SHINE: The Non-Ideal Evolution of Coronal Mass Ejections: Numerical Studies

首席研究员将使用密歇根大学开发良好的空间天气建模框架（SWMF）进行自洽模拟，以解决与日冕中日冕物质抛射（CME）特性相关的一些科学问题。利用现有的和改进的CME演化模型，行星际磁场和太阳风，PI的团队将从他们的模拟中直接计算可观测的量。然后将这些数量与航天器和地面仪器的遥感观测数据以及各种航天器提供的现场数据进行比较。PI的团队将确定背景磁场和重连事件对CME旋转的影响; CME如何在日冕中偏转;日冕洞和流光的存在如何影响这种偏转; CME源区相对于日光层电流片的位置如何改变这种偏转;是什么导致CME膨胀和非径向传播最终停止;什么参数决定了CME演变成为“理想”的距离，以及为什么这个距离在CME之间会有所不同。这项研究有可能提高我们对日光层内和日冕外的基本物理的理解，这反过来又将通过更好地预测CME的方向，传播方向和空间范围来改善空间天气预报。研究小组将通过发表科学文章以及参加和组织专题讲习班和会议，向太阳物理学界传播其研究成果。PI是一名年轻的研究科学家，他将让本科生参与这项工作，并承诺尽可能选择代表性不足的少数民族学生。PI将通过“夏威夷推进系统太阳物理学教育中心”参与公众宣传，特别利用他的SWMF模拟制作的彩色图形和电影。该项目小组由来自新罕布什尔州大学、海军研究实验室和夏威夷大学天文学研究所的科学家组成，从而加强了大学伙伴关系以及与联邦实验室的学术合作。

The Principal Investigator (PI) will use the University of Michigan's well-developed Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF) to perform self-consistent simulations that will address a number of scientific questions related to the properties of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in the solar corona. Using existing and improved models of CME evolution, the interplanetary magnetic field, and the solar wind, the PI's team will compute directly observable quantities from their simulations. These quantities will then be compared with remote-sensing observations from both spacecraft and ground-based instruments, as well as with available in situ data from various spacecraft. The PI's team will determine the effect of the background magnetic field and reconnection events on CME rotation; how CMEs are deflected in the corona; how such deflections are affected by the presence of coronal holes and streamers; how the location of the CME source region with respect to the heliospheric current sheet might modify this deflection; what causes CME expansion and non-radial propagation to eventually cease; and what parameters determine the distance at which CME evolution becomes "ideal" and why this distance varies from CME to CME.This research has the potential to improve our understanding of the basic physics of the inner heliosphere and outer corona, which in turn will enable improved space weather forecasts through better predictions of CME orientation, propagation direction, and spatial extent. The research team will disseminate their results to the heliophysics community by publication of scientific articles, as well as by participating in, and by organizing, topical workshops and conferences. The PI is a young research scientist who will involve undergraduate students in this work and who pledges to select, whenever possible, under-represented minority students. The PI will engage in public outreach through the "Hawaii Center for Advancing Systemic Heliophysics Education," taking special advantage of colorful graphics and movies produced his SWMF simulations. The project team consists of scientists from the University of New Hampshire, the Naval Research Laboratory, and the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaii, thereby enhancing university partnerships as well as academic collaboration with a federal laboratory.