Current Status of MHD Simulations for Space Weather

Abstract

In this chapter, we review the status of the art of the three-dimensional (3D) time-dependent magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models of solar wind. We first highlight the influence of adverse space weather conditions by presenting the Halloween Sun-Earth events and their associated effects in the terrestrial space and point out the importance of 3D physics-based MHD models in space weather forecast. Then we summarize three well-known frameworks, including the architectures, the characteristics of the numerical schemes, and the applications in modeling the background solar wind and solar disturbances’ propagation in interplanetary space. The three architectural MHD model frameworks are CORona-HELiosphere (CORHEL), Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF) and Space Weather Integrated Model (SWIM). These models are developed respectively by the Center for Integrated Space Weather Modeling (CISM), the Center for Space Environment Modeling (CSEM), and the Solar-Interplanetary-GeoMAgnetic (SIGMA) Weather Group of the State Key Laboratory for Space Weather, National Space Science Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Next we give a brief description of hybrid empirical-MHD models for solar-interplanetary modeling, each of which is comprised of a theoretic, empirical or kinematic solar coronal model and a 3D MHD heliospheric model. Then concise summarizations are presented for other miscellaneous models for solar-interplanetary modeling. For completeness, 3D MHD models in studying the interaction between the solar wind and the magnetosphere and the ionosphere are also presented in this chapter. Finally, brief concluding remarks are given in the last section.