Potential Field Source Surface Model Research Articles

A “breathing” source surface for cycles 23 and 24

The potential field source surface (PFSS) model is used to represent the large‐scale geometry of the solar coronal magnetic fields. The height of the source surface in this model can be taken as a free parameter. Previous work suggests that varying the source surface height during periods of solar minimum yields better agreement between PFSS models and the measured magnitude of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) open flux at 1 AU—in other words, the source surface “breathes” in and out over the course of the solar cycle. We examine the evolution of open flux during all of cycle 23 and the first part of cycle 24 using photospheric magnetic field maps from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory's Michelson Doppler Imager and Solar Dynamics Observatory's Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager instruments. We determine the value of source surface height that provides a best fit to the IMF open flux at 1 AU (using the OMNI 2 data set) for the time period 1996–2012. The canonical 2.5 Rs source surface matches the measured IMF open flux during periods of solar maximum but needs to be raised by approximately 15–30% in order to match the measured IMF open flux at the periods of solar minimum.

VALIDATING SOLAR WIND PREDICTION USING THE CURRENT SHEET SOURCE SURFACE MODEL

We have carried out a comparative study of the predicted solar wind based on the flux tube expansion factor computed using the current sheet source surface (CSSS) model and the potential field source surface (PFSS) model, with the aim of determining whether the CSSS model represents the solar wind sources better than the PFSS model. For this, we obtained the root mean square errors (RMSEs) and the correlation coefficients between the observed solar wind speed and that predicted by the models, the ratio of RMSEs between the two models, and a skill score. On average, the CSSS predictions are more accurate than the PFSS predictions by a factor of 1.6, taking RMSE as the metric of accuracy. The RMSEs increased as the solar cycle progressed toward maximum, indicating the difficulty in modeling the corona as the global field becomes more complex. We also compared the WSA/ENLIL predictions for a few Carrington rotations; the Wang-Sheeley-Arge (WSA) model makes use of the PFSS extrapolations to model the wind source. We found that the average value of RMSE ratio between the CSSS and the WSA/ENLIL predictions was about 1.9, implying that the CSSS predictions are nearly twice better than the WSA/ENLIL predictions, despite the simplicity of the CSSS model compared to ENLIL. We conclude, based on the present analysis, that the CSSS model is a valid proxy for solar wind measurements and that it improves upon existing commonly used methods of wind prediction or proxy analysis.

NORTH-SOUTH ASYMMETRIC SOLAR CYCLE EVOLUTION: SIGNATURES IN THE PHOTOSPHERE AND CONSEQUENCES IN THE CORONA

The heliospheric current sheet is the continuum of the coronal magnetic equator that divides the heliospheric magnetic field into two sectors (polarities). Several recent studies have shown that the heliospheric current sheet is southward shifted during approximately 3 years in the solar declining phase (the so-called ballerina phenomenon). In this article we study the hemispherical asymmetry in the photospheric and coronal magnetic fields using Wilcox Solar Observatory measurements of the photospheric magnetic field since 1976 as well as the potential field source surface model. Multipole analysis of the photospheric magnetic field shows that during the late declining phase of solar cycles since the 1970s, the bashful ballerina phenomenon is a consequence of the quadrupole term, signed oppositely to the dipole moment. Surges of new flux transport magnetic field from low latitudes to the poles, thus leading to a systematically varying contribution to the -term from different latitudes. In the case of a north-south asymmetric flux production, this is seen as a quadrupole contribution traveling toward higher latitudes. When the quadrupole term is largest, the main contribution comes from the polar latitudes. At least during the four recent solar cycles, the -term arises because the magnitude of the southern polar field is larger than the magnitude found in the north in the declining phase of the cycle. In the heliosphere this hemispheric asymmetry of the coronal fields is seen as a southward shift of the heliospheric current sheet by about 2°.

