Speaker
Description
Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are large-scale eruptions of plasma and magnetic fields from the Sun, capable of significantly impacting Earth's magnetosphere and triggering geomagnetic storms. These storms can disrupt power grids, satellite operations, and navigation systems. Enhancing our understanding of CME propagation and their interaction with the solar wind is crucial for improving space weather forecasting and minimizing associated risks. This study aims to develop a comprehensive modeling framework to simulate the interplanetary journey of CMEs and their interactions with Earth's magnetosphere. Using the Community Coordinated Modelling Centre (CCMC) infrastructure, we investigate a CME observed at the GRAPES-3 experiment, Ooty, Tamil Nadu, India, on 22 June 2015, which corresponds to Carrington Rotation (CROT) 2165 of Solar Cycle 24. The ENLIL Heliosphere Model, a 3D numerical simulation tool, is employed to trace CME propagation from approximately 0.1 AU to beyond Earth's orbit (1 AU), incorporating factors such as Earth's magnetospheric tilt and solar wind dynamics. The simulations reveal key CME behaviors, including oscillations between 20–40 million km, magnetic reconnection events at 60–80 million km, and notable interactions with Earth's magnetosphere at 140–150 million km, potentially leading to geomagnetic storm formation. Additionally, we estimate the cut-off rigidity by computing cosmic ray paths with the Earth's external geomagnetic field represented by the Tsyganenko 04 model and its internal field by the IGRF-13 model. The computed cosmic ray trajectories yield a cut-off rigidity range of 15.21 GV to 17.32 GV, providing insights into the modulation of charged particle penetration by Earth's geomagnetic field during the CME event. This result underscores the role of geomagnetic shielding in shaping cosmic ray flux variations and their potential correlation with space weather disturbances. This research underscores the importance of continuous monitoring and advanced modeling to enhance space weather prediction capabilities and protect technological systems from CME-related disruptions, efforts to enhance space weather prediction capabilities and safeguard technological infrastructure from CME-induced disruptions.
References
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| Collaboration(s) | Tata Institute of Fundamental Research |
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