CME-driven shock deformation effect on SEP transport
Dr. Antonio Niemela, Goddard Planetary Heliophysics Institute.
The research focus of this group is to investigate the propagation and evolution of coronal mass ejections (CMEs) in the heliosphere and their associated phenomena, the solar energetic particles (SEPs). This project will use the full 3D MHD model EUHFORIA, coupled with the energetic particle transport model PARADISE. The project will focus on understanding how CMEs deform and evolve as they interact with the structured solar wind and with preceding CME transients. Such interactions can significantly alter CME morphology, propagation speed, magnetic connectivity, and the geometry of CME-driven shocks throughout the heliosphere.
A particular emphasis will be placed on the evolution of shock geometry, as changes in shock obliquity, compression ratio, and magnetic field topology can strongly influence the efficiency of particle acceleration and transport. Using combined MHD and particle transport simulations, the project will investigate how different solar wind configurations, CME initiation parameters, and multi-CME interaction scenarios affect the generation and propagation of solar energetic particles (SEPs). The simulations will also allow the study of how evolving heliospheric structures influence particle access to different observer locations, including Earth and spacecraft distributed throughout the heliosphere.
The project will combine numerical modelling with comparisons to in-situ spacecraft observations in order to validate the simulated solar wind, CME evolution, shock properties, and energetic particle signatures. Particular attention will be given to understanding the role of CME cannibalism, shock-shock interactions, and complex ejecta formation in producing enhanced SEP events and extreme space weather conditions.
This work aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the coupled evolution of CMEs, shocks, and energetic particles, while also contributing to ongoing efforts in space weather forecasting and radiation hazard assessment for future space exploration missions. Both EUHFORIA and PARADISE have been specifically developed for high-performance computing (HPC) environments, enabling large-scale parallel simulations of complex heliospheric scenarios. I have more than six years of experience running, adapting, and analysing simulations with these models across different tiers of HPC infrastructures.
This project is based on code that is not fully open source. Results that are relevant for the community will be made available through presentations at conferences and peer-reviewed publications in research journals, with the appropriate acknowledgment.