This proposal seeks funding for the development and validation of a new sophisticated numerical model that would follow Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) from their birth in the solar corona, through interactions with the ambient solar wind, and out to 1 AU. The finished model will combine two established, well-recognized codes, "MAS" (MHD Around a Sphere) to model the solar corona out to about 30 solar radii and "LFM Helio," an adaptation of the LFM code originally developed for magnetospheric simulations, that would follow the propagation out to 1 AU. Specific tasks to be completed include: 1) Steady-state MAS/LFM-helio coupling to obtain the ambient solar wind configuration throughout the corona and inner heliosphere prior to CME initiation; 2) Time-dependent coupling allowing seamless propagation of the CME structure through the interface between the coronal and inner heliosphere domains located at ∼ 30 RE; 3) Vetting of the resultant coupled model by performing corona-inner heliosphere simulations, investigations of CME interaction with the ambient solar wind and each other, and comparisons with heliospheric imaging.
If a major CME was to hit the earth it could have major consequences on everything from GPS satellites to the terrestrial power grid. Hence, understanding how CMEs propagate from the Sun to the Earth is perhaps the most important aspect of space weather forecasting. A female PhD student would be trained under this project.
