PUNCH Observations for Space Weather Operationsand Research

PUNCH Observations for Space Weather Operationsand Research | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article PUNCH Observations for Space Weather Operationsand Research Daniel B. Seaton, Matthew J. West, J. Marcus Hughes, Craig E. DeForest, and 15 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9118341/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 5 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract PUNCH is a coronagraphic and heliospheric imaging NASA Small Explorer mission composed of four spacecraft, three Wide Field Imagers (WFI) and one Near Field Imager (NFI), which generates polarization-resolved observations of the corona and heliosphere between 6–180 Rs. In addition to its science mission, PUNCH provides low-latency observations of the corona and heliosphere that can support space weather forecasting operations, predictions, and workflows. In this paper we describe the space weather applications that PUNCH observations support, including tracking coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and solar wind outflow. We discuss the specific low-latency data products produced by PUNCH for space weather applications and the data access pathways for end users. We provide an overview of research-to-operations opportunities enabled by these data, including the uses of polarized coronal measurements for space weather, 2D and 3D tracking of CMEs, and the use of PUNCH data as a constraint for numerical forecasting models. We conclude with a look at potential synergistic opportunities between PUNCH and planned and proposed operational space weather missions such as NOAA’s Space Weather Follow-On mission to be positioned at the L1 Lagrange point, and the European Vigil mission to the L5 point, and ground-based observations from observatories such as the COronal Solar Magnetism Observatory (COSMO). Space Weather Coronal mass ejections Solar Wind Polarization Optical Instrumentation and data management Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 15 May, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 25 Mar, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 14 Mar, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 14 Mar, 2026 First submitted to journal 13 Mar, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9118341","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":612067222,"identity":"070c743b-aca9-4449-98f1-03d030552e05","order_by":0,"name":"Daniel B. 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