Coronal Modeling with Flux-Evolved Maps: Comparison with Observations

Abstract:

MHD simulations of the solar corona rely on maps of the solar magnetic field for input as boundary conditions. These "synoptic" maps (available from a number of ground-based and space-based solar observatories) are built up over a solar rotation. A well-known problem with this approach is that the maps contain data that is as much as 27 days old. The Sun's magnetic flux is always evolving, and these changes in the flux affect coronal and heliospheric structure. Flux evolution models can in principle provide a more accurate specification, by estimating the likely state of the photospheric magnetic field on unobserved portions of the Sun. The Air Force Data Assimilative Photospheric flux Transport (ADAPT) model (Arge et al. 2010) is especially well suited for this purpose. ADAPT can also incorporate information from helioseismic acoustic images to estimate the emergence of new active regions on the Sun's far side.

In this presentation we describe MHD models with boundary conditions derived from ADAPT maps. We investigate the June-August 2010 time period, when there was significant coronal hole evolution observed by the STEREO and SDO spacecraft. We compare model results using ADAPT maps, including those with far side data, as well as models using traditional synoptic maps, to STEREO EUVI and SDO AIA data.

Research supported by AFOSR & NASA.