Working group on promoting the use of vector field synoptic maps in modeling of solar and heliospheric phenomena (for research and Space Weather forecast) aims at bringing together “data providers” (observers) and “data users” (modelers) to discuss various issues related to synoptic vector magnetic fields.
First synoptic maps of three components of vector magnetic fields were created in early 2010 (e.g., Gosain et al 2013) using full disk observations from VSM/SOLIS. Currently, such maps are produced using data from two instruments: VSM/SOLIS and HMI/SDO. The description of current HMI maps created by NSO team is available here. Three components of vector field synoptic maps from VSM/SOLIS can be accessed via this interface (requires selecting a desired data product using pulldown menu). HMI/SDO maps produced by NSO team are available via ftp.
While there were some early attempts to use these maps for modeling, there are also many open questions about how exactly to incorporate vector field boundary conditions into existing models, how to deal with polar regions, what are these maps good for anyway etc. In 23-25 January 2017, the group held a small working meeting in Oulu, Finland to discuss various issues related vector field synoptic maps. Issues identified in course of this first meeting are now under the discussion by the group members mostly in USA and Finland.
List of past and future meetings:
- First working meeting on Use of Vector Synoptic Maps for Modeling, Oulu, Finland, 23-26 Jan. 2017
- Second working meeting on Use of Vector Synoptic Maps for Modeling, Boulder, CO, 7-10 Nov. 2017
- Third working meeting on “Use of Vector Synoptic Maps for Modeling”, Göttingen, Germany, 18-21 September, 2018