EVIDENCE FOR TWO SEPARATE HELIOSPHERIC CURRENT SHEETS OF CYLINDRICAL SHAPE DURING MID-2012

During the reversal of the Sun's polar fields at sunspot maximum, outward extrapolations of magnetograph measurements often predict the presence of two or more current sheets extending into the interplanetary medium, instead of the single heliospheric current sheet (HCS) that forms the basis of the standard 'ballerina skirt' picture. By comparing potential-field source-surface models of the coronal streamer belt with white-light coronagraph observations, we deduce that the HCS was split into two distinct structures with circular cross sections during mid-2012. These cylindrical current sheets were centered near the heliographic equator and separated in longitude by roughly 180 deg; a corresponding four-sector polarity pattern was observed at Earth. Each cylinder enclosed a negative-polarity coronal hole that was identifiable in extreme ultraviolet images and gave rise to a high-speed stream. The two current sheet systems are shown to be a result of the dominance of the Sun's nonaxisymmetric quadrupole component, as the axial dipole field was undergoing its reversal during solar cycle 24.

LOW-LATITUDE CORONAL HOLES, DECAYING ACTIVE REGIONS, AND GLOBAL CORONAL MAGNETIC STRUCTURE

We study the relationship between decaying active region magnetic fields, coronal holes and the global coronal magnetic structure using Global Oscillations Network Group (GONG) synoptic magnetograms, Solar Terrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) extreme ultra-violet (EUV) synoptic maps and coronal potential-field source-surface (PFSS) models. We analyze 14 decaying regions and associated coronal holes occurring between early 2007 and late 2010, four from cycle 23 and 10 from cycle 24. We investigate the relationship between asymmetries in active regions' positive and negative magnetic intensities, asymmetric magnetic decay rates, flux imbalances, global field structure and coronal hole formation. Whereas new emerging active regions caused changes in the large-scale coronal field, the coronal fields of the 14 decaying active regions only opened under the condition that the global coronal structure remained almost unchanged. This was because the dominant slowly-varying, low-order multipoles prevented opposing-polarity fields from opening and the remnant active-region flux preserved the regions' low-order multipole moments long after the regions had decayed. Thus the polarity of each coronal hole necessarily matched the polar field on the side of the streamer belt where the corresponding active region decayed. For magnetically isolated active regions initially located within the streamer belt, the more intense polarity generally survived to form the hole. For non-isolated regions, flux imbalance and topological asymmetry prompted the opposite to occur in some cases.

TWO NOVEL PARAMETERS TO EVALUATE THE GLOBAL COMPLEXITY OF THE SUN'S MAGNETIC FIELD AND TRACK THE SOLAR CYCLE

Since the unusually prolonged and weak solar minimum between solar cycles 23 and 24 (2008-2010), the sunspot number is smaller and the overall morphology of the Sun's magnetic field is more complicated (i.e., less of a dipole component and more of a tilted current sheet) compared with the same minimum and ascending phases of the previous cycle. Nearly 13 yr after the last solar maximum (~2000), the monthly sunspot number is currently only at half the highest value of the past cycle's maximum, whereas the polar magnetic field of the Sun is reversing (north pole first). These circumstances make it timely to consider alternatives to the sunspot number for tracking the Sun's magnetic cycle and measuring its complexity. In this study, we introduce two novel parameters, the standard deviation (SD) of the latitude of the heliospheric current sheet (HCS) and the integrated slope (SL) of the HCS, to evaluate the complexity of the Sun's magnetic field and track the solar cycle. SD and SL are obtained from the magnetic synoptic maps calculated by a potential field source surface model. We find that SD and SL are sensitive to the complexity of the HCS: (1) they have low values when the HCS is flat at solar minimum, and high values when the HCS is highly tilted at solar maximum; (2) they respond to the topology of the HCS differently, as a higher SD value indicates that a larger part of the HCS extends to higher latitude, while a higher SL value implies that the HCS is wavier; (3) they are good indicators of magnetically anomalous cycles. Based on the comparison between SD and SL with the normalized sunspot number in the most recent four solar cycles, we find that in 2011 the solar magnetic field had attained a similar complexity as compared to the previous maxima. In addition, in the ascending phase of cycle 24, SD and SL in the northern hemisphere were on the average much greater than in the southern hemisphere, indicating a more tilted and wavier HCS in the north than the south, associated with the early reversal of the polar magnetic field in the north relative to the south.

