What RFS-X is, what it measures, and how to read it
Clear definitions for search engines, AI summaries, and humans. CPS means Coherence Pattern Signature; the RFS scalar is bounded 0-2; Phase-Lock R measures phase coherence across the Sun-Earth coupling stack.
What is RFS-X?
RFS-X is a continuously-running heliospheric coherence monitoring system developed by Resonance Coherent Systems. It tracks the state of the Sun-Earth coupling environment in real time using an open-source computation layer built on publicly available solar wind, geomagnetic, and cosmic ray data. The methodology is publicly verifiable at github.com/ResonanceAdmin/resonance-rfs-x-open-science. The system has been validated against 30 years of NOAA geomagnetic data (1996-2026).
What does RFS stand for?
RFS stands for Resonant Field State. The RFS scalar is the system's primary composite output: a single number that summarizes the integrated state of the heliospheric field at any given hour. It is bounded between 0 and 2, with a 63-year baseline near 1.0. Values above 1.0 indicate elevated activity; values below 1.0 indicate quieter-than-baseline conditions.
What is CPS? What does CPS stand for?
CPS stands for Coherence Pattern Signature. It is a 0-to-100 score that measures the simultaneous activation of three independent coupling-state signals: CCI Geometry, GOES Hp30 deviation, and USGS ground station coherence. A CPS score of 78 or above indicates Full Pattern: all three signals simultaneously active. CPS Full Pattern events have been validated against 30 years of NOAA storm data with 99.3% recall at +/-24 hours.
What is Phase-Lock R?
Phase-Lock R is a Kuramoto order parameter computed across multiple frequency bands: Sub-ULF, Long-ULF, and Pc5. It uses Hilbert-transform phase extraction from driver-side channels and responder-side channels in the Sun-Earth coupling stack. Values range from 0, no coherence, to 1, full phase synchronization. Phase-Lock R is available to Operational tier subscribers and above.
What is the RFS scalar range?
The RFS scalar is bounded between 0 and 2 by construction. The 63-year historical mean is approximately 0.91. The scale is not 0 to 100; that is the CPS score range.
What is the difference between RFS-X and NOAA space weather alerts?
NOAA issues geomagnetic storm alerts based on real-time Kp index threshold crossings and observed solar wind conditions at L1. RFS-X tracks a different quantity: multi-signal coherence patterns in the Sun-Earth coupling environment. RFS-X does not replace NOAA; it provides a complementary coupling-state characterization validated against the same NOAA storm catalog.
Has RFS-X been independently validated?
The CPS detector has been cross-validated against the NOAA geomagnetic storm catalog from 1996 to 2026, achieving 99.3% recall at +/-24 hours and 100% recall on G3, G4, and G5 class events. Results are published openly on Zenodo at DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20785759. Independent heliophysicist review of the validation methodology is ongoing.
Who is RFS-X for?
RFS-X serves space weather enthusiasts, aurora chasers, ham radio operators, research groups studying heliospheric coupling, operational teams tracking space weather risk, and heliophysics researchers who want API access to a 30-year phase-coherence dataset.
Is there a free tier?
Yes. The free tier requires no account and provides the live RFS scalar, CPS score and phase band, a read-only CPS event log, and the last Full Pattern event timestamp. Paid tiers provide full historical access, alerts, exports, and additional metrics.