arXiv subjects

Tinatin Baratashvili

Publications and source records attributed to Tinatin Baratashvili.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Magnetohydrodynamic coronal modelling with high-fidelity magnetograms

To resolve coronal structures in detail, it is essential to constrain the coronal model using high-fidelity magnetograms with minimal smoothing. In this paper, we improve the numerical stability of COCONUT to enable efficient coronal MHD simulations driven directly by photospheric magnetograms, including magnetic field strengths exceeding 1000 Gauss (G), and then use it to investigate the impact of small-scale magnetic field structures that are typically filtered out of photospheric magnetograms on the coronal simulation results. We constrain this model with two types of magnetograms: the high-fidelity HMI photospheric magnetogram with only minor preprocessing through Gaussian smoothing, which preserves magnetic field strengths reaching 1500 G, and one processed using 50th-order filtered spherical harmonics, where the magnetic field strength is limited to below 100 G. The results demonstrate that the COCONUT can reproduce the large-scale coronal structures revealed by pB and EUV observations. Compared with the coronal MHD simulation constrained by a conventionally filtered magnetogram, the simulation constrained by the high-fidelity magnetogram yields approximately $50\%$ more OMF and produces EUV images that are more consistent with the observations. Moreover, the results show that when viewed from low latitudes in certain EUV passbands, such as the 193~Å channel, open-field regions near the solar poles may appear as bright structures that are typically associated with closed-field regions. This finding highlights the need for solar polar-orbiting missions to overcome the limitations and ambiguities arising from the restricted view of the polar regions from the ecliptic plane and to provide more complete full-Sun observations.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2026

MHD modeling of magnetic flux evolution around solar maximum by the coronal model COCONUT

In this paper, we simulate the magnetic flux evolution at different heliocentric distances during two solar-maximum Carrington rotations (CRs) using the time-evolving coronal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model COCONUT to investigate the ``open flux problem". The simulated open magnetic flux (OMF) near the solar surface is comparable to that derived from \textit{in situ} observations by PSP and WIND satellites, and is about 5 times larger than that derived from SDO coronal hole (CH) observations, and the variation in the simulated radial solar wind speed is consistent with the evolution of the OMF evaluated around the corresponding solar disk center. We find that the OMF is reduced by up to $45\%$ from 1.01~$R_s$ to 0.1~AU and increases with a higher-resolution mesh. The OMF decreases mainly within 3~$R_s$, where the closed magnetic flux drops more rapidly, from about $60\%$ of the total magnetic flux at 1.01~$R_s$ to about $4\%$ at 3~$R_s$. Moderate adjustment of the heating source term can effectively regulate the simulated OMF. Preprocessing the photospheric magnetograms with a potential field solver that removes many high-order spherical harmonic components reduces the OMF in the low corona, while having little impact beyond 3~$R_s$. Additionally, the ratio of the maximum to the minimum OMF can reach 1.4 during a single solar maximum CR. These findings highlight the necessity of considering higher grid resolution, more realistic heating mechanisms, and the time-evolving regime of coronal MHD modeling when further addressing the ``open flux problem".

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2026

COCONUT: Toward practical time-evolving Sun-to-Earth magnetohydrodynamic modeling

Due to computational efficiency and numerical stability limitations, coronal simulations constrained by static magnetograms are typically performed first and then used to drive inner-heliosphere (IH) models. In this paper, we calculate the Sun-to-Earth coronal and wind evolutions using a single time-evolving MHD model, showing that implicit MHD models have the potential to meaningfully simplify and improve the overall Sun-to-Earth modelling pipeline. We extend the implicit time-evolving coronal MHD model COCONUT out to 1 AU, and utilise it to investigate solar coronal and wind evolutions around a solar maximum Carrington rotation (CR). We compare quasi-steady-state and time-evolving Sun-to-Earth simulations to evaluate the impact of the inner-boundary magnetic field evolution, which is neglected in steady-state simulations, on background plasma parameters. Comparisons with commonly used coupled Sun-to-Earth simulations are also conducted to further validate and assess the Sun-to-Earth model COCONUT. The results show that the time-evolving implicit MHD modelling approach yields noticeable differences compared to oversimplified steady-state simulations, and is efficient enough for practical applications. Modelling the solar corona and wind using a single MHD model simplifies the modelling pipeline and avoids uncertainties associated with coupling different coronal and IH models. The noticeable differences in the temporal evolution of plasma parameters at the L1 and L5 points highlight the need to use continuously evolving, synchronised magnetic field observations to improve global coronal and solar wind simulations, whereas the overall consistent evolutionary trend reveals the reliability of using L5 observations to forecast solar wind conditions near Earth about four days in advance.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2026