Deformation and deceleration of coronal wave

Aims. We studied the kinematics and morphology of two coronal waves to better understand the nature and origin of coronal waves. Methods. Using multi-wavelength observations of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) and the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUVI) on board the twin spacecraft Solar-TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO), we present morphological and dynamic characteristics of consecutive coronal waves on 2011 March 24. We also show the coronal magnetic field based on the potential field source surface model. Results. This event contains several interesting aspects. The first coronal wave initially appeared after a surge-like eruption. Its front was changed and deformed significantly from a convex shape to a line-shaped appearance, and then to a concave configuration during its propagation to the northwest. The initial speeds ranged from 947 km s(-1) to 560 km s(-1). The first wave decelerated significantly after it passed through a filament channel. After the deceleration, the final propagation speeds of the wave were from 430 km s(-1) to 312 km s(-1). The second wave was found to appear after the first wave in the northwest side of the filament channel. Its wave front was more diffused and the speed was around 250 km s(-1), much slower than that of the first wave. Conclusions. The deformation of the first coronal wave was caused by the different speeds along different paths. The sudden deceleration implies that the refraction of the first wave took place at the boundary of the filament channel. The event provides evidence that the first coronal wave may be a coronal MHD shock wave, and the second wave may be the apparent propagation of the brightenings caused by successive stretching of the magnetic field lines.

Coronal magnetic topology and the production of solar impulsive energetic electrons

We investigate two candidate solar sources or active regions (ARs) in association with a solar impulsive energetic electron (SIEE) event on 2002 October 20. The solar particle release (SPR) times of SIEEs are derived by using their velocity dispersion with consideration of the instrumental effect. It is found that there are double electron injections at the Sun. The low-energy (<13 keV) electron injection coincides with a C6.6 flare in AR10154 and is accompanied with prominent type III radio bursts rather than a stronger M1.8 flare in AR10160. The M1.8 flare produces, however, faint type III radio bursts. Whereas electrons of 25 to 300 keV are released 9 min later when a jet-like CME travels to 2.6 solar radii. We further examine the coronal magnetic configurations above the two ARs based on the potential field source surface (PFSS) model. It is found that open field lines, rooted in AR10154 and well connected to the Earth, provide escaping channels for energetic electrons. Only a small portion of magnetic fields are opened above AR10160, being responsible for the faint type III radio bursts. These lines are, however, not well connected, making it impossible for SIEEs detection by near-Earth spacecraft. The results appear to establish a physical link between coronal magnetic topology, formation of type III radio bursts, and production of SIEEs.

GPU-accelerated computing of three-dimensional solar wind background

High-performance computational models are required to make the real-time or faster than real-time numerical prediction of adverse space weather events and their influence on the geospace environment. The main objective in this article is to explore the application of programmable graphic processing units (GPUs) to the numerical space weather modeling for the study of solar wind background that is a crucial part in the numerical space weather modeling. GPU programming is realized for our Solar-Interplanetary-CESE MHD model (SIP-CESE MHD model) by numerically studying the solar corona/interplanetary solar wind. The global solar wind structures are obtained by the established GPU model with the magnetic field synoptic data as input. Meanwhile, the time-dependent solar surface boundary conditions derived from the method of characteristics and the mass flux limit are incorporated to couple the observation and the three-dimensional (3D) MHD model. The simulated evolution of the global structures for two Carrington rotations 2058 and 2062 is compared with solar observations and solar wind measurements from spacecraft near the Earth. The MHD model is also validated by comparison with the standard potential field source surface (PFSS) model. Comparisons show that the MHD results are in good overall agreement with coronal and interplanetary structures, including the size and distribution of coronal holes, the position and shape of the streamer belts, and the transition of the solar wind speeds and magnetic field polarities.

Probe of the Solar Magnetic Field Using the “Cosmic-Ray Shadow” of the Sun

We report on a clear solar-cycle variation of the Sun’s shadow in the 10 TeV cosmic-ray flux observed by the Tibet air shower array during a full solar cycle from 1996 to 2009. In order to clarify the physical implications of the observed solar cycle variation, we develop numerical simulations of the Sun’s shadow, using the potential field source surface model and the current sheet source surface (CSSS) model for the coronal magnetic field. We find that the intensity deficit in the simulated Sun’s shadow is very sensitive to the coronal magnetic field structure, and the observed variation of the Sun’s shadow is better reproduced by the CSSS model. This is the first successful attempt to evaluate the coronal magnetic field models by using the Sun’s shadow observed in the TeV cosmic-ray flux.

