The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is a joint ESA-NASA
mission in space for the detection of gravitational waves. Three pairs
of test masses are mounted on three satellites, spread out in space on
an equilateral triangle with legs of 5 millions of kilometers.
The three spacecraft maintain independent orbits around the Sun. The
center of the triangle lies on the ecliptic, 20 degrees behind the
Earth. Cosmic rays and SEPs with energies larger than 100 MeV/n are able
to penetrate and charge the test masses, generating a noise that can
dominate the sensitivity of the interferometer and produce spurious
signals able to mimic the gravitational wave passage.
Onboard silicon counters will allow us to monitor in real time the
effective flux of galactic and solar particles penetrating the test
masses.
We propose to use these particle detectors to map the transit of CMEs
through the LISA spacecraft at various steps in longitude:
20 degrees between Earth and LISA
and two degrees among the LISA spacecraft. Hopefully, a comparison will
be also carried out with other experiments orbiting the Sun. Under the
assumptions listed above, LISA offers a unique chance to study the
dynamics of CMEs and Space Weather related problems.
Moreover, our contribution to the COSTA 274 (2003-2007) on the Physics Of
Events Bursted by the Sun (Phoebus,  inside WG1/WP13000) will develop
appropriate simulations by using space-based data and theoretical models.