COCONUT: A coronal model with an energy decomposition strategy

In this paper, we propose an energy decomposition method combined with an HLL Riemann solver that includes an additional dissipation term in the energy equation to improve the numerical stability of the fully implicit, time-evolving coronal model COCONUT and extend its applicability to solar-maximum phases. In MHD simulations that evolve conservative variables in time, the thermal pressure is typically computed by subtracting the magnetic and kinetic energies from the total energy. In low-beta (the ratio of thermal to magnetic pressure; $< 10^{-3}$) regions, discretization errors of magnetic energy can be comparable to the thermal pressure, potentially leading to negative thermal pressure and causing the simulation to crash. Therefore, we update the decomposed energy, excluding the magnetic energy, at each time step. It avoids subtracting a large magnetic energy from the total energy to obtain a very small thermal pressure in low-$β$ regions, thereby improving the numerical stability of MHD models. We validate the algorithm using a time-evolving solar-maximum Carrington rotation simulation in 2025, which the previous code failed to run to completion. We also perform quasi-steady-state coronal simulations and 2D benchmark tests to further assess the algorithm's performance. The simulation results show that the algorithm produces results nearly identical to those obtained using the traditional full energy equation during solar minimum, while significantly improving COCONUT's ability to simulate coronal evolution under strong magnetic fields, even including fields exceeding 100 Gauss with $β<10^{-3}$. This method provides a promising approach for performing quasi-realistic coronal simulations during solar maxima.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2026

Time-evolving coronal modelling of the solar maximum around the solar storms in May 2024 by COCONUT

Time-evolving MHD coronal models deliver more realistic results than traditional quasi-steady-state models. The fully implicit time-evolving coronal model COCONUT performs efficiently enough for real-time coronal simulations during solar minimum. However, during solar maxima, the coronal magnetic field is more complex and stronger, and coronal structures evolve more rapidly than during solar minima. Time-evolving MHD coronal modelling of solar maxima often struggles with poor numerical stability and low computational efficiency. We enhanced the numerical stability of the time-evolving coronal model COCONUT to mitigate these issues with the aim to evaluate the differences between the time-evolving and quasi-steady-state coronal simulation results, and to assess the impact of the spatial resolution on global MHD coronal modelling of solar maxima. After enhancing the positivity-preserving property of COCONUT, we employed it to simulate the evolution of coronal structures within 0.1 AU in an inertial coordinate system over two CRs around the solar storms in May 2024. These simulations were performed on unstructured geodesic meshes containing 6.06, 1.52, and 0.38 M cells. We also conducted a quasi-steady-state coronal simulation that treated the solar surface as a rigidly rotating spherical shell. A comparison with observations further validated the reliability of the time-evolving coronal modelling technique. It shows that incorporating the evolution of the magnetic field on the solar surface can significantly improve the fidelity of global MHD coronal simulations around a solar maximum. A simulated magnetic field strength using a mesh with 6.06 M cells can be stronger by more than 40% than that in a mesh with 0.38 M cells. The fully implicit time-evolving model COCONUT shows promise for accurately conducting real-time global coronal simulations of solar maxima.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