Making global map of the solar surface Br from the HMI vector magnetic field observations

The Helioseismic Magnetic Imager (HMI) has made full-disk vector magnetic field measurements of the Sun with cadence of 12 minutes. The three-component solar surface magnetic field vector data are from the HMI observations with the data process pipeline modules, VFISV (Very Fast Inversion of the Stokes Vector, Borrero et al., 2011) for Milne-Eddington inversion and the minimum-energy disambiguation algorithm (Metcalf 1994, Leka et al, 2009). The models of the global corona and solar wind, such as the PFSS (potential-field source-surface) model and the MHD simulations, often use the maps of solar surface magnetic field, especially the radial component (Br) as the boundary condition. The HMI observation can provide new Br data for these model. Because of weak magnetic signals at the quiet regions of the Sun, the limb darkening, and geometric effects near solar poles, we need to apply an assumption to make a whole-surface map. In this paper, we tested two assumptions for determining Br at weak-field regions. The coronal structures calculated by the PFSS model with the vector-based Br are compared with those with the magnetogram-based Br and the corona observed by the SDO/AIA (Atmospheric Imaging Assembly). In the tested period, CR 2098, the vector-based Br map gives better agreements than the line-of-sight magnetogram data, though we need further investigation for evaluation.

Association of solar wind proton flux extremes with pseudostreamers

We investigate the characteristics and solar origins of a subpopulation of the solar wind that possesses extreme values of proton flux. Ulysses observations including solar wind magnetic flux, proton flux, number density and velocity, and ionic composition are examined in this study. We find that the departures of solar wind proton flux from its constancy occur for time intervals leading up to and encompassing the past two solar minima, and the extreme‐proton‐flux wind possesses the following characteristics: (1) it generally originates from sources middle‐distant from the Heliospheric Current Sheet (HCS); (2) it is associated with a broad range of velocities and electron temperatures but excludes very fast/cold wind; (3) it exhibits anticorrelation between electron temperature and proton velocity, as does the rest of the solar wind; (4) it has extreme proton density values relative to the rest of the solar wind; and (5) the extreme‐high‐proton‐flux wind has radial component of open magnetic flux (Br) greater than the rest of the solar wind, and both extreme‐high and extreme‐low wind do not possess the lowest values of Br flux. Comparing with SOHO EIT 195 Å coronal images, we find the observed extreme‐proton‐flux wind has temporal and spatial coincidence with the appearance of low‐latitude coronal holes present in the recent two solar minima; the magnetic field lines extrapolated by the Potential Field Source Surface model confirm there are coronal pseudostreamer structures involved. So we propose that these extreme‐proton‐flux winds can be associated with mid‐ to low‐latitude coronal holes and “pseudostreamer” structures.

Radial profile of the inner heliospheric magnetic field as deduced from Faraday rotation observations

Faraday rotation measures (RMs) of the polarized emission from extragalactic radio sources occulted by the coronal plasma were used to infer the radial profile of the inner heliospheric magnetic field near solar minimum activity. By inverting LASCO/SOHO polarized brightness (pB) data taken during the days of observations on May 1997, we retrieved the electron density distribution along the lines of sight to the sources, thus allowing to disentangle the two plasma properties that contribute to the observed RMs. By comparing the observed RM values to those theoretically predicted by a power-law model of the radial component of the coronal magnetic field, using a best-fitting procedure, we found that the radial component of the inner heliospheric magnetic field can be nicely approximated by a power-law of the form B_r = 3.76 r^{-2.29} G in a range of heights from about 5 to 14 solar radii. Finally, our analysis suggests that the radial computation of the potential field source surface (PFSS) model from the Wilcox Solar Observatory (WSO), assuming a radial field in the photosphere and a source surface located at R_{ss} = 2.5 solar radii, is the preferred choice near solar minimum.

