NSWP: Numerical Investigation of Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) Cannibalism in the Inner Heliosphere and Its Implications for Space Weather

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The Principal Investigator (PI) will study CME-CME interactions and CME cannibalism in the context of space weather, focusing on more accurate prediction of space environment conditions at 1 AU during complex events and during the formation and evolution of CME-driven shock waves. The PI is motivated by the observation that the interaction of successive Earthbound Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) is associated with large, long-lived geomagnetic storms and large gradual solar energetic particle (SEP) events. The team will perform detailed 3D MHD numerical studies of past CME events in order to address fundamental science questions. Such questions include the importance of preceding CMEs for preconditioning the heliosphere and modifying the Sun-to-L1 magnetic connection, how in situ measurements at L1 relate to the interactions a CME encounters on its way to Earth, and whether the association of successive CMEs with large SEP events is merely statistical, or can be understood in terms of shocks' characteristics and related to the disruption of the corona by the initial CMEs. The team will compute directly observable quantities from their 3D MHD simulations, and then compare this model output with spacecraft observations. This project will result in improvements to the numerical models being used and thus enable the space weather community to tackle problems related to some of the largest and longest lived disruptions in geospace. The improved models will ultimately be delivered to the Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC), via the Space Weather Modeling Framework, for broader use by the solar and heliospheric community. The team will also generate 3D visualizations and animations of solar phenomena for use in public outreach and education programs within the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy (IfA).