ACE Observations of the Bastille Day 2000 Interplanetary Disturbances

Abstract

We present ACE observations for the six-day period encompassing the Bastille Day 2000 solar activity. A high level of transient activity at 1 AU, including ICME-driven shocks, magnetic clouds, shock-accelerated energetic particle populations, and solar energetic ions and electrons, are described. We present thermal ion composition signatures for ICMEs and magnetic clouds from which we derive electron temperatures at the source of the disturbances and we describe additional enhancements in some ion species that are clearly related to the transient source. We describe shock acceleration of 0.3–2.0 MeV nucl −1 protons and minor ions and the relative inability of some of the shocks to accelerate significant energetic ion populations near 1 AU. We report the characteristics of < 20 MeV nucl −1 solar energetic ions and < 0.32 MeV electrons and attempt to relate the release of energetic electrons to particular source regions.