Solar Magneto-Convection Simulations

Michigan State University, East Lansing MI

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract: ATM 99-88111 Proposal Title: Solar Magneto-Convection Simulations Principal Investigator: Robert Stein, Michigan State University The investigators will work to enhance the ability of the research group at Michigan State University to continue state of the art research on several processes occurring in the outer layers of the Sun. The main effort is to fund a postdoctoral researcher to concentrate on parallelizing existing computer codes. This will vastly increase the speed of simulations to allow longer runs on larger volumes. In turn, this reduces effects of initial conditions and allows a more realistic treatment of the highly stratified solar plasma, subject to magnetic fields (throughout the volume) and radiative transfer (in the top layers). This research is extremely timely in an era of rapid advances in observational abilities to study solar p-modes, near-surface convection, and small-scale and/or weak magnetic fields. The project will fill an urgent need for numerical simulations to test and deepen the physical understanding of these phenomena.