Total solar eclipse 2024 modelling with COCONUT

Coronal modelling is crucial for a better understanding of solar and helio-physics. Due to the strong brightness of the Sun and the lack of white light observations of the solar atmosphere and low corona (1-1.5R$_\odot$), total solar eclipses have become a standard approach for validating the coronal models. In this study, we validate the COCONUT coronal model by predicting the coronal configuration during the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. We aim to predict the accurate configuration of the solar corona during the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. We utilise the full 3D MHD model to reconstruct the solar corona from the solar surface to $30\;R_\odot$. The upcoming total solar eclipse predictions were conducted in three different regimes: quasi-steady driving of the inner boundary conditions (BCs) with a daily cadence and dynamic driving of the inner BCs with both daily and hourly cadences. The results from all the simulations are compared to the total solar eclipse images. Additionally, the synthetic white-light (WL) images are generated from the STEREO-A field of view and compared to COR2 observed images. Normalised polarised brightness is compared in the COR2 and synthetic WL images. The predicted solar corona does not vary significantly in the first half of the prediction window. The dynamic simulations yielded better results than the quasi-steady predictions. The west limb was reconstructed better in the simulations than the east limb. We have predicted the total solar eclipse coronal configuration 18 days before the total solar eclipse. We can conclude that the dynamic simulations produced more accurate predictions. The availability of comprehensive observations is crucial, as the emergence of the active region on the east limb made it difficult to accurately predict the east limb coronal configuration due to incorrect input of magnetic field data.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

Investigating the impact of the dynamic solar wind on the propagation of a coronal mass ejection with two models and multi-spacecraft measurements

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are the main drivers of disturbances in the solar heliosphere because they propagate and interact with the magnetic field of the solar wind. It is crucial to investigate the evolution of CMEs and their deformation for understanding the interaction between the solar wind and CMEs. We quantify the effect of the dynamic solar wind on the propagation of a CME in the heliosphere with a hydrodynamic plasma cloud-cone model and a linear force-free spheromak model at various locations in the heliosphere. We chose a CME event that launched on SOL2021-09-23T04:39:45 and was observed by multiple spacecraft, namely BepiColombo, Parker Solar Probe, Solar Orbiter, Stereo A and ACE. The solar wind was modelled in the steady and dynamic regimes in the Icarus model. The CME parameters were approximated for the selected event, and two CME models (spheromak and cone) were launched from the inner heliosphere boundary. The obtained synthetic in situ measurements were compared to the observed in situ measurements at all spacecraft. The internal magnetic field of the flux rope was better reconstructed by the spheromak model than by the cone CME model. The cone CME model maintained a nearly constant longitudinal angular extension while somewhat contracting in the radial direction. In contrast, the spheromak model contracted in the longitudinal direction while expanding in the radial direction. The CME sheath and magnetic cloud signatures were better reproduced at the four spacecraft clustered around the CME nose by the spheromak CME model. The dynamic solar wind caused a greater deceleration of the modelled CME than the steady-state solar wind solution. Because the background was homogeneous, the modelled CME properties were only mildly affected by the solar wind regime, however.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

SIP-IFVM: An observation-based magnetohydrodynamic model of coronal mass ejection

Currently, achieving a balance between computational efficiency, accuracy, and numerical stability in CME simulations, particularly in the sub-Alfv{'e}nic coronal region, remains a significant challenge. This paper aims to address the challenge by integrating observational data and developing advanced numerical algorithms, focusing on reproducing large-scale CME evolutions that are consistent with observations in the coronal region. Based on the recently developed fully implicit thermodynamic MHD coronal model (Wang et al. 2025a), we further use an observation-based RBSL flux rope to trigger a CME event during CR 2111. Additionally, we improve the temporal accuracy using a 2nd-order accurate ESDIRK2 method, with the intermediate stage solutions computed by the 2nd-order accurate BDF2 pseudo-time marching method. To enhance the numerical stability of ESDIRK2, we apply approximate linearisation in the implicitly solved intermediate stages. Furthermore, we adjust the time-evolving magnetic field B1 to zero at the end of each physical time step to further validate the extended magnetic field decomposition approach proposed by (Wang et al. 2025a). It is noticed that the model successfully reproduces the CME evolution consistent with white-light coronagraph observations, enables faster-than-real-time CME propagation simulations from solar surface to 0.1 AU using only a few dozen CPU cores on approximately 1 million grid cells, and remains numerically stable in CME simulations involving low-\b{eta} regions. The simulation results show that this novel MHD coronal model, combined with an observation-based magnetic flux rope, is sufficiently numerically stable and computationally efficient to reproduce real CME events propagating through the sub-Alfv{é}nic coronal region. Thus, the observation-based CME model is well suited for practical applications in daily space weather forecasting.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

