Forecasting F10.7 with Solar Magnetic Flux Transport Modeling (Postprint)

Abstract

A new method is presented here to forecast the solar 10.7 cm (2.8 GHz) radio flux, abbreviated F10.7, utilizing advanced predictions of the global solar magnetic field generated by a flux transport model. Using indices derived from the absolute value of the solar magnetic field, we find good correlation between the observed photospheric magnetic activity and the observed F10.7 values. Comparing magnetogram data observed within 6 hours of the F10.7 measurements during the years 1993 through 2010, the Spearman correlation coefficient, rs, for an empirical model of F10.7 is found to be 0.98. In addition, we find little change in the empirical model coefficients and correlations between the first and second 9 year intervals of the 18 year period investigated. By evolving solar magnetic synoptic maps forward 1 7 days, this new method provides a realistic estimation of the Earth-side solar magnetic field distribution used to forecast F10.7. Spearman correlation values of approximately 0.97, 0.95, and 0.93 are found for 1 day, 3 day, and 7 day forecasts, respectively. The method presented here can be expanded to forecast other space weather parameters, e.g., total solar irradiance and extreme ultraviolet flux. In addition, nearterm improvements to the F10.7 forecasting method, e.g., including far-side magnetic data with solar magnetic flux transport, are discussed.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 03, 2012
Accession Number
ADA559391

Entities

People

  • Carl Henney
  • Charles Arge
  • Susan White
  • W. A. Toussaint

Organizations

  • Air Force Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Coefficients
  • Delphi Method
  • Governments
  • Intervals
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Magnetic Flux
  • Measurement
  • Military Research
  • Observatories
  • Solar Activity
  • Solar Wind
  • Space Weather
  • Spacecraft
  • Transport Ships
  • Vehicles

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science
  • Physics

Readers

  • Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Modeling, Data Assimilation, and Flux Boundary Layers
  • Regression Analysis.
  • Solar Physics

Technology Areas

  • Space