The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) generates space weather products from Global Positioning Systems (GPS) constellation and U.S. Government geostationary (GEO) satellites. NOAA/NCEI archives and provides access to the following LANL space weather products:
- GPS energetic particles data (12/2000 - 04/2023): energetic electron and proton data measured by two LANL sensors on GPS satellites: Combined X-ray Dosimeter (CXD) and Burst Detection Dosimeter sensors for Block II-R (BDD-IIR).
- GPS VTEC data (01/2018 - 12/2018): Vertical Total Electron Content derived from LANL broadband radio-frequency (RF) sensors on GPS satellites.
- GEO energetic particles data - GeoGrid (01/2014): electron and proton fluxes measured by two LANL sensors on GEO satellites: Synchronous Orbit Particle Analyzer (SOPA) and Magnetospheric Plasma Analyzer (MPA).
The LANL space weather data is released to the public by the Intelligence and Space Research Division, Global Security Directorate, LANL through NCEI in accordance with the White House Executive Office 13744 (13 October 2016), “Coordinating Efforts to Prepare the Nation for Space Weather Events” of the President's National Science and Technology Council (NSTC).
Distribution liability: NOAA and NCEI make no warranty, expressed or implied, regarding these data, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. NOAA and NCEI cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in these data. If appropriate, NCEI can only certify that the data it distributes are an authentic copy of the records that were added to the NCEI archives. Send questions and comments to ncei.info@noaa.gov.
Energetic particles: CXD and BDD-IRR sensors
Both Combined X-ray Dosimeter (CXD) and Burst Detection Dosimeter for Block II-R (BDD-IIR) GPS particle sensors were developed by LANL to measure:
- Electrons: from 120 keV up to energies greater than 5 MeV with eleven channels (CXD) and from 77 keV to greater than 5 MeV with eight channels (BDD-IIR).
- Protons: from 6 MeV up to energies greater than 75 MeV with five channels (CXD) and from 1.3 MeV to greater than 54 MeV with eight channels (BDD-IIR).
Data files include measurements, derived quantities, and modeled parameters for in situ radiation environment monitoring performed on the Global Positioning System constellation.
- GPS Energetic Particle Data (2000–2023)
- READ ME: Description of the data including file contents and format - ASCII (JSON header).
VTEC: RF sensors
The broadband radio-frequency (RF) GPS radio sensors were developed by LANL to measure transient events produced by lightning events in the very-high frequency (VHF: 30-300 MHz) range.
Data files include the vertical projection of the total electron content (VTEC) of the integrated electron density along the light of sight between the lightning location and the GPS satellite.
VTEC data derived from GPS lightning detections (01-12/2018)
READ ME file: description of the data including file contents and format - netCDF4
Energetic Particles: SOPA and MPA sensors
The Synchronous Orbit Particle Analyzer (SOPA) and Magnetospheric Plasma Analyzer (MPA) were developed by LANL to measure electron and proton particle fluxes spanning energy ranges from eV to MeV.
Data files include particle fluxes, moments and energies, units, etc. for each time sample (nominal time resolution is 10-sec for SOPA files and 86-sec for MPA files)
- GEO Energetic Particle data (01/2014)
- READ ME: Description of the data, including file contents and format.
