UCSD's iterative time-dependent three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction program has characterized solar wind topology throughout the inner heliosphere based on interplanetary scintillation (IPS) and Thomson scattering brightness observations since the year 2000. This system has been modified to provide Thomson-scattering brightness and 3-D reconstructions similar to that intended from the NASA Small Explorer PUNCH (the Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere). However, we can now use combinations of data from STEREO A HI and Parker Solar Probe WISPR remote sensing analysis as well as IPS velocity data to bolster the PUNCH analysis from near the solar surface outward to 1 AU from more perspective views. These 3-D analyses allow reconstruction of heliospheric data that can show small-scale (mesoscale) structures in both the background solar wind and CMEs. These analyses are used to extend the plasma density and velocity measurements outward from the inner heliospheric spacecraft (Parker, Solar Orbiter, and BepiColombo) to give context information from these instruments' data. Tests continue with the analyses to learn how well various remote sensing heliospheric imagers can work together to achieve this goal. The continued studies include how instrument calibrations, different techniques needed to remove background density over time, solar wind acceleration (deceleration), and sources of LoS noise including missing spatial and temporal data, affect the reconstruction of the 3-D time-dependent density volumes.

We have evaluated the different components of an All-Sky Heliospheric Imager (ASHI), suitable for flight on future space missions. The instrument's unique optical system is designed to view a hemisphere of sky starting a few degrees from the Sun out to 180 degrees from this. As a simple, light-weight (~6kg), and relatively inexpensive instrument, the ASHI system has the principal objective of providing a minute-by-minute and day-by-day near real time acquisition of precision Thomson-scattering photometric maps of the inner heliosphere. The instrument is designed to be used to 3-D reconstruct the heliospheric solar wind that extends outward from and passes the spacecraft. ASHI was tested in summer, 2022 on a NASA-sponsored topside balloon flight; this presentation highlights the images taken and our data reduction from this instrument's successful overnight flight. This data reduction includes stellar identification and instrument pointing, and subsequently, the removal of atmospheric glows, starlight, and zodiacal light. This process provides hemispheric images to a brightness level a factor of 10 lower than heliospheric electron Thomson-scattering 90 degrees from the Sun-Earth line and beyond. As has never before been possible, the ASHI balloon analysis has allowed a characterization of the imaged background heliospheric solar wind mesoscale structures in the range of a few degrees to over ~50 degrees in size as they pass the Earth.

Remotely-sensed interplanetary scintillation (IPS) from the Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research (ISEE), Japan, for many years has allowed a global determination of solar wind velocities and densities throughout the inner heliosphere. We can combine these analyses with heliospheric Thomson Scattering data sets to give far higher resolutions of heliospheric densities and velocities in our time-dependent three-dimensional (3-D) reconstructions. We show here the three-dimensional (3-D) time-dependent analysis technique developed for these data sets using ISEE data and other members of the Worldwide IPS Stations (WIPSS) Network. Other sites that have joined in the past have included the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) headquartered in the Netherlands and other radio sites that can make their data publically available. The many different radio sites enable far more observations to be obtained and the ability to provide observations from different longitudes around the world to give the best temporal coverage. Although these analyses are almost the only way found so far to provide global solar wind velocities, they can now be combined with heliospheric imagery to give extremely high-resolution time-dependent 3-D density reconstructions of mesoscale size. Initiated originally for use with the Air Force - NASA funded Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI) spacecraft, they have currently been incorporated with both STEREO A HI data sets as well as the Parker Solar Probe WISPR data sets. This gives the best analysis in the same programming sequence for both types of remote sensing processes. Here we show recent examples of these analyses from several events of interest including the CMEs that caused the May 10, 2024 superstorm.

Remotely-sensed interplanetary scintillation (IPS) from the Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research (ISEE), Japan, allows a determination of solar wind parameters throughout the inner heliosphere. We show here the three-dimensional (3-D) time-dependent analysis technique developed for these data sets, which is used to forecast plasma velocities, density, and component magnetic fields at Earth, as well at the other inner heliospheric planets and spacecraft. One good success is the ability of the IPS velocities to extract solar surface fields that forecast minor to moderate geomagnetic storms at Earth. In addition, one excellent halo Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) example on March 10, 2022 viewed two days later in ISEE data is shown here that was forecast a half day in advance of its arrival at Earth. At this time Solar Orbiter was nearly aligned along the Earth radial at 0.45 AU, and also measured the CME in plasma density, velocity, and magnetic field. BepiColombo at 0.44 AU, aligned with the STEREO A spacecraft, also measured this CME passage in the European Space Agency Mercury Planetary Orbiter MAG instrument.

