Solar energetic particle analysis platform for the inner heliosphere
The SERPENTINE project will answer several outstanding questions about the origin of Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) events and provides an advanced platform for the analysis and visualization of high-level datasets to benefit the wider heliophysics community.  We exploit the unique opportunity provided by the unprecedented fleet of spacecraft currently in the inner heliosphere. The key data comes from the most recent European and US missions, i.e., Solar Orbiter, Parker Solar Probe and BepiColombo, which have opened completely new avenues to investigate SEPs, with supporting data from several current missions at Earth's orbit as well as ground-based radio imaging and spectroscopic observations with the European Low Frequency Array (LOFAR). In particular, we will focus on unravelling the causes of currently poorly understood large gradual and widespread SEP events. These events also pose the greatest radiation risk to spacecraft outside the shielding provided by Earth’s magnetic field, having thus major importance for the European space weather capabilities. Our platform is expected to significantly foster the further exploitation of the data from European space-borne and ground-based instrumentation and interactions between different communities during and after the project period. This strategic program will, therefore, provide a strong foundation for enhancing European lead and future investments in this field. The SERPENTINE beneficiaries consist of six teams from five European countries who all are at the forefront of their respective fields and provide complementary expertise and skills to the project.