Solar Wind With Field Lines and Energetic Particles (SOFIE) Model: Application to Historical Solar Energetic Particle Events

Abstract

AbstractIn this paper, we demonstrate the applicability of the data‐driven solar energetic particle (SEP) model, SOlar‐wind with FIeld‐lines and Energetic‐particles (SOFIE), to simulate the acceleration and transport processes of SEPs and make forecast of the energetic proton flux at energies ≥10 MeV that will be observed near 1 AU. The SOFIE model is built upon the Space Weather Modeling Framework developed at the University of Michigan. In SOFIE, the background solar wind plasma in the solar corona and interplanetary space is calculated by the Stream‐Aligned Aflvén Wave Solar‐atmosphere Model(‐Realtime) driven by the near‐real‐time hourly updated Global Oscillation Network Group solar magnetograms. In the background solar wind, coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are launched by placing an force‐imbalanced magnetic flux rope on top of the parent active region, using the Eruptive Event Generator using Gibson‐Low model. The acceleration and transport processes are modeled by the Multiple‐Field‐Line Advection Model for Particle Acceleration. In this work, nine SEP events (Solar Heliospheric and INterplanetary Environment challenge/campaign events) are modeled. The three modules in SOFIE are validated and evaluated by comparing with observations, including the steady‐state background solar wind properties, the white‐light image of the CMEs, and the flux of solar energetic protons, at energies of ≥10 MeV.