SIP-IFVM: A time-evolving coronal model with an extended magnetic field decomposition strategy

Time-evolving magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) coronal modeling, driven by a series of time-dependent photospheric magnetograms, represents a new generation of coronal simulations. This approach offers greater realism compared to traditional coronal models constrained by a static magnetogram. However, its practical application is seriously limited by low computational efficiency and poor numerical stability. Therefore, we propose an extended magnetic field decomposition strategy and implement it in the implicit MHD model to develop a coronal model that is both efficient and numerically stable enough for simulating the long-term evolutions of the global corona. The traditional decomposition strategies split the magnetic field into a time-invariant potential field and a time-dependent component $\mathbf{B}_1$. It works well for quasi-steady-state coronal simulations where $\left|\mathbf{B}_1\right|$ is typically small. However, as the inner-boundary magnetic field evolves, $\left|\mathbf{B}_1\right|$ can grow significantly larger and its discretization errors often lead to nonphysical negative thermal pressure, ultimately causing the code to crash. In this paper, we mitigate such undesired situations by introducing a temporally piecewise-constant variable to accommodate part of the non-potential field and remain $\left|\mathbf{B}_1\right|$ consistently small throughout the simulations. We incorporate this novel magnetic field decomposition strategy into our implicit MHD coronal model and apply it to simulate the evolution of coronal structures within 0.1 AU over two solar-maximum Carrington rotations. The results show that this coronal model effectively captures observations and performs more than 80 times faster than real time using only 192 CPU cores, making it well-suited for practical applications in simulating the time-evolving corona.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

Efficient magnetohydrodynamic modelling of the time-evolving corona by COCONUT

Compared to quasi-steady-state corona models that are constrained by a time-invariant magnetogram over a CR period, time-evolving corona models driven by time-varying photospheric magnetograms are more realistic and can maintain more useful information to accurately describe solar wind evolution and forecast CME propagation. This paper demonstrate that time-evolving corona simulations can be performed efficiently and accurately using an implicit method with relatively large time steps. We also evaluate differences between coronal structures captured by time-evolving and quasi-steady simulations over a CR period during solar minimum. We used a series of hourly updated photospheric magnetograms to drive the evolution of coronal structures from the solar surface to $25\; R_s$ during two CRs around the 2019 eclipse in an inertial coordinate system. We compare the time-evolving and quasi-steady simulations to demonstrate that the differences in these two types of coronal modelling can be obvious even for a solar minimum. The relative differences in radial velocity and density can be over $15 \%$ and $25 \%$ at 20$\;R_s$ during one CR period. We also evaluated the impact of time steps on the simulation results. Using a time step of approximately 10 minutes balances efficiency and necessary numerical stability and accuracy for time-evolving corona simulations around solar minima, with coronal evolution during a full CR simulated within only 9 hours (using 1080 CPU cores for 1.5M grid cells). The simulation results demonstrate that time-evolving MHD coronal simulations can be performed efficiently and accurately using an implicit method, offering a more realistic alternative to quasi-steady-state simulations. The fully implicit time-evolving corona model thus promises to simulate the time-evolving corona accurately in practical space weather forecasting.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

