Award Abstract # 1260358
SHINE: Collaborative Research: Time-dependent coupling of the solar corona and inner heliosphere: Interfacing LFM-helio with MAS

NSF Org: AGS
Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences
Recipient: THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
Initial Amendment Date: August 12, 2013
Latest Amendment Date: July 6, 2015
Award Number: 1260358
Award Instrument: Continuing Grant
Program Manager: Carrie E. Black
cblack@nsf.gov
 (703)292-2426
AGS
 Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences
GEO
 Directorate for Geosciences
Start Date: September 1, 2013
End Date: August 31, 2017 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount: $117,670.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date: $117,670.00
Funds Obligated to Date: FY 2013 = $38,164.00
FY 2014 = $38,982.00

FY 2015 = $40,524.00
History of Investigator:
  • Viacheslav Merkin (Principal Investigator)
    Slava.Merkin@jhuapl.edu
Recipient Sponsored Research Office: Johns Hopkins University
3400 N CHARLES ST
BALTIMORE
MD  US  21218-2608
(443)997-1898
Sponsor Congressional District: 07
Primary Place of Performance: The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
11100 Johns Hopkins Rd
Laurel
MD  US  20723-6099
Primary Place of Performance
Congressional District:
03
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): FTMTDMBR29C7
Parent UEI: GS4PNKTRNKL3
NSF Program(s): SOLAR-TERRESTRIAL
Primary Program Source: 01001314DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
01001415DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT

01001516DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
Program Reference Code(s): 1323, EGCH
Program Element Code(s): 152300
Award Agency Code: 4900
Fund Agency Code: 4900
Assistance Listing Number(s): 47.050

ABSTRACT

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.

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

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Merkin, V. G., J. G. Lyon, D. Lario, C. N. Arge, and C. J. Henney "Time-dependent magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the inner heliosphere" J. Geophys. Res. Space Physics , v.121 , 2016 10.1002/2015JA022200
V. G. Merkin, R. Lionello, J. Lyon, J. Linker, T. Torok, C. Downs "Coupling of coronal and heliospheric magnetohydrodynamic models: Solution comparisons and verification" Astropysical Journal , v.831 , 2016 10.3847/0004-637X/831/1/23

PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT

Disclaimer

This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.

Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are among the largest disturbances in the heliosphere. As they propagate through the interplanetary space they cause strong perturbations of the planetary magnetospheres on their way. In particular, CMEs are known to be the primary drivers of most intense geomagnetic storms at Earth. Understanding and eventually predicting space weather thus entails studying diverse plasma processes at various stages of CME formation and evolution, starting with their initiation in the corona and further propagation through the ambient solar wind. Motivated by the complexity of the corresponding physical processes and by the importance of their space weather applications, the primary goal of the proposed project was to develop and validate novel modeling capabilities for studying CME propagation and interaction with the ambient solar wind from their source in the corona through the inner heliosphere. 

We proposed to employ and build upon two existing high-heritage numerical models, simulating respectively the solar corona and the solar wind: the magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) around a sphere (MAS) code and LFM-helio. The latter model is based on the Lyon-Fedder-Mobarry (LFM) MHD code that was applied historically to the earth’s magnetosphere, but has been adapted and now used for simulations of the inner heliosphere. 

As a result of this project we built a coupled MAS-LFM-helio model with the capability to simulate CMEs from first principles from the Sun's photosphere at the bottom of the corona all the way to Earth. The model has been very carefully validated by diligent comparison of the two model outputs. As the project progressed, we went from simple to complex, gradually adding new features to the coupled model to make it more realistic. We started with just steady state solar wind solutions that did not have much spatial structure and completed the project with a full-blown coupled model with arbitrary spatial and temporal structure. The figure to the right depicts an example of a such a reslistic simulation published in the Astrophysical Journal. 

Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are the primary drivers of geomagnetic activity and space weather. Thus, as a result of this project we have created modeling capabilities for both basic research of the physics of CME propagation and space weather forecasting. The results have been published in two peer-reviewed papers (in Astrophysical Journal and Journal of Geophysical Research Space Physics) and presented at numerous scientific conferences.

 


Last Modified: 11/12/2017
Modified by: Viacheslav G Merkin

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