Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) Associated Energetic Particles: An In-Depth Comparison of Theory with Observations

Florida Institute Of Technology, Melbourne FL

Investigators

Abstract

Solar energetic particle (SEP) events associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs) will be studied by developing a detailed convection-diffusion model of particle transport and acceleration in the solar corona and in interplanetary space. The model results will be compared with energetic particle population observations obtained at 1 AU, using the ACE and Wind data, and at several AU, using the Ulysses data. The focus of the effort will be on the low-energy (20 keV/nuc to 5 MeV/nuc) particles which remain poorly understood since they interact more readily with entrained solar wind structures. Low-energy particles are more strongly affected by the convection, wave-particle interactions, and adiabatic deceleration. Accordingly, these transport effects, as well as those associated with continuous acceleration, will be incorporated into the modeling effort. Because energetic particles precede the arrival of the CME by at least one day, characterizing these SEPs can potentially aid in the formulation of space weather forecasts.