January 21, 2011 Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) GOES Energetic Proton Flux Channels Data Lists ========================================================================== January 21, 2011 -- Since launch, the performance of the HEPAD detectors on the GOES-13-15 satellite has been in review. Recent analysis suggest that the instruments are performing nominally so the data will now be made available through the SWPC data lists. ========================================================================== ========================================================================== GOES 15 to replace GOES 11 as Secondary SWPC GOES Satellite for Energetic Proton Flux in late February January 10, 2011 -- GOES 15 will replace GOES 11 as the Secondary SWPC GOES Satellite for Protons, Electrons, and Magnetometer in late February. See details at http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/Data/goes.html GOES ascii data files use the file naming convention 'Gs' for Secondary GOES data. This means only the header lines within the ascii file changes. ========================================================================== This directory contains GOES Energetic Proton Flux Channels Data Lists with 5-min data for the SWPC primary and secondary GOES proton satellite. See a description of GOES Proton Channel Observations below. Lists for the last 2 hours, i.e. filenames with no dates, update every 5 minutes on minutes 1, 6, etc. Users retrieving data frequently are asked to use these files. The daily files are named with the UT day of the data and the GOES satellite, i.e Gp refers to Primary and Gs to Secondary. Daily lists update once an hour. The file format follows a standard data list conventions where header lines start with either # or :. Filenames include a 'p' for the Primary and 's' for the Secondary SWPC GOES satellite. The satellite number, i.e. GOES-15, is in the Data List file header. Naming Convention: 2-hour lists: Gp_pchan_5m.txt, Gs_pchan_5m.txt Full day lists: 20100414_Gp_pchan_5m.txt, 20100414_Gs_pchan_5m.txt Date/times Dates are shown as year month day (2006 02 06) and an SWPC "Modified Julian Day (MJD). The SWPC MJD for Jan 1, 2004 is 53005 Time is shown as HourMin (1900) and seconds of the day (68400) See http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/Data/goes.html the SWPC GOES Satellite News web page GOES data are archived at the National Geophysical Data Center http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/stp ****************************************************************** ** Please read the SWPC Disclaimer at http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/ ** ****************************************************************** SWPC provides near-real-time and recent data, solar and geomagnetic indices and solar event reports created from preliminary reports. Preliminary data may contain errors or be revised after further review. The historical products in this SWPC Warehouse are the preliminary reports as originally published. SWPC does not encourage the use of preliminary data for research purposes. Links to on-line data at SWPC and archive sites with final data: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/Data/ ****************************************************************** Please send comments and questions to SWPC.Webmaster@noaa.gov Report problems to SWPC.CustomerSupport@noaa.gov ------------------------------------------------------------------------ GOES Proton Channel Observations Each of the GOES (Geosynchronous Operational Environmental Satellite) series of satellites carry a suite of three detector assemblies aboard: the solid state TELESCOPE, a set of large-aperture, so-called DOME detectors, and the Cerenkov/solid-state-telescope called the HEPAD (High Energy Proton and Alpha Detector), which monitor the energetic particle population at geostationary orbit. These detectors measure the flux of energetic protons from 600 keV to greater than 700 MeV in 11 discrete channels, P1 through P11, as well as monitoring the electron and alpha particle populations. The principal proton energy response of each channel is tabulated below, and the data provided are 5-minute averaged values of the 11 channels P1 through P11 respectively, as given in that table. The first 7 channels provide differential fluxes at the mean energy of the energy response interval in units of #/(cm2-s-sr-MeV), as provided by the TELESCOPE and DOME detectors. The GOES particle detectors are relatively simple solid state detectors which have their primary responses as given in the table below. As with all practical detectors, they may respond to particles which are able to penetrate their shielding or bremstrahlung produced thereby, as well as secondary particles produced by cosmic rays suffering nuclear interactions in the detector's vicinity, for