Icarus 3.0: Dynamic Heliosphere Modelling

Space weather predictions are necessary to avoid damage caused by intense geomagnetic storms. Such strong storms are usually caused by a co-rotating interaction region (CIR) passing at Earth or by the arrival of strong coronal mass ejections (CMEs). To mitigate the damage, the effect of propagating CMEs in the solar wind must be estimated accurately at Earth and other locations. Modelling solar wind accurately is crucial for space weather predictions, as it is the medium for CME propagation. The Icarus heliospheric modelling tool is upgraded to handle dynamic inner heliospheric driving instead of using steady boundary conditions. The ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) solver and the automated grid-adaptivity are adjusted to the latest MPI-AMRVAC version. The inner boundary conditions, prescribed at 0.1 AU for the heliospheric model, are updated time-dependently throughout the simulation. The coronal model is computed repeatedly for selected magnetograms. The particle sampling within MPI-AMRVAC is extended to handle stretched spherical grid information. The solar wind obtained in the simulation is dynamic and shows significant variations throughout the evolution. When comparing the results with the observations, the dynamic solar wind results are more accurate than previous results obtained with purely steady boundary driving. The CMEs propagated through the dynamic solar wind background produce more similar signatures in the time-series data than in the steady solar wind. Dynamic boundary driving in Icarus results in a more self-consistent solar wind evolution in the inner heliosphere. The obtained space weather modelling tool for dynamic solar wind and CME simulations is better suited for space weather forecasting than a steady solar wind model.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

The operationally ready full three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (3D MHD) model from the Sun to Earth: COCONUT+Icarus

Solar wind modelling has become a crucial area of study due to the increased dependence of modern society on technology, navigation, and power systems. Accurate space weather forecasts can predict upcoming threats to Earth's geospace. In this study, we examine a novel full magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) chain from the Sun to Earth. The goal of this study is to demonstrate the capabilities of the full MHD modelling chain from the Sun to Earth by finalising the implementation of the full MHD coronal model into the COolfluid COroNa UnsTructured (COCONUT) model and coupling it to the MHD heliospheric model Icarus. The resulting coronal model has significant advantages compared to the pre-existing polytropic alternative, as it models a more realistic bi-modal wind, which is crucial for heliospheric studies. In this study, only thermal conduction, radiative losses, and approximated coronal heating function were considered in the energy equation. A realistic specific heat ratio was applied. The output of the coronal model was used to onset the 3D MHD heliospheric model Icarus. A minimum solar activity case was chosen as the first test case for the full MHD model. The numerically simulated data in the corona and the heliosphere were compared to observational products. We present a first attempt to obtain the full MHD chain from the Sun to Earth with COCONUT and Icarus. The coronal model has been upgraded to a full MHD model for a realistic bi-modal solar wind configuration. The approximated heating functions have modelled the wind reasonably well, but simple approximations are not enough to obtain a realistic density-speed balance or realistic features in the low corona and farther, near the outer boundary. The full MHD model was computed in 1.06 h on 180 cores of the Genius cluster of the Vlaams Supercomputing Center, which is only 1.8 times longer than the polytropic simulation.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

Multi spacecraft study with the Icarus model: Modelling the propagation of CMEs to Mercury and Earth

Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are the main drivers of the disturbances in interplanetary space. Understanding the CME interior magnetic structure is crucial for advancing space weather studies. Assessing the capabilities of a numerical heliospheric model is crucial, as understanding the nature and extent of its limitations can be used for improving the model and the space weather predictions based on it. The present paper aims to test the capabilities of the recently developed heliospheric model Icarus and the linear force-free spheromak model that has been implemented in it. To validate the Icarus space weather modeling tool, two CME events were selected that were observed by two spacecraft located near Mercury and Earth, respectively. This enables testing the heliospheric model computed with Icarus at two distant locations. The source regions for the CMEs were identified, and the CME parameters were determined and later optimized. Different adaptive mesh refinement levels were applied in the simulations to assess its performance by comparing the simulation results to in-situ measurements. The first CME event erupted on SOL2013-07-09T15:24. The modeled time series were in good agreement with the observations both at MESSENGER and ACE. The second CME event started on SOL2014-02-16T10:24 and was more complicated, as three CME interactions occurred in this event. It was impossible to recover the observed profiles without modeling the other two CMEs that were observed, one before the main CME and one afterward. For both CME studies, AMR level 3 was sufficient to reconstruct small-scale features near Mercury, while at Earth, AMR level 4 was necessary due to the radially stretched grid that was used.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2024

