Data-constrained solar modeling with GX simulator

Nita, G. M., Fleishman, G. D., Kuznetsov, A. A., Anfinogentov, S. A., Stupishin, A. G., Kontar, E. P. , Schonfeld, S. J., Klimchuk, J. A. and Gary, D. E. (2023) Data-constrained solar modeling with GX simulator. Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, 267(1), 6. (doi: 10.3847/1538-4365/acd343)

Abstract

To facilitate the study of solar flares and active regions, we have created a modeling framework, the freely distributed GX Simulator IDL package, that combines 3D magnetic and plasma structures with thermal and nonthermal models of the chromosphere, transition region, and corona. Its object-based modular architecture, which runs on Windows, Mac, and Unix/Linux platforms, offers the ability to either import 3D density and temperature distribution models, or to assign numerically defined coronal or chromospheric temperatures and densities, or their distributions, to each individual voxel. GX Simulator can apply parametric heating models involving average properties of the magnetic field lines crossing a given voxel, as well as compute and investigate the spatial and spectral properties of radio, (sub)millimeter, EUV, and X-ray emissions calculated from the model, and quantitatively compare them with observations. The package includes a fully automatic model production pipeline that, based on minimal users input, downloads the required SDO/HMI vector magnetic field data, performs potential or nonlinear force-free field extrapolations, populates the magnetic field skeleton with parameterized heated plasma coronal models that assume either steady-state or impulsive plasma heating, and generates non-LTE density and temperature distribution models of the chromosphere that are constrained by photospheric measurements. The standardized models produced by this pipeline may be further customized through specialized IDL scripts, or a set of interactive tools provided by the graphical user interface. Here, we describe the GX Simulator framework and its applications.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: The study is supported by NSF grants AGS-2121632, AST2206424, AGS-1743321, AGS-2130832, and NASA grants 80NSSC20K0718, 80NSSC20K0627, 80NSSC19K0068, and 80NSSC23K0090, to New Jersey Institute of Technology. S.J. S.ʼs contribution was supported by an appointment to the NASA Postdoctoral Program at the Goddard Space Flight Center, administered by Universities Space Research Association under contract with NASA. J.A.K. was supported by the Internal Scientist Funding Model competitive work package program at GSFC. A.A.K. and S.A.A. acknowledge financial support by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.
• Keywords: Microwave spectroscopy, solar active regions, solar electromagnetic emission, solar flares, astronomy data modeling, nonthermal radiation sources.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Kontar, Professor Eduard
• Authors: Nita, G. M., Fleishman, G. D., Kuznetsov, A. A., Anfinogentov, S. A., Stupishin, A. G., Kontar, E. P., Schonfeld, S. J., Klimchuk, J. A., and Gary, D. E.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Physics and Astronomy
• Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
• Publisher: IOP Publishing
• ISSN: 0067-0049
• ISSN (Online): 1538-4365
• Published Online: 29 June 2023
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2023 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series 267(1): 6
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License