Date of Award

2015

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Physics

Committee Chair

Nikolai V. Pogorelov

Committee Member

G. P. Zank

Committee Member

Jacob Heerikhuisen

Subject(s)

Boundary value problems, Scintillators, Space plasmas, Sun

Abstract

Studying and understanding the Sun is essential because it serves in understanding the rest of the astronomical universe. It is the source of solar wind (a magneto-ionic gas) that streams past the Earth at velocities of more than 400 km/s. Thus changes/disturbances in the solar wind have a large impact on the Earth's magnetic field. In this study, we have analyzed solar wind speed estimates obtained from Interplanetary Scintillation (IPS) measurements. These results are compared with Wang-Sheeley-Arge (WSA) model to predict the solar wind flow and interplanetary magnetic field. We also present time-dependent MHD simulations of the solar wind flow from 0.1 AU to 1 AU obtained with the boundary conditions based on both IPS and WSA data.

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