example. Corrections of these secondary responses have not been applied to these differential fluxes. Both uncorrected and corrected data are available from the National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) at http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/stp/ It may also be pointed out that the cutoff energy at geostationary orbit is typically of the order of several MeV, and therefore the P1 response is primarily due to trapped protons of the outer zone of the magnetosphere. During moderate compressions of the magnetosphere, P2 may also 'see' magnetospherically trapped protons, while during extreme compressions (magnetopause crossings), GOES would find itself in the magnetosheath. During solar energetic particle events, P1 and P2 will respond to solar protons as well, as will all the higher energy channels, if such particles are present. ===================================================================== Channel Energy Response (MeV) Mean Energy (MeV) Detector --------------------------------------------------------------------- P1 0.8 - 4.0 2.4 TELESCOPE P2 4.0 - 9.0 6.5 " P3 9.0 - 15. 12. " P4 15. - 40. 27. DOME P5 40. - 80. 60. " P6 80. - 165. 123. " P7 165. - 500. 333. " P8 350. - 420. 385. HEPAD P9 420. - 510. 465. " P10 510. - 700. 605. " P11 >700. N/A ===================================================================== ===================================================================== ===================================================================== ===================================================================== OLD NOTICES On April 14, 2010 GOES 13 will be designated Primary Satellite for Proton, Electron and Magnetometer Data ****** Data List Naming Convention Changing ****** April 5, 2010: On Wednesday, 14 April, the GOES 12 satellite will be decommissioned. At that time, GOES 13 will become the Primary SWPC GOES Satellite for Proton and Electron data. GOES 11 will become the Secondary Satellite. ************************************************** ******* Data List Naming Convention Change ******* ************************************************** The SWPC data list naming convention will be changed to better support future GOES satellite designation changes. SWPC designates a Primary and a Secondary GOES Satellite for each instrument. http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/Data/goes.html The old data list naming convention included the satellite number, e.g. G10pchan_5m.txt. This required customer changes whenever the satellite designation changed. The new Data List Naming Convention replaces the satellite number with a 'p' for Primary and 's' for Secondary. The satellite number is available in the Data List file header. The new convention will begin April 14 when GOES 13 replaces GOES 12 as the SWPC Primary GOES partnetometer Satellite. Naming Convention: 2-hour lists: Gp_pchan_5m.txt and Gs_pchan_5m.txt Full day lists: 20100414_Gp_pchan_5m.txt and 20100414_Gs_pchan_5m.txt ========================================================================== GOES 10 Decommissioned Dec 1, 2009 December 2, 2009: The GOES 10 satellite was decommissioned Dec 1 and the G10_pchan_5m.txt lists ended. The older GOES 10 Data Lists will rotate out of this directory over the next 90 days. ========================================================================== GOES 10 Decommissioning Dec 1, 2009 No Secondary Satellite for Protons November 17, 2009: On Tuesday, 01 December, the GOES 10 satellite will be officially decommissioned. GOES 10 Data Lists End Dec 1, 2009 The SWPC GOES 10 Data Lists will end Dec 1. The older GOES 10 Data Lists will rotate out of the directories over the next 90 days. /lists/pchan/G10pchan_5m.txt and 'yearmoda'_G10pchan_5m.txt ========================================================================== No GOES-10 X-ray and Proton Data for 6-8 Weeks November 21, 2007 -- GOES-10, the SWPC secondary GOES Satellite for X-ray and Proton data, is not being tracked at SWPC due to an antenna problem. GOES-10 data lists will continue to be written with missing data values. GOES-10 satellite tracking at SWPC is expected to resume in 6 to 8 weeks (January 2-16). =========================================================================== June 19, 2003 To ensure continued operational monitoring of important energetic particle data, it is necessary to reassign primary/secondary designations for the GOES Space Environment Monitor (SEM) detectors. Beginning 1700 UTC on June 19, GOES 11 (105W) will become the primary satellite for protons. GOES 12 (75W) will continue as the primary satellite for magnetometer, X-ray, and electron measurements. GOES 10 (135W) will be the secondary satellite for all SEM sensors - magnetometer, X-ray, and energetic particles. Because of the degraded state of the proton data on GOES-10, its designation as the secondary