Collaborative Research: The Community-based Whole Magnetosphere Model (CWMM)

University Of California-Berkeley, Berkeley CA

Investigators

Abstract

This project will develop and validate a community-based whole magnetosphere model that simulates the interaction of the solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field with the near-Earth space environment. The model will extend from 100km above the Earth's surface to outside of the magnetospheric bow shock. The Community-based Whole Magnetosphere Model (CWMM) will model the magnetic and electric fields, neutral and plasma composition, pressure, and velocities, and energetic particle environment. Data assimilation will be used to make the model more consistent with the data. To achieve this goal, models of individual regions developed by various teams in the space sciences community will be used as components in the CWMM. The models will be coupled together using the Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF). The resulting coupled model will be made available to the space science and space weather communities through the Community Coordinated Modeling Center. A rigorous validation process will quantify how the accuracy of the model changes as more components are added. The project will move the coupled model toward operational status for use by the Air Force Weather Agency and NOAA's Space Environment Center (SEC). Results from this project will also be used in the Space Weather curriculum that is being developed at the University of Michigan. This project is jointly funded by NASA and NSF.