Simulating Solar Maximum Conditions Using the Alfven Wave
Solar-Atmosphere Model (AWSoM)
Abstract
To simulate solar Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), predict their time of
arrival and geomagnetic impact, it is important to accurately model the
background solar wind conditions in which CMEs propagate. We use the
Alfvén Wave Solar-atmosphere Model (AWSoM) within the the Space Weather
Modeling Framework (SWMF) to simulate solar maximum conditions during
two Carrington rotations and produce solar wind background conditions
comparable to the observations. We describe the inner boundary
conditions for AWSoM using the ADAPT global magnetic maps and validate
the simulated results with EUV observations in the low corona and
measured plasma parameters at L1 as well as at the position of the
STEREO spacecraft. This work complements our prior AWSoM validation
study for solar minimum conditions Sachdeva et al. (2019), and shows
that during periods of higher magnetic activity, AWSoM can reproduce the
solar plasma conditions (using properly adjusted photospheric Poynting
flux) suitable for providing proper initial conditions for launching
CMEs.