, Italy; Ruggero Biondo - University of Palermo and INAF - Turin Astrophysical Observatory, Italy; Donata Bonino - INAF - Turin Astrophysical Observatory, Italy; Gerardo Capobianco - INAF - Turin Astrophysical Observatory, Italy; Francesco Carella - University of Turin, Italy; Alberto Cora - INAF - Turin Astrophysical Observatory, Italy; Silvano Fineschi - INAF - Turin Astrophysical Observatory, Italy; Federica Frassati - INAF - Turin Astrophysical Observatory, Italy; Daniele Gardiol - INAF - Turin Astrophysical Observatory, Italy; Silvio Giordano - INAF - Turin Astrophysical Observatory, Italy; Alessandro Liberatore - INAF - Turin Astrophysical Observatory, Italy; Salvatore Mancuso - INAF - Turin Astrophysical Observatory, Italy; Andrea Mignone - University of Turin, Italy; Fabio Reale - University of Palermo, Italy; Alberto Riva - INAF - Turin Astrophysics

Session: R20 and development of services

Abstract

The INAF-Turin Astrophysical Observatory started in the end of 2017 the project SWELTO – Space WEather Lab in Turin Observatory (https://www.oato.inaf.it/portfolio-items/swelto/). The aims of SWELTO are:

• to test new diagnostics to analyze space-based data and develop MHD models for predictions of interest for Space Weather applications;
• to procure, test and deploy in Turin Observatory new ground-based instruments to monitor the ionospheric and geomagnetic disturbances related with solar activity;
• to involve other already existing projects and assets looking for possible applications not considered so far of interest for Space Weather purposes;
• to promote outreach activities to involve students and the general public in Space Weather topics.
  

We describe here the actual status of the project, starting with tools developed so far or currently under development to monitor the solar activity, coronal densities, coronal outflows, interplanetary propagation of plasma, and plasma conditions at 1 AU (http://swelto.oato.inaf.it/). We will then describe the ground-based instrumentation (now under procurement and testing) we plan to employ to monitor the Sudden Ionospheric Disturbances and the Geomagnetic Field disturbances. Finally, we will discuss how other existing projects (such as PRISMA aimed at monitoring and tracking falling meteors) and facilities (Cosmic Ray detectors) have been involved for Space Weather applications.