MEASUREMENTS OF ANISOTROPIC ION TEMPERATURES, NON-THERMAL VELOCITIES, AND DOPPLER SHIFTS IN A CORONAL HOLE

We present a new diagnostic allowing one to measure the anisotropy of ion temperatures and non-thermal velocities as well as Doppler shifts with respect to the ambient magnetic field. This method provides new results, as well as independent test for previous measurements obtained with other techniques. Our spectral data come from observations of a low latitude, on-disk coronal hole. A potential field source surface model was used to calculate the angle between the magnetic field lines and the line of sight for each spatial bin of the observation. A fit was performed to determine the line widths and Doppler shifts parallel and perpendicular to the magnetic field. For each line width component we derived parallel and perpendicular ion temperatures and non-thermal velocities. The perpendicular ion temperature was cooler than off-limb polar coronal hole measurements. The parallel ion temperature was consistent with a uniform temperature of 1.8 +/- 0.2 x 10^{6} K for each ion. Since parallel ion heating is expected to be weak, this ion temperature should reflect the proton temperature. A comparison between our results and others implies a large proton temperature gradient around 1.02 R_sun. The non-thermal velocities are thought to be proportional to the amplitudes of various waves. Our results for the perpendicular non-thermal velocity agree with Alfv\'en wave amplitudes inferred from off-limb polar coronal hole line width measurements. Our parallel non-thermal velocity results are consistent with slow magnetosonic wave amplitudes inferred from Fourier analysis of time varying intensity fluctuations. Doppler shift measurements yield outflows of ~5 km s^-1 for ions formed over a broad temperature range. This differs from other studies which found a strong Doppler shift dependence on formation temperature.

Origins of Rolling, Twisting, and Non-radial Propagation of Eruptive Solar Events

We demonstrate that major asymmetries in erupting filaments and CMEs, namely major twists and non-radial motions are typically related to the larger-scale ambient environment around eruptive events. Our analysis of prominence eruptions observed by the STEREO, SDO and SOHO spacecraft shows that prominence spines retain, during the initial phases, the thin ribbon-like topology they had prior to the eruption. This topology allows bending, rolling, and twisting during the early phase of the eruption, but not before. The combined ascent and initial bending of the filament ribbon is non-radial in the same general direction as for the enveloping CME. However, the non-radial motion of the filament is greater than that of the CME. In considering the global magnetic environment around CMEs, as approximated by the Potential Field Source Surface (PFSS) model, we find that the non-radial propagation of both erupting filaments and associated CMEs is correlated with the presence of nearby coronal holes, which deflect the erupting plasma and embedded fields. In addition, CME and filament motions respectively are guided towards weaker field regions, namely null points existing at different heights in the overlying configuration. Due to the presence of the coronal hole, the large-scale forces acting on the CME may be asymmetric. We find that the CME propagates usually non-radially in the direction of least resistance, which is always away from the coronal hole. We demonstrate these results using both low and high latitude examples.

2010 AUGUST 1-2 SYMPATHETIC ERUPTIONS. I. MAGNETIC TOPOLOGY OF THE SOURCE-SURFACE BACKGROUND FIELD

A sequence of apparently coupled eruptions was observed on 2010 August 1-2 by SDO and STEREO. The eruptions were closely synchronized with one another, even though some of them occurred at widely separated locations. In an attempt to identify a plausible reason for such synchronization, we study the large-scale structure of the background magnetic configuration. The coronal field was computed from the photospheric magnetic field observed at the appropriate time period by using the potential field source-surface model. We investigate the resulting field structure by analyzing the so-called squashing factor calculated at the photospheric and source-surface boundaries, as well as at different coronal cross-sections. Using this information as a guide, we determine the underlying structural skeleton of the configuration, including separatrix and quasi-separatrix surfaces. Our analysis reveals, in particular, several pseudo-streamers in the regions where the eruptions occurred. Of special interest to us are the magnetic null points and separators associated with the pseudo-streamers. We propose that magnetic reconnection triggered along these separators by the first eruption likely played a key role in establishing the assumed link between the sequential eruptions. The present work substantiates our recent simplified magnetohydrodynamic model of sympathetic eruptions and provides a guide for further deeper study of these phenomena. Several important implications of our results for the S-web model of the slow solar wind are also addressed.

ARE DECAYING MAGNETIC FIELDS ABOVE ACTIVE REGIONS RELATED TO CORONAL MASS EJECTION ONSET?

