The Journal of Space Weather and Space Climate (JSWSC) opens a Topical Issue (TI) entitled "Energetic Solar Eruptions and the Dynamic Particle Environment in the Heliosphere".
This Topical Issue is motivated by recent scientific advances and discussions within the Horizon Europe projects SPEARHEAD (SPEcification, Analysis & Re-calibration of High Energy pArticle Data) and SOLER (Energetic Solar Eruptions: Data and Analysis Tools). It builds upon scientific exchanges at the SOLER Workshop #3 (Potsdam, Germany, 30 June-3 July 2026) and the SPEARHEAD Workshop #3 (Kiel, Germany, 9-11 September 2026) and is closely connected to session HEL2 - "Cosmic Rays in the Heliosphere" at the European Space Weather Week 2026 (ESWW2026, Florence, Italy, 2-6 November 2026). However, the TI is not restricted to contributions presented at these events or arising from these projects alone and welcomes relevant submissions from the broader scientific community.
This TI invites contributions addressing the physical processes associated with energetic solar eruptions, particle acceleration, release and transport, and the variability of energetic particle populations throughout the heliosphere. Of particular interest are studies investigating the relationships between solar flares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), coronal waves, solar radio bursts and Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) events, as well as the modulation of Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs) by transient and large-scale heliospheric structures. Contributions combining remote-sensing observations from the ground and space, in-situ particle measurements, ground-based observations from neutron monitor networks, theoretical and numerical modelling, and advanced data analysis methods are particularly encouraged. In particular, contributions addressing the following research topics are encouraged:
- Energetic solar eruptions and particle acceleration: Solar flares, CMEs, coronal waves, particle acceleration mechanisms, magnetic connectivity, solar radio emissions and their diagnostic role in understanding particle acceleration and release, and the relationships between solar eruptive phenomena and SEP characteristics.
- Solar Energetic Particle events and their heliospheric evolution: SEP release, interplanetary transport, energy spectra, composition, anisotropies, longitudinal and radial distributions, and multi-spacecraft observations, including relativistic SEP events and Ground Level Enhancements (GLEs) observed by ground-based neutron monitors.
- Galactic Cosmic Rays and heliospheric modulation: GCR variability, particle transport and modulation, neutron monitor observations, and the influence of solar activity and heliospheric magnetic structures on cosmic-ray populations.
- Forbush decreases and transient heliospheric structures: Cosmic-ray depressions associated with CMEs, interplanetary shocks, sheaths and magnetic flux ropes, including their spatial and temporal evolution, multi-spacecraft and ground-based observations, and modelling.
- Observations, datasets and innovative analysis techniques: SEP catalogues, instrument calibration and cross-calibration, open-access datasets, numerical simulations, and novel analysis and visualisation tools including multi-instrument, multi-spacecraft as well as fusion of in-situ and remote-sensing observations.
- Energetic particles and space weather applications: SEP and GCR modelling, nowcasting and forecasting, extreme particle events, radiation environment characterisation, and implications for spacecraft operations and human space exploration.
The Topical Issue aims to bring together observational, theoretical and modelling studies to improve our understanding of the connections between solar eruptive activity, energetic particle populations and their evolution throughout the heliosphere, while promoting the exploitation of new observational capabilities, datasets and analysis tools. Technical papers are also welcomed, particularly those presenting advances in instrumentation, data processing, calibration, methodological developments, and the creation and validation of new datasets and analysis tools relevant to solar eruption and energetic particle research.
Manuscripts must be submitted through the JSWSC online submission system. Guidelines for manuscript submission and information about article processing charges are available on the JSWSC website under "Instructions for authors".
All manuscripts will be peer-reviewed according to the quality standards of international scientific journals. Contributions must be consistent with the scope and style of JSWSC. Manuscripts should present sufficient new insights, place the results in the context of appropriately referenced existing work, and provide adequate evidence to support the conclusions.
Papers will be published immediately upon acceptance, without waiting for the closure of the Topical Issue, in electronic format only, and will be freely available through the JSWSC website. JSWSC also offers the possibility of including electronic supplementary material, such as animations, movies, code, and datasets.
For questions regarding this Topical Issue, please contact the T-EiC. For questions concerning the submission process, please contact the Editorial Office (jswsc@edpsciences.org).
Topical Editor-in-Chief (T-EiC):
- Athanasios Papaioannou (atpapaio@astro.noa.gr) - National Observatory of Athens, Greece
Topical Editors (TE):
- Nina Dresing (University of Turku, Finland)
- Diana Morosan (University of Turku, Finland)
- Alexander Mishev (University of Oulu, Finland)
- Mateja Dumbovic (Hvar Observatory, University of Zagreb, Croatia)
Deadline: 30 June 2027