However, this IPS radio analysis often does not work as well for faster CMEs that occur just after the Sun has set at a given longitude. For these events more worldwide information is needed, and to this end the UCSD 3-D reconstruction program incorporated other IPS sites including those from the UK-ESA Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) based in the Netherlands. Using this additional IPS data in campaign mode operations from LOFAR has shown that this additional data set works well when included along with those of ISEE, Japan.

UCSD's iterative time dependent three dimensional (3-D) reconstruction program has characterized heliospheric topology throughout the inner heliosphere based on interplanetary scintillation (IPS) and Thomson scattering brightness observations. We now provide time-dependent, high-resolution, 3-D reconstruction analyses of the inner heliosphere to mesoscale sizes from Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI) and STEREO spacecraft data. At 1 AU our 3-D reconstructed densities at one-hour cadences, have latitude and longitude resolutions of less than two degrees, and solar distance resolutions of 0.02 AU. Our volumetric data also provides real time low resolution analyses from the dedicated interplanetary scintillation ISEE, Japan radio arrays that can be used to forecast GSM Bz and a Kp index several days in advance. Our current system has been used to reconstruct Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), their shock responses, and corotating structures in great detail. Here we present this analysis as "citizens' science outreach" where our volumetric data are animated and shown in real time allowing manipulation of the volumes from perspective views.

We have begun a long term program to find eclipsing binaries (EBs) in the Full-Frame images from NASA's TESS mission. To date, we have on the order of 10,000 EB candidates identified in the TESS light curves provided by the TESS-SPOC and the QLP High-Level Science Products. The third data release (DR3) from the Gaia mission provides both spectroscopic and astrometric for hundreds of thousands of binaries. We ran a simple script to cross-match our EB candidates with the Gaia double-lined spectroscopic (SB2) catalog and found 332 matches. After this step, we have several EBs with spectroscopic and photometric data, thereby allowing for a full solution of the system parameters. We choose two bright systems with deep eclipses (TIC 15042987 and VY Ret) as test cases to establish how accurately we can measure the stellar masses and radii using only the space-based data. In this work we present our solutions and discuss the potential of this large sample of objects to increase the number of EBs with precisely determined stellar masses and radii.

Circumbinary Planets (CBPs) make up only a small fraction of all known exoplanets, with less than two-dozen discovered out of over 5,200 known exoplanets. Developing a comprehensive understanding of planet formation in binary systems depends on the discovery of more CBPs for population analysis. Planetary Transits currently offer the best opportunity for discovery of a CBP. However, their detection is difficult due to shallow transits, starspots from both stars, and long orbital periods of the planet. The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), through observations of millions of sources and nearly complete sky coverage, currently provides the best opportunity to detect CBPs with the transit method. However, TESS is limited to 27 days of observation for targets within a specific sector, which limits the sensitivity for CBP transits. In systems with a CBP, the planet is constantly perturbing the binary orbit through gravitational interactions, affecting the orbital position of the binary. In Eclipsing Binary systems (EBs), these interactions cause a delay in the times of the primary and secondary eclipses known as Eclipse Timing Variations (ETVs). We demonstrate a method to detect CBPs in TESS by searching for potential ETV signals in EBs, and modeling the systems using the Eclipsing Light Curve program (ELC). Our pipeline initially flagged 6,953 potential EB systems in the TESS SPOC dataset. Of these systems, we modeled TIC 172900988, TIC 15042987, and VY Ret with ELC. Our method detected a previously known CBP in TIC 172900988 using only TESS light curves and Gaia radial velocities. We parameterized the TIC 15042987 and VY Ret systems, and determined the limits for the third body mass in each system. As expected, the method demonstrated to be most sensitive to CBPs of Saturn-mass or higher. Our ETV detection method offers another way to detect CBPs with longer orbital periods that may not otherwise be detected within the limited TESS observation window.

Most matter in the cosmos is in a mysterious form known as dark matter, which does not interact with light and thus cannot be observed directly. Only 4% of the total matter in the universe can be seen directly; namely, in planets, stars, and galaxies. Even though we cannot see dark matter, we can measure and simulate its gravitational effects on the rest of the universe. In order to form galaxies that will evolve properly and remain stable, a large amount of dark matter is required. NGC 1052-DF2, an elliptical galaxy, has 400 times less dark matter than expected, sparking a debate in leading scientific principles. This means that re-examining dark matter's role in galaxy composition is imperative. The goal of this project is to demonstrate that it is plausible to generate simulations of dark matter deficient galaxies that can remain gravitationally-bound. Our recreation of NGC 1052-DF2 showed that a galaxy with remarkably low content of dark matter can still be stable. Furthermore, we constrained limits for the central mass and size of our modeled galaxies. We then developed a mathematical expression that predicts a galaxy's stability based on its dark matter content, central mass, and size. Our results show that galaxies with 3000 times less dark matter than expected can still be stable in a scenario where the leading principles on galactic formation theory suggest they would fail.