Modeling solar wind mass-loading in the vicinity of the Sun using 3-D MHD simulations

Abstract

Collisionless shocks due to mass-loading were first discussed to describe the solar wind flow around a cometary atmosphere, showing its choking effects on the flow. Recent observations have led to an increased interest in mass-loading occurring in the solar corona due to both sungrazing comets and collisional debris production by sunward migrating interplanetary dust particles. The 1-D simulations with a hydrodynamic model have illustrated the impact on the solar wind from abrupt mass-loading in the coronal region. Full 3-D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations using a solar corona model based on the Block-Adaptive-Tree-Solarwind-Roe-Upwind-Scheme code provide a more realistic coronal environment for modeling specific events applicable to modeling the mass-loaded coronal wind. A specific application is introduced modeling the mass-loading effects from a sungrazing comet. Key Points Introduction of a mass-loading extension to the SWMF SC component Confirmation of similar coronal mass-loading results between 1D HD and 3D MHD Application of mass-loading in the SWMF SC component for sungrazing comets ©2013. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.