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are powered by magnetic energy stored in electric currents in coronal magnetic fields, with the pre-CME field in balance between outward magnetic pressure of the proto-ejecta and inward magnetic tension from confining overlying fields. In studies of global, current-free coronal magnetic field models --- Potential-Field Source-Surface (PFSS) models --- it has been reported that model field strengths above flare sites tend to be weaker in when CMEs occur than when eruptions fail to occur. This suggests that potential field models might usefully quantify magnetic confinement. An implication of this idea is that a decrease in model field strength overlying a possible eruption site should correspond to diminished confinement, implying an eruption is more likely. We have searched for such an effect by {\em post facto} investigation of the time evolution of model field strengths above a sample of 10 eruption sites, which included both slow and fast CMEs. In most events we study, we find no statistically significant evolution in either: (i) the rate of magnetic field decay with height; (ii) the strength of overlying magnetic fields near 50 Mm; (iii) or the ratio of fluxes at low and high altitudes (below 1.1$R_{\odot}$, and between 1.1--1.5$R_{\odot}$, respectively). Instead, we found that overlying field strengths and overlying flux tend to increase slightly, and their rates of decay with height become slightly more gradual, consistent with increased confinement. Since CMEs occur regardless of whether the parameters we use to quantify confinement are increasing or decreasing, either: (i) these parameters do not accurately characterize confinement in CME source regions; or (ii) systematic evolution in the large-scale magnetic environment of CME source regions is not, by itself, a necessary condition for CMEs to occur; or both.

Magnetic Topology of Active Regions and Coronal Holes: Implications for Coronal Outflows and the Solar Wind

During 2 – 18 January 2008 a pair of low-latitude opposite-polarity coronal holes (CHs) were observed on the Sun with two active regions (ARs) and the heliospheric plasma sheet located between them. We use the Hinode/EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) to locate AR-related outflows and measure their velocities. Solar-Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) imaging is also employed, as are the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) in-situ observations, to assess the resulting impacts on the solar wind (SW) properties. Magnetic-field extrapolations of the two ARs confirm that AR plasma outflows observed with EIS are co-spatial with quasi-separatrix layer locations, including the separatrix of a null point. Global potential-field source-surface modeling indicates that field lines in the vicinity of the null point extend up to the source surface, enabling a part of the EIS plasma upflows access to the SW. We find that similar upflow properties are also observed within closed-field regions that do not reach the source surface. We conclude that some of plasma upflows observed with EIS remain confined along closed coronal loops, but that a fraction of the plasma may be released into the slow SW. This suggests that ARs bordering coronal holes can contribute to the slow SW. Analyzing the in-situ data, we propose that the type of slow SW present depends on whether the AR is fully or partially enclosed by an overlying streamer.

Tests and applications of nonlinear force-free field extrapolations in spherical geometry

AbstractWe test a nonlinear force-free field (NLFFF) optimization code in spherical geometry with an analytical solution from Low and Lou. The potential field source surface (PFSS) model is served as the initial and boundary conditions where observed data are not available. The analytical solution can be well recovered if the boundary and initial conditions are properly handled. Next, we discuss the preprocessing procedure for the noisy bottom boundary data, and find that preprocessing is necessary for NLFFF extrapolations when we use the observed photospheric magnetic field as bottom boundaries. Finally, we apply the NLFFF model to a solar area where four active regions interacting with each other. An M8.7 flare occurred in one active region. NLFFF modeling in spherical geometry simultaneously constructs the small and large scale magnetic field configurations better than the PFSS model does.

Time‐dependent MHD modeling of the global solar corona for year 2007: Driven by daily‐updated magnetic field synoptic data

In this paper, we develop a time‐dependent MHD model driven by the daily‐updated synoptic magnetograms (MHD‐DUSM) to study the dynamic evolution of the global corona with the help of the 3D Solar‐Interplanetary (SIP) adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) space‐time conservation element and solution element (CESE) MHD model (SIP‐AMR‐CESE MHD Model). To accommodate the observations, the tangential component of the electric field at the lower boundary is specified to allow the flux evolution to match the observed changes of magnetic field. Meanwhile, the time‐dependent solar surface boundary conditions derived from the method of characteristics and the mass flux limit are incorporated to couple the observation and the 3D MHD model. The simulated evolution of the global coronal structure during 2007 is compared with solar observations and solar wind measurements from both Ulysses and spacecrafts near the Earth. The MHD‐DUSM model is also validated by comparisons with the standard potential field source surface (PFSS) model, the newly improved Wang‐Sheeley‐Arge (WSA) empirical formula, and the MHD simulation with a monthly synoptic magnetogram (MHD‐MSM). Comparisons show that the MHD‐DUSM results have good overall agreement with coronal and interplanetary structures, including the sizes and distributions of coronal holes, the positions and shapes of the streamer belts, and the transitions of the solar wind speeds and magnetic field polarities. The MHD‐DUSM results also display many features different from those of the PFSS, the WSA, and the MHD‐MSM models.