Heliophysical Modeling at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center

Abstract:

The Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC) at NASA/GSFC provides the heliophysics research community with access to state of the art modeling resources, and facilitates modeling challenges for model validation or for mission support. In this presentation we report on new additions to the CCMC's inventory of heliophysical models, and on a community wide modeling effort in support of the New Horizons flyby of Pluto.
During the last year we have added a number of significant new models to our model inventory. In this presentation we describe these new models. These include a Non-Linear Force Free Field model of the coronal field which can use a spherical grid and so can model large surface patches containing multiple active regions, and which is configured to use HMI data.
We have also installed the SRPM irradiance model.
We will also discuss work being done to install an 'eruption generator' capability that operates within the SWMF coronal MHD component, and an updated version of EMMREM which can couple with the ENLIL MHD model of the inner heliosphere to model particle fluences.
Shortly before the New Horizons flyby, the Planetary Division at NASA HQ requested that the CCMC provide a forecast of the state of the Solar Wind at the spacecraft.
The CCMC's primary mission is to provide the research and forecasrting community with heliophysical models of relevance to Space Weather. Prior to the New Horizons flyby the CCMC's focus had been on models of the inner heliosphere. To respond to the New Horizons opportunity, modelers of the outer heliosphere were invited to contribute. As a result, by the time of closest approach six different model forecasts were posted publically at the CCMC web site dedicated to this project.
In this presentation we will describe the community wide effort which the CCMC facilitated in response to this request, detailing the different models which participated and illustrating the results.