STEREO REleASE: Solar Energetic Proton forecasting with instruments on STEREO-A

Sudden Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) events can have a major impact on technology and humans in space. Therefore forecasts and early warning systems working to support those missions are desirable. One example is REleASE, which utilizes the close correlation of near relativistic electrons and the slower but more hazardous protons.
The original (2009) REleASE system used electron measurements from SOHO/EPHIN. During the HESPERIA project it was expended to include ACE/EPAM. Both systems issue short term warnings before there is a significant flux increase of >20 MeV protons at L1.
We now successfully adapted the method to work with the High Energy Telescope (HET) and the Solar Electron Proton Telescope (SEPT) on board of STEREO-A. The resulting forecasts are publicly available in real time and can be accessed on a dedicated website. Furthermore, we gained valuable insights from adapting the method to the SEPT that uses the magnet/foil technique to separate electrons from ions, which can pose several difficulties.
With now two REleASE systems operational we have the possibility to directly compare forecasts from different points in the heliosphere.

The SOHO/EPHIN and STEREO/SEPT project is supported under Grant 50 OC 2302532 by the German Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft through the Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR). This study has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101004159535 (SERPENTINE). The REleASE system is supported by NASA via the grant TXS0150642.