source for proton data is a short-term solution. More permanent solutions have been identified and are being evaluated. Users will be notified when we define and schedule a permanent fix. May 15, 2003 See http://sec.noaa.gov/Data/ for tables of all online data at SEC, including links to non-SEC sources for older data. ======================================================================== GOES 12/10 Designated SEC's Primary/Secondary GOES Satellites GOES 8 energetic protons available again May 15 -- GOES 12 is now SEC's primary GOES satellite, except for energetic proton detectors where GOES 8 is primary. GOES 10 is the backup. The GOES 10 energetic proton detectors are showing intermittent, high noise levels in the higher energy proton channels (greater than about 80 MeV). This problem was first noticed in data taken April 26, 2003 See 2003 Proton Plots: via ftp cd /pub/plots/2003_plots/proton or http://www.sec.noaa.gov/ftpmenu/plots/2003_plots/proton.html This pattern is similar to problems experienced on the GOES 12 EPS Dome detector prior its P6 and P7 channel failures earlier this year. The loss of the P6 and P7 channels significantly impacts SEC's integral proton flux products above about 10 MeV (e.g., >10 MeV, >50 MeV, and >100 MeV). Therefore, we are acquiring energetic proton data from old GOES 8 satellite. GOES 8 differential proton flux and integral proton flux data are available in the /lists/pchan and /lists/particle directories. GOES 8 is used in Proton Flux plots. The electron processing algorithm has been modified in response to the high noise level that recently developed in the GOES 12, P6 proton channel. Caution should be used when interpreting the GOES-10 and 12 energetic proton data. One indication of the presence of high noise levels in the absence of a true enhancement in the proton flux is that all of the integral flux products above about 10 MeV (e.g., >10 MeV, >50 MeV, and >100 MeV) show nearly equal values, due to the fact that all of these derived integral fluxes are being dominated by the same high noise levels in the highest energy measurements. For detailed information see http://www.sec.noaa.gov/GOES.html ====================================================================== !!!!! NOTICE GOES Satellite Changes !!!!! !!!!! GOES 8 Ends, GOES 12 Begins !!!!! April 8, SEC stopped using GOES 8 data. GOES 10 is now SEC's primary GOES satellite, with GOES 12 the backup for magnetometer, XRS x-ray measurements, and energetic particle data. See details at http://www.sec.noaa.gov/GOES.html SEC tracks two GOES satellites and designates one as the primary and the other the secondary GOES satellite. With the switch from GOES 8 to GOES 12, the primary/secondary designations will change. GOES 10 will be the primary satellite and GOES 12 the secondary for magnetometer, XRS x-ray measurements, and energetic particles. This includes all GOES electron, proton, and alpha particle data. However, due to the failure of the P6 and P7 proton channels on GOES 12, there currently is no secondary source for these data. Users should be aware that GOES 10 data differ somewhat from GOES 8 data in two ways. First, the energetic particle detectors that are used for our operational products have a westward look direction on GOES 8 as opposed to an eastward look direction on GOES 10. Because of the different look directions, the flux measurements can differ during energetic particle events. The general flux profiles throughout particle events are similar in the GOES 8 and GOES 10 measurements; however, the GOES 10 measurements on average tend to show somewhat lower flux levels. For the largest events, the event starting times, peak flux levels, and times of the peak fluxes are similar. ======================================================================== GOES 10 Energetic Proton Outages Expected June 26, 2006 -- GOES 10, SEC's secondary GOES satellite for energetic protons, will not be available at SEC for about two weeks beginning on June 23, because its telemetry frequency will be changed to avoid conflicting with GOES 11 transmissions. There will be two additional periods (approximately 10 - 14 days) when GOES 10 data will not be available, as GOES 10 drifts past GOES 13 and GOES 12. GOES 11, the primary SEC GOES satellite for Energetic Protons will be available throughout the GOES 10 outages. ======================================================================== SEC Secondary GOES Spacecraft Change At 1400UT, June 22, 2006 the SEC secondary GOES satellite for magnetometer, X-ray, and electron measurements changed from GOES 10 to GOES 11. GOES 12 reamins the primary SEC GOES satellite. For energetic proton measurements there was no change; GOES 11 remains the primary SEC GOES satellite and GOES 10 the secondary. See details at ========================================================================