CAREER: Novel Data-Based Magnetohydrodynamic Simulations of Solar Eruptions

太阳爆发，包括太阳耀斑和日冕物质抛射（cme），可以导致相对论性粒子流和磁场强度增强。它们是地球上经历的太空天气的主要来源，可以破坏卫星运行，通信系统，并导致电网中断。该项目使用观测数据集和磁流体动力学（MHD）模拟来了解触发和驱动太阳爆发的过程。该项目的更广泛影响包括扩大新泽西理工学院（NJIT）太阳地球研究中心（Center for Solar Terrestrial Research）的规模，以支持一名新教员、一名女性高级研究教授的建模工作，并增加来自代表性不足群体的学生和博士后。首席研究员（PI）将开发并教授一门新的基于数据的研究生水平数值模拟课程和一所天体物理流体建模暑期学校。该项目利用先进外推方法获得的日冕磁场参数或数据驱动的MHD模拟作为初始条件，进行基于数据的MHD模拟。利用Goode太阳望远镜（GST）获得的高分辨率光球磁图数据，采用矢量磁图微分仿射速度估计器（DAVE4VM）方法得到的观测光球流场作为驱动边界条件。本研究的新颖之处在于，从太阳耀斑的起始过程出发，从环面不稳定性加速磁通绳非线性演化的新视角来研究日冕物质抛射的起始过程。本研究旨在澄清以下科学问题：(1)磁场是如何在光球运动的驱动下变得不稳定并发生喷发的？(2)磁通绳是如何形成并向环面不稳定方向演化的？(3)它最终是如何在环面不稳定性的加速下成长为日冕物质抛射的？该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Solar eruptions, including solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), can lead to streams of relativistic particles and enhancements in magnetic field strengths. They are a major source of space weather experienced on Earth, which can disrupt satellite operations, communications systems, and lead to power grid outages. This project uses observational data sets along with magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations to understand the processes that trigger and drive solar eruptions. The broader impacts of the project include expanding the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) Center for Solar Terrestrial Research to support modeling efforts from a new faculty hire, a female senior research professor, and growing the group with students and post-docs from under-represented groups. The Principal Investigator (PI) will develop and teach a new data-based graduate level numerical simulation course and a summer school for modeling astrophysical fluids.The project conducts data-based MHD simulations using parameters for the coronal magnetic field derived from advanced extrapolation methods or data-driven MHD simulations as initial conditions. The observed photospheric flow field, derived by the differential affine velocity estimator for vector magnetograms (DAVE4VM) method with high-resolution photospheric magnetogram data obtained from the Goode Solar Telescope (GST), will be adopted as driving boundary conditions. The novelty of the research is that it investigates the CME initiation process from the new perspective of the nonlinear evolution of the magnetic flux rope being accelerated by a torus instability, starting from the initiation process of solar flares. The research aims to clarify the following scientific questions: (1) how does the magnetic field, as driven by the photospheric motions, become unstable and run into eruption? (2) How does the magnetic flux rope form and evolve toward torus instability? (3) Eventually, how does it grow into a CME after being accelerated by the torus instability?This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.