Energetic particle acceleration and transport with the novel Icarus$+$PARADISE model

With the rise of satellites and mankind's growing dependence on technology, there is an increasing awareness of space weather phenomena related to high-energy particles. Shock waves driven by coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and corotating interaction regions (CIRs) occasionally act as potent particle accelerators, generating hazardous solar energetic particles (SEPs) that pose risks to satellite electronics and astronauts. Numerical simulation tools capable of modelling and predicting large SEP events are thus highly demanded. We introduce the new Icarus$+$PARADISE model as an advancement of the previous EUHFORIA$+$PARADISE model. Icarus, based on the MPI-AMRVAC framework, is a three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic code that models solar wind configurations from 0.1 au onwards, encompassing transient structures like CMEs or CIRs. Differing from EUHFORIA's uniform-only grid, Icarus incorporates solution adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) and grid stretching. The particle transport code PARADISE propagates energetic particles as test particles through these solar wind configurations by solving the focused transport equation in a stochastic manner. We validate our new model by reproducing EUHFORIA+PARADISE results. This is done by modelling the acceleration and transport of energetic particles in a synthetic solar wind configuration containing an embedded CIR. Subsequently, we illustrate how the simulation results vary with grid resolution by employing different levels of AMR. The resulting intensity profiles illustrate increased particle acceleration with higher levels of AMR in the shock region, better capturing the effects of the shock.

physics.space-ph↗

arXiv2024

The effect of AMR and grid stretching on the magnetized CME model in Icarus

Context. Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are the main driver of solar wind disturbances near Earth. When directed towards us, the internal magnetic field of the CME can interact with the Earth`s magnetic field and cause geomagnetic storms. In order to better predict and avoid damage coming from such events, the optimized heliospheric model Icarus has been implemented. Aims. The impact of a CME at Earth is greatly affected by its internal magnetic field structure. The aim of this work is to enable modelling the evolution of the magnetic field configuration of the CME throughout its propagation in Icarus. The focus of the study is on the global magnetic structure of the CME and its evolution and interaction with the solar wind. Methods. The magnetized CME model that is implemented in Icarus is the Linear Force-Free Spheromak and is imported from EUHFORIA. Advanced techniques, such as grid stretching and AMR are applied. Different AMR levels are applied in order to obtain high resolution locally, where needed. The results of all the simulations are compared in detail and the wall-clock times of the simulations are provided. Results. The results from the performed simulations are analyzed. The arrival time is better approximated by the EUHFORIA simulation, with the CME shock arriving 1.6 and 1.09 hours later than in the AMR level 4 and 5 simulations, respectively. The profile features and variable strengths are best modelled by Icarus simulations with AMR level 4 and 5. Conclusions. The arrival time is closer to the observed time in the EUHFORIA simulation, but the profiles of the different variables show more features and details in the Icarus simulations. Considering the small difference in the modelled results, and the large difference in computational resources, the AMR level 4 simulation is considered to have performed the best.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2023

Exploring the effects of numerical methods and slope limiters in heliospheric modeling

