EOMF-12. Science-Quality GOES X-Ray Measurements and Implications for Solar Flare Research

Abstract
The X-Ray Sensor (XRS) onboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) has observed solar X-ray irradiance for over 40 years. The XRS measurements provide crucial solar and space weather information, including the standard X-ray classification of solar flares. We present the newly reprocessed science-quality XRS datasets available for the GOES 13 through 17 satellites spanning the years 2010 to the present that are now publicly available. The science-quality XRS data removes the long-standing scaling factor that was applied to the pre-GOES-16 XRS data, resulting in solar X-ray irradiances that are now 30% higher than previously reported. We will discuss the impacts of removing this scaling factor on solar flare classifications and analyses, and highlight ongoing work to further improve the historical science-quality XRS dataset. We will also discuss the available XRS science data products including flare summary and flare location products.