Seven Sisters: a mission to study fundamental plasma physical processes in the solar wind and a pathfinder to advance space weather prediction

• DOI: 10.3389/fspas.2023.1179344
• Publication Date: 2023-05-22T04:35:41Z
• Authors: Katariina Nykyri; Xuanye Ma; Brandon Burkholder; Yu-Lun Liou; Roberto Cuéllar; Shiva Kavosi; Joseph E. Borovsky; Jeff Parker; Mitchell Rosen; Lauren De Moudt; Robert Wilkes Ebert; Keiichi Ogasawara; Merav Opher; David Gary Sibeck; Simone Di Matteo; Nicholeen Viall; Samantha Wallace; Therese M. Jorgensen; Michael Hesse; Matthew J. West; Laxman Adhikari; Matthew R. Argall; Jan Egedal; Frederick Wilder; Jeffrey Broll; Gangkai Poh; Simon Wing; Christopher Russell
• Keywords: Heliosphere; Space Weather; Solar maximum; Pathfinder; Space physics

This paper summarizes the Seven Sisters solar wind mission concept and outstanding science questions motivating objectives. The includes seven individual spacecraft designed to uncover fundamental physical processes in provides up ≈ 2 days of advanced space weather warnings for 550 Earth during mission. will collect critical measurements thermal suprathermal plasma magnetic fields, utilizing, first time, Venus–Sun Lagrange points. multi-spacecraft configuration makes it possible distinguish between spatial temporal changes, define gradients, quantify cross-scale transport structures. determine 3-D structure its transient phenomena their evolution inner heliosphere. Data from allow identification quantification relative contribution different mechanisms responsible particle energization wind.