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are large eruptions close to the solar surface, where plasma is ejected outwards into space at large speeds. When directed towards Earth, they interfere with Earth's magnetic fields and cause strong geo-effective storms. In order to mitigate the potential damage, forecasting tools are implemented. Recently, a novel heliospheric modelling tool, Icarus, has been implemented, which exploits the open-source framework MPI-AMRVAC as its core MHD solver. This new model efficiently performs 3D MHD simulations of the solar wind and the evolution of interplanetary CMEs with the help of advanced techniques, such as adaptive mesh refinement and gradual radial grid stretching. The numerical methods applied in the simulations can have significant effects on the simulation results and on the efficiency of the model. In this study, the effect of different combinations of numerical schemes and slope limiters, for reconstructing edge-based variabes used in fluxes, is considered. We explore frequently exploited combinations from the available numerical schemes in MPI-AMRVAC: TVDLF, HLL and HLLC along with the slope limiters 'woodward', 'minmod', 'vanleer', and 'koren'. For analysis purposes, we selected one particular solar wind configuration and studied the influence on variables at 1 AU in the equatorial plane. The goal is to find the optimal combination to produce accurate results fast and in a robust way so that the model can be reliable for day-to-day use by space weather scientists. As a conclusion, the best result assessed with these two criteria is the combination of the TVDLF scheme with the 'woodward' limiter.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2022

Improving CME evolution and arrival predictions with AMR and grid stretching in Icarus

Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are one of the main drivers of disturbances in the interplanetary space. Strong CMEs, when directed towards the Earth, cause geo-magnetic storms upon interacting with the magnetic field of the Earthand can cause significant damage to our planet and affect everyday life. As such, efficient space weather prediction tools are necessary to forecast the arrival and impact of CME eruptions. Recently, a new heliospheric model Icarus was developed based on MPI-AMRVAC, which is a 3D ideal MHD model for the solar wind and CME propagation, and it introduces advanced numerical techniques to make the simulations more efficient. A cone model is used to study the evolution of the CME through the background solar wind and its arrival and impact at Earth. Grid stretching and AMR are combined in the simulations by using multiple refinement criteria. We compare simulation results to the EUFHORIA model. As a result, the simulations were sped up by a factor of 17 for the most optimal configuration in Icarus. For the cone CME model, we found that limiting the AMR to the region around the CME-driven shock yields the best results. The results modelled by the simulations with radial grid stretching and AMR level 4 are similar to the results provided by the original EUHFORIA and Icarus simulations with the 'standard' resolution and equidistant grids. The simulations with 5 AMR levels yielded better results than the simulations with an equidistant grid and standard resolution. Solution AMR is flexible and provides the user the freedom to modify and locally increase the grid resolution according to the purpose of the simulation. The advanced techniques implemented in Icarus can be further used to improve the forecasting procedures, since the reduced simulation time is essential to make physics-based forecasts less computationally expensive.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2022

COCONUT, a novel fast-converging MHD model for solar corona simulations: II. Assessing the impact of the input magnetic map on space-weather forecasting at minimum of activity

This paper is dedicated to the new implicit unstructured coronal code COCONUT, which aims at providing fast and accurate inputs for space weather forecast as an alternative to empirical models. We use all 20 available magnetic maps of the solar photosphere covering the date of the 2nd of July 2019 which corresponds to a solar eclipse on Earth. We use the same standard pre-processing on all maps, then perform coronal MHD simulations with the same numerical and physical parameters. In the end, we quantify the performance for each map using three indicators from remote-sensing observations: white-light total solar eclipse images for the streamers' edges, EUV synoptic maps for coronal holes and white-light coronagraph images for the heliospheric current sheet. We discuss the performance for space weather forecasts and we show that the choice of the input magnetic map has a strong impact. We find performances between 24% to 85% for the streamers' edges, 24% to 88% for the coronal hole boundaries and a mean deviation between 4 to 12 degrees for the heliospheric current sheet position. We find that the HMI runs are globally performing better on all indicators, with the GONG-ADAPT being the second-best choice. HMI runs perform better for the streamers' edges, GONG-ADAPT for polar coronal holes, HMI synchronic for equatorial coronal holes and for the streamer belt. We especially showcase the importance of the filling of the poles. This demonstrates that the solar poles have to be taken into account even for ecliptic plane previsions.

astro-ph.SR↗